Famous victory for Waterford footballers

Waterford 0-8;
Cork 0-7.
Waterford Senior footballers scored a richly deserved win over clear favourites Cork in the semi-final of the McGrath Cup at a bitterly cold Clashmore venue last Sunday afternoon. Trailing by 0-4 to 0-2 at half-time, Cork introduced a number of their big guns on the restart and during the second half and, while they put a superb home defence under enormous pressure, at no stage, did they go ahead of the Deise side.
Following two recent games at the venue, the Clashmore field was in as good a condition as possible and the home club had everything in order for one of the biggest games to be staged there. The Waterford victory warmed the hearts of the hardy souls who attended but that was as good as it got as very close to sub zero temperatures persisted throughout the evening.
This game will have done Waterford the world of good, not just because of the win, but it was a well contested outing in preparation for the National League campaign as will this weekend’s McGrath Cup final against the current Sigerson Cup holders UCC. The word is that the last time Waterford beat Cork was in a challenge match in Ballinameela in 2007 and the last time they lowered their colours in a competitive game was in the Munster Senior Football semi-final back in 1960.
Credit every player who donned a Waterford jersey on Sunday as they created their own bit of footballing history in the County and they continued the positive start for the new management team of Tom McGlinchey, Tony Corcoran and Ger Power.
Cork made seven changes from the Tipperary match the previous week while Waterford were without the hamstrung Paul Whyte, who looks as if he will miss the early stages of the National League. Waterford’s tactic of playing corner forward Liam Lawlor out the field as an extra man, similar to the Nire’s 2014 campaign, worked a treat as it earned the winners a plentiful supply of the ball and it kept Cork on the backfoot in to the second half of the game. The Deise backs were the heroes of the hour as they defended superbly throughout in their own right and they were assisted regularly by team mates with as many as thirteen players behind the ball on occasions.
The result of this successful tactic by the winners is evident in that Cork didn’t score from play until the 60th minute when Castlehaven’s Mark Collins kicked over their only such score of this tie. Waterford’s successful patient and possession game kept the score keeper unemployed generally and in a low scoring first half, the home team led by 0-2 to 0-0, courtesy of two fine efforts from placed balls by Shane Aherne in the 2nd and the 11th minutes. Cork missed a number of potential equalising frees until Dan Mac Eoin from Illen Rovers opened their account in the 19th minute.
Mac Eoin levelled the match eight minutes later and a John Hayes strike off the post denied them the lead shortly afterwards. The score of the match arrived in the 33rd minute when Waterford were awarded a free in front of their own goal and they worked the ball up the field with Liam Lawlor providing for Patrick Hurney who split the posts, giving his team a lead that they would never subsequently relinquish. In the first minute of added time Hurney’s club mate Michael O’Halloran kicked over a fine effort before both sides gained some deserving respite in the dressing rooms from the artic conditions. Waterford conceded eighteen first half frees compared to half this number by Cork while we kicked seven wides compared to three by the visitors.
After what seemed a longer than usual half-time break, Cork returned with three changes as Colm O’Neill, Colm O’Driscoll and Donnacha O’Connor were all introduced in a match saving attempt by their team management. However, it was Waterford who continued to press forward and following a bad wide early on, Rathgormack’s Gavin Nugent kicked a brace of points in the 38th and the 40th minutes which prompted Cork to introduce Nemo Rangers player Paul Kerrigan from the bench.
The effect was either immediate or pure coincidental as it heralded the first sustained pressure by the visitors on what was becoming an over worked Deise defence. In a ten minute period up to the 55th minute, the Rebels kicked three pointed frees via Donnacha O’Connor (2) and Colm O’Neill. In between Waterford introduced Conor Phelan to good effect while both Niall Cadogan and Shane Aherne were yellow carded in an increasingly competitive encounter.
Credit Waterford they lifted the Cork siege and Dean Crowley and Shane Aherne combined to send Michael O’Halloran in for his second point in the 57th minute to restore a 0-2 advantage at 0-7 to 0-5. Mark Collins replied with Cork’s first point from play on the hour mark but hard grafting again by the home side earned them a 62nd minute free which Shane Aherne executed, 0-8 to 0-6 and the winner’s last score of the match.
Cork had plentiful opportunity to level and indeed win this tie but their sole return in the final eleven minutes of play was a solitary pointed free by Colm O’Neill.
Both O’Neill and Donnacha O’Connor were guilty of bad wides while an under pressure Waterford didn’t help their own cause with the concession of some easy frees, including the over carrying of the ball on a number of occasions.
However, the winners weathered this latest storm again and the final passage of play resulted in a Waterford free in front of the posts after sub Lorcan O Corraoin had been fouled off the ball. It didn’t result in a score but the final whistle sounded on the kickout as the frozen home attendance vacated the grounds in happy mood.
This was a well planned victory and well done to all concerned. Players to catch this eye especially were Niall Walsh, Tadhg O hUallachain and Liam Lawlor while the work rate of the O’Gormans, Dean Crowley and Ray Kelly was instrumental in winning the game.
Both Shane Aherne and Tommy Prendergast formed a formidable midfield pairing and in a low scoring match, the contributions of Michael O’Halloran, Gavin Nugent and Patrick Hurney got the home team over the line. Both Joey Veale and Michael Curry worked hard though outnumbered by the opposing defence and second half subs Conor Phelan, Lorcan O Corraoin and David Hallahan freshened up the side during this period.
Cork won’t be happy with both their performance and their defeat and the fact that the introduction of some established players didn’t turn this game around on the scoreboard.
Waterford last contested the McGrath Cup Final in 2002 when they were beaten by Clare and they last won this competition in 1981. This weekend, they will face UCC in the final, who have already scored wins over Limerick and IT Tralee, the latter having already beaten Kerry. UCC have been installed as clear favourites to win this game.
Waterford’s Top Three: Liam Lawlor, Niall Walsh, Tadhg O hUallachain.
Cork’s Top Three: Jamie O’Sullivan, Stephen O’Donoghue, Mark Collins.
Observer’s Man of the Match: Liam Lawlor.
Number of Scorers: Waterford 4. Cork 4.
Scores from Play: Waterford 0-5. Cork 0-1.
Frees For: Waterford 17. Cork 33.
Wides: Waterford 11. Cork 4.
Score of the Match: Patrick Hurney’s team worked point in the 33rd minute.
Scorers – Waterford: Shane Aherne 0-3f, Michael O’Halloran and Gavin Nugent 0-2 each, Patrick Hurney 0-1. Cork: Dan Mac Eoin, Donnacha O’Connor and Colm O’Neill 0-2f each, Mark Collins 0-1.
Waterford: Stephen Enright; Dean Crowley, Niall Walsh, Thomas O’Gorman; Tadhg O hUallachain, Maurice O’Gorman, Ray O Ceallaigh; Shane Aherne, Tommy Prendergast; Michael Curry, Michael O’Halloran, Patrick Hurney; Liam Lawlor, Gavin Nugent, Joey Veale. Subs: Conor Phelan (51), Lorcan O Corraoin (59), David Hallahan (54).
Cork: Ken O’Halloran; Liam Jennings, Tom Clancy, Stephen O’Donoghue; Padraig Hodnett, Eoin Cadagon, Jamie O’Sullivan; Michael Cussen, Mark Collins; Kevin O’Driscoll, Barry O’Driscoll, George Durant; Dan Mac Eoin, Fiachra O Deasunaigh, John Hayes. Subs: Colm O’Neill, Colm O’Driscoll and Donnacha O’Connor (all half-time), Paul Kerrigan (43), John O’Rourke (60).
Referee: Sean Joy (Kerry).