Munster Express Online

Maurice Shanahan topped the scoring charts for Waterford at Austin Stack Park on Saturday last. | Photo: Noel Browne

Tralee IT 3-5; Waterford 2-13

The final score surely raised a few eyebrows among those who didn’t make the trek to Tralee for last Saturday’s Waterford Crystal Cup quarter-final.

But, in reality, Davy Fitzgerald’s young Waterford side were far too good for a spirited IT Tralee unit, who certainly couldn’t be accused of throwing in the towel.

Having now hit 3-39 in two Crystal outings, there’s certainly nothing lacking in the Deise scoring department, which is a source of great encouragement to the management considering the challenges that lie ahead.

A Saturday evening pow-wow between some of the county’s most prominent hurling minds at the Park Hotel Awards revealed some diverging opinion on manager Davy Fitzgerald’s strategy for the League campaign.

Since the discussion was informal, we’ll refrain from naming names, but it was interesting to hear differing opinions emerging before a competitive ball has been even pucked this year.

Hurling Mind 1 (HM 1): “I think Davy is wrong to be writing off the League this year.”

Hurling Mind 2 (HM 2): “He’s not writing off the League at all, in my opinion.”

HM 1: “But sure look at the players he’s leaving out – how can you expect the team to do well with all of them missing? For me, the League is already all about just surviving, and I sure as hell don’t want to see Waterford hurling in Division Two next year.”

HM 2: “I don’t see it like that at all, and I’d be pretty sure Davy doesn’t see it that way either. Look at it this way: Munster won a Magners League last year due in no small part to the fringe players who came in and did such a good job when the likes of O’Gara and O’Connell weren’t available.

“And that’s helped Munster enormously in terms of being able to look at a player, assess him in a meaningful way and know if a player was up to the task or not. Davy is blooding fellas now, giving them a guaranteed two hours of hurling before he trims the panel down ahead of the League and in my view, he couldn’t be handling it more fairly.”

HM 1: “Well, I’ll be more than happy to stand corrected if things go better than how I currently see them unfolding.”

HM 2: “Well I’ll be sure to hold you to your word.”

At Tralee on Saturday last, both sides exchanged six points in the opening 20 minutes, with Waterford’s points despatched via the hurls of Maurice Shanahan (two frees) and Gary Hurney.

But it was the visitors who finished the half much the stronger, with Shane Walsh maintaining his excellent goals per game ratio in the 24th minute and Shanahan adding three further frees. At the break, Waterford led by 1-8 to 0-3 and were good value for their advantage.

Martin O’Keeffe, last year’s Munster Championship winning captain, bagged Waterford’s second goal in the 34th minute, with Shanahan, again from a dead ball, soon adding another point to stretch their lead to 12.

While Waterford took the foot slightly off the pedal as Fitzgerald emptied his bench, IT Tralee rallied well to add some respectability to the scoreboard.

Goals from Fergus Kennedy, Padraig O’Connor and Denis Crowley meant the students’ pride remained intact by full-time, while Waterford benefited from some further, vital game time.

Waterford will face the winners of the Tipperary/Clare fixture played in Borrisoleigh last (Tuesday) night on Sunday next, with time and venue to be confirmed.

Twenty-four hours prior to this fixture, a Deise selection will line out against All-Ireland Club champions Portumna in a challenge match in Carrickbeg to raise funds for the Saint Molleran’s Juvenile Club.

Fitzgerald, as he did last week, will ensure as many players as he can get valuable game time before he names his panel for the National Hurling League campaign.

Speaking after Saturday’s win, the Deise boss sounded a defiant note ahead of the new season.

“No one will give Waterford a chance in the Championship,” Fitzgerald predicted.

“I’m happy to allow people think what they want. We’ll concentrate on every game as it comes.”

He asserted: “When it comes to it we will not be beaten that easily. A lot of teams will think because we’re missing six or seven guys that we will be a pushover but I am confident that will not be the case. It will not be from the lack of trying if we fail.”

Regarding the players that have been left out of consideration for now, Fitzgerald said their omission had caused no concern to the other panellists.

“The other lads are happy enough about it as they understand that it’s for the overall good down the road,” he said.

“Let me say it’s not a given that the lads (being rested) will walk back onto the team when they come back. They will have to work their way back in and I think we have enough games arranged for that to happen.

“They will have to up their sharpness and if they are good enough and fresh enough when they come back, then that’s fair enough.”

While the League, good or bad, will come or go, Fitzgerald’s major focus is on getting his panel in the right frame of mind and in good physical nick ahead of the Championship.

When Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh was asked by a ‘Tubridy Show’ texter on Monday when he reckons Waterford will lift the MacCarthy Cup, the voice of hurling’s response was telling.

“Sooner than a lot of people think,” said the great broadcaster. We shall see.

 

Waterford: S O’Keeffe; J Maher, L Lawlor, A Kearney; D Prendergast, M Walsh, J Nagle; J Murray, E Whelan; K Moran, S O’Sullivan, M Shanahan; M O’Neill, G Hurney, S Carey

Subs: S Walsh for S Carey (4), N Jacob for K Moran (HT), J Kindregan for J Nagle (42), B Phelan for J Maher (57), C Hennessy for D Prendergast (58).

Scorers: M Shanahan 0-7 (0-4 f, 0-1 ‘65), M O’Neill 1-2 (0-1 f), S Walsh 1-1, J Murray, E Whelan and G Hurney 0-1 each.

IT Tralee: G Murphy; P Quill, S Guilfoyle, M Rea; O Gateley, E Ryan, M Deegan; T Downes, N Quaid; M Kiely, D Crowley, J Riordan; K Good, T Vaughan, F Kennedy

Subs: P Carey for K Good (25), D O’Dea for T Vaughan (46), P O’Connor for M Deegan (54).

Scorers: IT Tralee: D Crowley, F Kennedy, P O’Connor 1-0 each, M Kiely 0-3 (0-3 f), E Ryan and J O’Riordan 0-1 each.

Referee: C Lyons (Cork).