ALL-IRELAND SHC QUALIFIERS PHASE III Waterford 2-18 Offaly 0-18YOU HAVE to hand it to Davy Fitzgerald. He took over the Waterford job with a list of reasons not to and every possibility it would end in tears - and here he is at least keeping the thing afloat.
He sauntered from the dressing-room on Saturday evening with a Waterford heart on his sleeve, talking the managerial talk and quite clearly running the show.
Perhaps Waterford aren't up for the All-Ireland this year but they can't blame Davy Fitz for that. If perhaps they are, then he can surely take a bow.
They'll play Wexford in next Sunday's All-Ireland quarter-final, and luckily for him, Clare were in the other half of the draw (surely that would have torn Fitzy in two?). Saturday's win over Offaly was far from convincing, but there was nothing to suggest they won't put it up to Wexford. Oh, and Eoin Kelly scored 2-13.
"Look, I'm happy enough," he said. "We did give away too many scores, but a lot of them were good scores. I was telling the lads let's pressure them in taking shots. Well they took the shots, and scored them. But I think Offaly are coming, and that's great to see, because hurling needs Offaly.
"But the one thing the lads promised me is that they'd fight every game for 70 minutes. I expect that out of them, if I'm driving down from Clare. If they stay honest for 70 minutes then I believe we'll be there or thereabouts with a chance. These boys are very anxious to do well.
"All I'm focused on now is Wexford. I know they won't be too afraid of what we've seen today, but we'll give it a go."
True to managerial principles, he played down the role of Kelly, who hit some sublime scores. The two first-half goals were set up for him, the first by John Mullane, the second by a defensive mistake from Offaly, but he finished them brilliantly.
"Eoin Kelly is there to score," said Fitzgerald. "Eoin Kelly played well today. But he wouldn't be doing that only for the boys working hard outside the field. He was getting decent ball either side of him, and he's lethal like that. Great player. But how can he lift on that performance? If we get a point or two off him next week we'd be delighted. But certainly he can't carry us again. Other forwards will have to step up to the mark. That's it."
Outside of Mullane, who hit two points in the first half, the rest of the Waterford forwards were stuck in first gear. Dan Shanahan hardly touched the ball in the first half, and while midfield worked well, including newcomer Jamie Nagle, it's hard to know where Waterford would have found scores had Kelly not been in such unbelievable form.
They started brilliantly, hitting a goal and four points in the first minutes. Offaly woke up and hit seven points without reply to draw level, before adding another, so that on 21 minutes they found themselves in front: 0-8 to 1-4.
This was the Offaly of old, chasing and hounding for every ball. Brian Carroll was in great form but several others chipped in with impressive scores, including midfielders Brendan Murphy and Rory Hanniffy and Derek Molloy - and they led early in the second half as well when Shane Dooley hit another excellent point
Some silly mistakes proved their undoing. Carroll hit a couple of uncharacteristic wides while other shots fell short, and the goal hunt that should have been led by Joe Bergin never once got going. At the other end of the field, Kelly could not miss and midway through the second half hit four scores in quick succession that finally took the sting out of Offaly.
"It was heart-breaking," admitted Offaly manager Joe Dooley. "Fair play to Waterford, though. They've had their troubles this year but they're getting their act together again. It will still take a good team to beat them.
"But we'll rise up again. We blooded a lot of young players this year that have committed to the Offaly hurling cause . . . We're on the right road and if they stick at it their day will come."
WATERFORD: 1 C Hennessy; 2 E Murphy, 3 K McGrath, 4 D Prendergast; 5. S O'Sullivan, 6 T Browne, 7 J Kennedy; 8 M Walsh, 9 J Nagle; 10 D Shanahan, 11 G Hurney, 12 S Prendergast (0-1); 15 J Mullane (0-2), 14 E Kelly (2-13, nine frees, one 65), 13 E McGrath (0-1). Subs: 17 B Phelan for Kennedy, 19 S Molumphy (0-1) for Hurney (both 41 mins), 18 P Flynn for Nagle (61 mins), 20 D Bennett for E McGrath (69 mins). Yellow cards: T Browne (14 mins), K McGrath (30 mins), E Murphy (48 mins), P Flynn (67 mins). Red cards: None.
OFFALY:1 B Mullins; 2 D Franks (0-1), 3 D Kenny, 4 M Verney; 5 K Brady, 6 G Oakley, 18 P Clearly (0-1, a free); 8 B Murphy (0-2), 9 R Hanniffy (0-2); 10 S Dooley (0-1), 11 J Brady, 12 D Molloy (0-1); 13 B Carroll (0-9, seven frees), 14 J Bergin (0-1), 15 D Currams. Subs: 24 C Hernon for Verney (24 minutes), 26 C Mahon for Currams (59 mins), 28 J Rigney for Hernon (64 mins). Yellow cards: J Bergin (30 mins), G Oakley (40 mins). Red cards: None.
Referee:M Haverty (Galway)
