DEISE FINALLY BREAK THE SPELL
Waterford end 58 years of hurt against Kilkenny on a thrilling night in Thurles
AS this exhilarating, bewitching night of hurling finally came to its breathless conclusion, an impassive Brian Cody stood in the centre of the Semple Stadium pitch, his hands on hips. Somehow, Waterford had found a way to kill the side who simply refuse to die.
They didn’t make it easy on themselves. On more than one occasion in front of 33,350 in Semple Stadium, Waterford looked like they were about to discover new ways to lose to their most oppressive neighbours. That is what happens when you have had Kilkenny’s boot on your throat for nearly six decades.
Derek McGrath’s players weren’t just taking on the Kilkenny team of 2017 here, they were also grappling with the ghosts of 58 years of sorrowful Championship history with their neighbours.
They saw an eight-point lead crumble to dust in the final 12 minutes of normal time and yet came out a resurgent team in extra-time. Jamie Barron wrote his name into Waterford history with a sensational performance in the first period, scoring 1-2 and destroying Kilkenny from midfield.
Maurice Shanahan, who had a long-range free to win the match in normal time, seized on a loose ball in the second minute of the second period and got away from Joe Lyng before batting the ball over Eoin Murphy’s head. With seven minutes left, they were six points ahead.
But they knew better to believe they were home and hosed. Kilkenny clung on in normal time and were desperately raging against the dying of the light here. TJ Reid, as he often has before, personified Kilkenny’s defiance. He ended the day with a total of 2-12
It was just when Brian Cody looked out onto the Thurles pitch, he didn’t find heroes in the usual spots. Richie Hogan was below par and substituted for the third Championship game in a row, although he was brought back on in the dying moments of extra-time as one last desperate lunge of the dice from Cody. Michael Fennelly, so influential on his return to the team against Limerick, had a quiet evening.
But Kilkenny had history on their side and the fact that they never, ever lose to Waterford in the Championship. The All-Ireland final replay of 1959 was the last time, and the Déise players played at times as if they knew that.
That the Déise simply don’t beat their neighbours weighed down on these players, like in the opening 10 minutes of the second-half when Kilkenny owned the ball, or in the final 12 minutes of normal time when they saw an eight-point lead vanish.
Indeed, as they sat in the dressingroom awaiting extra-time, Waterford must have wondered if they were ever going to beat Kilkenny. If it wasn’t going to happen last night, then maybe never.
When Hawkeye declared that Austin Gleeson’s 58th-minute effort had gone over the bar, his fifth point in a magical display, Derek McGrath’s side were eight up, 2-15 to 1-10.
They had done so much right in those 58 minutes. They harried and hassled, curbed the effectiveness of Kilkenny’s main men and they scored goals. Finding the net had so often been the Achilles Heel of this side, but if they were going to break Kilkenny’s hold over them, they needed to score goals last night.
And they did. Twice with Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh and Shane Bennett combining for each. On the stroke of half-time, it was Bennett who was provider for his veteran team-mate as Walsh bundled the ball into the net. Walsh returned the favour in the 53rd minute, with the Ballysaggart man finishing his goal to the roof of the net with the air of someone that was determined to drive a stake through Kilkenny’s heart.
Bennett’s goal was the sort that would have been talked about for years if Waterford had managed to hang on and when he was called ashore in the 61st minute, replaced by his brother Stephen, the substantial Waterford contingent rose to salute a hero – the man who finally killed off the Cats.
Except he didn’t. Kilkenny are never dead. As an impassive Cody stared onto the field, heroes rose from unlikely places. Colin Fennelly, at the heart of the move that earned Kilkenny’s first-half penalty, charged through the Déise cover and indeed could have been penalised for charging with Reid burying the ball into the net.
Waterford shouldn’t have been in a position to lose it. They were much the superior side in the first-half, Jake Dillon and Shane Bennett causing consternation in the Kilkenny defence, Darragh Fives hurling a world of ball out the field. The Kilkenny machine appeared to be malfunctioning, evident by Reid skewing two scoreable frees wide midway through the first-half. But when Fennelly drove through in the 31st minute and laid it off to Hogan, he was sandwiched by a couple of defenders. James Owens had no hesitation signalling a penalty.
Reid’s radar may have been off with the frees but he made no mistake with the penalty, firing into the far corner. Stephen O’Keeffe guessed correctly but had no chance keeping out the ferocious strike.
Even though they had only scored once from play in the opening 32 minutes, Reid’s goal left them trailing by only two points, 0-9 to 1-4.
Kilkenny were clinging on, as they do. Raging against the dying of the light, as only they know how to do.
But this was the night that the Cats finally ran out of lives.
WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, C Gleeson; T De Búrca, D Fives, N Connors (S McNulty 86), Philip Mahony; J Barron, K Moran; K Moran, A Gleeson, M Walsh(M Shanahan 69), Pauric Mahony(B O’Halloran 70) Shane Bennett (Stephen Bennett 61(T Ryan 79)), J Dillon (P Curran 47(C Dunford 83). Scorers: P Mahony 0-8 (6f 1 ‘65); A Gleeson 0-5; J Barron, M Shanahan (3f) 1-3; M Walsh, S Bennett 1-0, K Moran 0-2; J Dillon, P Curran 0-1. Yellow card: Pauric Mahony (52). KILKENNY: E Murphy; P Murphy, P Walsh, R Lennon; C Fogarty, C Buckley, J Lyng; M Fennelly, P Deegan (L Ryan h-t); K Kelly (C Bolger 48) , W Walsh, TJ Reid; C Fennelly, R Hogan(R Leahy 63), J Farrell (G Alyward h-t (R Hogan 83). Scorers: TJ Reid 2-12 (1-0 pen, 10f, 1 ‘65), L Ryan 0-3; R Leahy 0-2; C Fennelly, E Murphy (1f), L Ryan, K Kelly, R Hogan, G Alyward 0-1. Yellow cards: R Hogan (19), R Lennon (31). REFEREE: J Owens (Wexford).