Waterford 2-8 Kerry 1-9 Blue letter day in Walsh Park, Waterford. Sustained for decades by the last great victory over Kerry in the senior championship 45 years ago, Waterford's long-suffering football community had its pride thoroughly renewed in last night's Erin Munster football under-21 final.
A sensational finish saw the home county seize the title for the first time. Champions Kerry had appeared to have done enough and led by a point going into injury-time.
But the most celebrated sporting ambushes come late in the day. And the dangers of sitting on a lead became vividly clear a minute later. Waterford, having clattered away apparently in vain to force extra-time, launched another frantic attack.
Captain Niall Hennessy pushed up from right-wing back and pumped a high ball up into the stratosphere over the Kerry square.
The most likely menace was replacement Eoghan Walsh whose height had given Kerry problems since his arrival.
Instead, it was Shane Walsh who got a fist to the ball and propelled it to the net.
In the agonising countdown, Kerry nearly got in for salvation, but frenetic blocking and defending somehow kept the ball out. And, when Limerick referee Ger Haugh flung his arms wide to signal that Waterford football's long wait for major silverware was over, the crowd of around 5,000, nearly all home supporters, erupted.
Kerry should need therapy after this. After they hauled back a dangerous deficit and missed a penalty, snappy points by county senior Colm Cooper pushed the champions clear and the match teetered on the brink of being decisively won.
But credit to Waterford whose centrefield, having fallen a bit quiet, revved up and roared into action for the final 10 minutes.
Faced with a massed defence - wonder where they learned about that? - the home side struggled to create clear chances and didn't always take the best option.
But Waterford plugged away and in the 56th minute Tony Whelan shot convincingly for a point to trim the margin to one and inspire the final assault.
The first half had ended with Waterford 1-5 to 0-4 ahead. It was marked by a powerhouse display at centrefield from Michael Walsh.
His ball winning and distribution kept Kerry on the back foot and it was his 45 in the 16th minute that led to the goal.
As the ball appeared to drift wide, it faded and dropped invitingly for Mark Power to punch it in a looping parabola over goalkeeper Bryan Sheehan.
If Sheehan was disappointed, Kerry had reason to be grateful to him at other stages of the opening period. Twice he blocked shots from the impressive Liam Ó Lonain and the crowd winced at the potential cost.
Shane Walsh at full forward gave early notice he would be a handful, typified by his pass for Ó Lonain's 23rd-minute point.
Kerry had three seniors in the full-forward line - Declan Quill, Declan O'Sullivan and Cooper - but they weren't supplying them and the best chances often came from Waterford's almost fatal fascination with playing it short at the back.
The second half started with Kerry in much sharper form and, with the deficit down to two, captain Michael Collins finished a penetrating solo with a stunning finish to the net.
It seemed to take a deflection, which was hard luck on the attentive marking of Edmond Rockett.
Kerry's best chance of putting the match away came with a penalty awarded for a foul on Ross Donovan. But after an injury delay DJ Fleming's rasping shot hit the post and cannoned away.
Waterford's team had given a hint of this at minor level when unlucky to lose to Kerry by a point. There would be no denying them this time.
WATERFORD: D Hickey; M Crotty, G Hayes, J O'Reilly; N Hennessy (capt.), E Rockett, J Hurney; S Dempsey, M Walsh; L Ó Lonain (0-2), M Power (1-1), T Whelan (0-1); B Costelloe (0-1, a free), S Walsh (1-1), B Harty (0-2, one free). Subs: Eoghan Walsh for Power (37 mins); Eamonn Walsh for Hayes (49); T Halpin for Costelloe (57); A O'Loughlin for Hurney (63).
KERRY: B Sheehan; N Lynch, E Lawlor, F Griffin; P Sheehan, C O'Connor, E Kavanagh; S Scanlon, P Kelly; R Donovan, D O'Sullivan, M Collins (capt, 1-0); D Quill (0-3), C Cooper (0-3), DJ Fleming (0-3, all frees). Subs: B O'Mahony for Kavanagh (35 mins); K Donaghy for Quill (56).
Referee: G Haugh (Limerick).
