Déise show their mastery to see-off Galway
AS A snapshot of what was to come, the opening score of the game said everything about the ease of Waterford’s coronation as the best Under21 hurling team in the country.
With barely 45 seconds on the clock, wing-forward DJ Foran raced on to a ball that broke in behind the Galway half-back line. Rather than take the easy option of a settling score, he kept the head down and took a direct line for goal, blazing a ball off his stick to the net on the run.
After the long wait since the county’s sole All-Ireland success at this grade in 1992, the latest generation weren’t about to hang around.
Waterford set about as if that figure was a personal challenge to be bested, rattling 3-5 inside the opening 16 minutes to remove any doubt about whether the bookies were getting ahead of themselves by making them close to unbackable.
As a consolation to a senior season that stayed trophyless, despite so much blood, sweat and tears devoted to the cause, there was a sense of liberation about this title.
Many of the same figures who backboned the minor triumph of three years ago were at the heart of this skewering of the same opposition. Manager Seán Power was still out on the pitch afterwards cradling the new trophy when he explained just how much it meant.
‘It was very important. These competitions are very, very difficult to win. It’s rare that a county like Waterford can go and win an AllIreland. The senior grade was heartbreaking for us all, for the players and everyone supporting the team. But this will ease the pain a bit.
‘We don’t win them very often. It’s very special when we do. The manner in which we executed the victory was just mesmerising.
‘They’re a great bunch of players and they work hard for it so we’re delighted.’
The style in which they did it too will probably put a bit more pressure on senior manager Derek McGrath to evolve from the sweeper system that has underpinned his team’s progress in recent seasons.
Where Waterford hurling needs to go now is obvious to Power. ‘If you call this the top of the development pile, then the answer is the Munster Senior Championship and All-Ireland Senior Championship. That’s where you go from here. It’s easy say that; very difficult to do it. But the potential is there.’
Patrick Curran’s sublime touches unhinged a Galway team who had sparse support in Semple Stadium, perhaps fearing the worst in the decision not to travel.
Two frees and a point from play had the scoreline at 1-3 to 0-3, Curran exactly matching that contribution before Waterford hit 2-3 in a devastating five-minute spell.
DJ Foran drifted in behind Vincent Doyle again and slipped a handpass to Curran running off his shoulder ahead of him and the Dungarvan player showed all his senior composure to bat the ball to the net.
A lovely reverse handpass from the same player then played in Stephen Bennett who cracked a shot to the net, goalkeeper Cathal Tuohy getting a stick to it but he was beaten by the power of the shot.
It could have been even worse for Galway — Tuohy tipping a Tom Devine rasper over the bar after 24 minutes but Galway’s limitations where obvious from the fact that only Kevin McHugo had a score on the board outside of their leading marksman Brian Molloy.
A 13-point cushion at half-time meant that Waterford could afford a slight wobble after the break when Galway hit five points in succession, responding in the way this team know best by rattling the net twice more.
With 10 minutes to go, Stephen Bennett chased a ball out near the end corner in front of the New Stand and turned and played an inviting pass all the way across the goal where his brother Shane was steaming in to slide and flick the ball to the net past the advancing Tuohy.
When Stephen then plucked a Gleeson sideline from over the head of Declan Cronin and smashed a shot to the net from a near impossible angle, it showed exactly why this bunch are a class apart.