Sean Holland
Waterford manager Peter Queally cut a frustrated but proud figure after his side’s narrow defeat to Clare, admitting the game may ultimately have turned on the finest of margins.
‘Yeah, very close,’ he said. ‘We were probably a missed handpass away from maybe getting a draw out of it.’
Queally pointed to Waterford’s late attacking opportunity that broke down as a pivotal moment, with the Déise unable to capitalise on a numerical advantage. ‘We had a two or three-man overlap there and that’s probably the difference in the end,’ admitted Queally.
Despite the disappointment, the Déise boss was quick to credit Clare’s composure in the closing stages. ‘I thought when we put them under pressure in the last 15 minutes, every time we got a score, a goal and a bit of momentum, they came back with some magnificent scores. Their execution was very good in that period.’
In contrast, Queally acknowledged that even after putting up 33 points, Waterford left opportunities behind. ‘One area that we might have let ourselves down a bit was our shooting and our execution. We had a few wides, but some of them were ones we’d expect to score.’
Waterford looked in danger of being cut adrift during a dominant Clare spell in the second half, but rallied strongly with a late surge of goals to get back into contention.
‘In fairness, at that stage, we just kept going and never gave in,’ Queally said. ‘The subs made a difference and brought us back into it. The goal was another big thing for us as well. We were probably unlucky not to get another one or two.’
He also highlighted a crucial late save from Clare goalkeeper Eibhear Quilligan that denied Patrick Curran an equalising goal. ‘Patrick was unlucky – it was a very good save at a crucial stage.’
While the result ultimately went against them, Queally was full of praise for his players’ efforts. ‘Overall, very disappointed, but very proud of the lads and the way they played for the entirety of the game.’
Stephen Bennett’s remarkable tally of 3-12 once again underlined his importance to the side, with Queally emphasising that his influence goes far beyond scoring.
‘I can’t overstate it. It’s not even the scores – it’s his physical presence, his work ethic. He’s an absolute warrior,’ he said. ‘To go out and put in a performance like he did and work as hard as he did – he’s an incredible player.’
Goalkeeper Billy Nolan also came in for special praise after a string of key interventions. ‘He was magnificent during the league and again today. The saves he pulled off were outstanding, and his puck-outs and execution were excellent too. He’s been colossal for us this year.’
Looking ahead to a crucial clash with Tipperary, Queally identified areas for improvement, particularly in open play scoring.
‘We probably need a little bit more help for Stephen when it comes to points from play,’ he said. ‘We need a bit more flow in our play, get more shots away and execute them when we get into those positions.’
Despite the setback, Queally remains focused on the bigger picture as the championship campaign continues with the visit of the reigning All-Ireland champions on Sunday.
‘That’s the nature of championship,’ he said. ‘Whether it’s a win or a loss, you have to dust yourself off and go again. We’ll come back as hard as ever next week.’
