Munster Express Online

Waterford 0-08; Antrim 0-13

Waterford endured a disappointing end to the National Football League campaign on Saturday last when they went under to Antrim at Fraher Field by five points.

Throughout the first half, Waterford were in full control of the game, and lead 0-5 to 0-3 at the break, and in truth could have been even further in front.

Playing with the aid of the strong wind in the first half, and looking as if things were going to go in Waterford’s way, people could be forgiven for asking “What if?” What if they had taken the chances afforded to them in the first game of the campaign against Wicklow in Aughrim? What if they had put up a score similar to what other counties had put up against Kilkenny and what if they had beaten London when they visited the English Capital over St Patrick’s weekend?

Waterford began this game in fine form. With three minutes on the clock, Brian Wall punched over the opening score of the game following a good delivery from the boot of Tony Grey. Antrim’s best forward on the day Patrick Cunningham responded with a point three minutes later, but the inside a minute spell soon after, Waterford were 0-3 to 0-1 in front thanks to a brace of points from Liam Ó Lionáin.

Tramore’s Paul Ogle extended Waterford’s lead on the quarter-hour mark with a super point from play. Six minutes later, Sean O’Hare, one of the country’s leading young footballers, kicked an equally superb point from the 45- metre line to put Waterford four up.

Patrick Cunningham from a free cut the Deise lead to three points with 11 minutes of the half remaining. Six minutes later Waterford were dealt a huge blow when the very impressive O’Hare was sent to the stand for the remainder of the game after referee Rory Hickey flashed a yellow card in his direction.

The Glensmen completed the first half scoring two minutes into stoppage time when Tomás McCann pointed from a free.

Turnaround

Playing with the aid of the wind in the second period Antrim were the better side. Patrick Cunningham pointed a free a minute after the re-start and two minutes later, Antrim registered their first score from play when Dara Edwards tied up the scoring for the second time in the game.

Cunningham pointed again from a free on 42 minutes. Paul Ogle from a free on the left hand side of the field tied the scoring for the third time. Edwards and Liam Ó Lionáin exchanged points with 20 minutes remaining – the Ring man’s point coming after Cillian O’Keeffe brought a good save from John Finucane in the Antrim goal and from the re-bound Ó Lionáin slotted over the bar.

However, Justin Crozier and Ciaran Close added points for Antrim inside a minute to put Liam Bradley’s side 0-9 to 0-7 ahead.

With 15 minutes remaining Patrick Cunningham sent a high dropping wall in around the Waterford goal, but Deise netminder Tom Wall was alert and tapped it over the bar to give Antrim a three-point lead.

With ten minutes left the Ulster side went even further in front before Brian Wall pointed a Deise free seven minutes from time. The final score of the game came in the first minute of added-on time when Antrim’s top marksman Cunningham got his seventh point of the afternoon, via a free.

Waterford were left to rue Cillian O’Keeffe’s spurned goal chance in the 49th minute and other subsequent close-calls by Brian Wall (who saw a great effort go just wide) and two more green-flag opportunities that fell to Clashmore’s O’Keeffe in the 57th/58th minutes.

Positives

John Kiely’s team’s attentions now turn to a championship meeting with Cork in Fraher Field on May 24 and they have a lot of positives to take from a League campaign when for one reason or another they found themselves hamstrung by circumstances outside their control.

Gone are the days when Waterford were mere canon fodder, and Kiely has several players that would adorn many top county teams.

Antrim: J Finucane; C Brady, S McVeigh, A Douglas; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughry; M McCann, A Gallagher; K Brady, T McCann, N Keever; P Cunningham, D Edwards, M Pollock. Subs. D O’Hagan for McVeigh, C Close for Pollock, S Burke for Douglas.

Scorers: P Cunningham 0-7, D Edward and C Close 0-2 each, J Crozier and T McCann 0-1 each.

Waterford: T Wall; J Phelan, J Seaward, S Briggs; W Hennessy, T O’Gorman, T Grey; B Phelan, S O’Hare;, Ml O’Gorman, P Ogle, C O’Keeffe; L Lawlor, B Wall, L O Lionáin. Subs. S. Prendergast for O’Hare (Y.C.), S Dempsey for Phelan, S Fleming for Ml O’Gorman, J Hayden for Ogle, M Prendergast for Grey.

Scorers: L Ó Lionáin 0-3, B Wall and P Ogle 0-2 each, S O’Hare 0-1.

Referee: T. Grey.