Waterford 3-18 Dublin 1-17A WEEK is a long time in hurling. For Waterford, a return home brought a necessary return to some kind of form yesterday. They also enjoyed leapfrogging into the closing stages of the league. For Dublin, it was a result which, while a setback, could have been worse.
At times in the first half the Dubs looked so at sea it was tempting to send out rescue crews. League form is unreliable, and both sides will draw what comforts they can for the summer.
Waterford, still a little taken aback by the manner of their dismissal by Kilkenny a week previously, were forced into two late changes. Dave Bennett and Declan Prendergast were withdrawn through training-ground ailments, which allowed Kevin Moran to continue at full back after last week's traumas and Shane Walsh to come in at wing forward, with Eoin McGrath moving to midfield.
Dublin gave competitive debuts to a couple of forwards. The promising Paul Ryan started top of the right while James Burke - of Dungarvan stock, incidentally - came in at centre forward.
Burke got a point, but drew the short straw playing on Ken McGrath, who had a point to prove after last week's difficulties. McGrath was the fulcrum of a half-back line which dominated the first half, with Brian Phelan, on his right, especially effective and bullish.
Dublin gifted Waterford the sort of start they enjoy but handed to John Mullane the type of encouragement he craves. Taken off a week earlier, Mullane had a goal and a point under his belt by the sixth minute, the goal being well- taken but slightly fortuitous: it arose from an incorrect line ball decision on the far side of the field, and Mullane then got away with a foul on his marker's stick.
Mere quibbles, however, as Mullane was irresistible from then on. Dublin tried switching corner backs but to no avail. Mullane would eventually declare with 3-4 for the day.
In those opening minutes, as Waterford ran up a large margin, they looked unrecognisable from the side which wilted so badly against Kilkenny. Eoin McGrath in particular caught the eye with his ninth-minute point, an extraordinary score from out on the right wing under pressure. He struck the ball on the turn and it landed over the bar for the score of the day.
In that period Dublin looked to have regressed as surely as Waterford had advanced. Basic errors crept into their play. They stood and waited for ball to come to them. When it arrived, they ran with it until the found some trouble. They took the wrong options again and again.
Though they were reeled in during the second half, Waterford will have relished this game, providing as it did a tonic for their morale and a demonstration of what they are still capable of. With Stephen Molumphy playing only a bit part before heading back to Germany until May, the future looks a whole lot brighter than it did a week ago.
There were periods of the first half when Waterford were no less than majestic. One gorgeous movement of quick passing saw Dan Shanahan, Mullane and Séamus Prendergast move the ball at pace before the last-named hit a shot unworthy of what had preceded it.
A minute later, Michael Walsh, harshly dismissed against Kilkenny but running the middle of the park as his personal fiefdom, made a 40-yard run through the centre of Dublin's defence before nicking a fine point.
That score left Waterford 13 points clear a couple of minutes before half-time. That Dublin managed to make the second half interesting is to their credit.
Burke and Dotsie O'Callaghan had a couple of quick points before Declan O'Dwyer, showing some speed for a big man, cut in from the right at the Waterford goal. He stumbled in full flight, the ball fell to Kevin Flynn, whose pull was ineffective, but it dribbled out to O'Dwyer again who this time buried the ball in the net.
Flynn added a point before half-time and Dublin, remarkably, had something to aim at for the second half.
When the visitors scored the opening three points of that half, people in the modest attendance began to sit up. O'Dwyer was showing well, Paul Ryan had a good point, as did Simon Lambert, and, if the Dubs could find the ever-threatening O'Callaghan a little more frequently, perhaps a comeback was viable.
Waterford stayed calm, however, with Eoin Kelly picking off the frees which Dublin's over-exuberance threw up. And Dan Shanahan, increasingly desperate to make a contribution which would spare him the ignominy of being substituted on successive weeks, began to hew out some ball. When Dublin would get close to Waterford the Munster champions possessed enough nous to slap them away again.
In the middle of the half, at one such juncture, Waterford had a goal disallowed for square ball and the very next move saw Shanahan deliver a wicked low ball into the path of Eoin Kelly in a move which deserved a green-flagged finish.
Time was running out for Dublin when Mullane finished the game as a contest with his third and best goal. Good passing from Shanahan and Prendergast released Mullane's dashing yellow helmet into space. Bang! The business was done.
WATERFORD:C Hennessy; R Foley, K Moran, A Kearney; B Phelan, K McGrath, J Kennedy; M Walsh (capt, 0-1),S Walsh; E Kelly (0-9, 6f, one 65), D Shanahan (0-1), E McGrath (0-1); J Mullane (3-4), S Prendergast (0-2),S Casey. Subs:S Molumphy (for S Walsh h-t), P Kearney (for Casey 58 mins), D Coffey (for Foley 58 mins).
DUBLIN:G Maguire; P Brennan, S Hiney (capt), P Bergin; M Carton, T Brady, J Boland; J McCaffrey (0-2), S Lambert (0-1); S Mullen (0-1), J Burke (0-1), D O'Dwyer (1-1); P Ryan (0-1), K Flynn (0-1), D O'Callaghan (0-8, six frees, one 65). Subs: P Kelly (0-1) (for Bergin), R O'Carroll (for Mullen, both 30 mins), R Fallon (for T Brady 61 mins), P Carton (for D O'Dwyer 67 mins).
Referee: S McMahon(Clare).
