Deise are dismal as Tipp send them into drop zone
Wasteful Waterford blown away once hosts found their stride
TIPPERARY 1-20 WATERFORD 1-11
WATERFORD’S dismal start to the season continued at Semple Stadium when they were blown away in the second-half by a Tipperary side who got into their stride as the game progressed.
Waterford were wasteful in attack and managed just 1-1 after the restart as Tipperary used the wind to pick off some fine points and secure their first win of the campaign.
They produced the better hurling when it mattered most as they recovered from the opening round loss to Clare in some style.
But Waterford never looked like hitting back from their loss last weekend to Wexford and are without a point after two rounds.
Tipperary suffered an early double injury blow when they lost Dan McCormack and Joe O’Dwyer in the opening ten minutes.
But they still started well against the breeze and after Jason Forde and Patrick Curran exchanged frees, Michae Ryan’s men pulled ahead with Michael Breen and Forde finding the target.
Then Noel McGrath landed a superb lineball from the right-wing to open up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 14 minutes.
Waterford, opting not to use the sweeper system, settled eventually and two more frees either side of an effort from DJ Foran deadlocked the sides at the end of the opening quarter.
Waterford’s hopes were not helped by some poor wides but they eventually edged in front for the first time when Mikey Kearney stepped forward to score off a pass from Stephen Bennett.
Kearney, boosted by that score, made the most of some loose marking to add a second point before two frees from Forde tied the scores for the third time at 0-6 apiece after half an hour.
The crowd of 6,363 saw little fluent hurling in the opening half but Waterford stepped up a gear with Kearney getting his third point to push them back in front.
Ian Kenny then pointed to double the lead before Austin Gleeson scored the point of the half when he hit the target under pressure on the left touchline from 65 metres.
That made it 0-9 to 0-6 and after Forde and Brian O’Halloran swapped points, Tipp finished the half strongly with Seán Curran and Forde pointing to leave just one between them at 0-10 to 0-9 at the interval.
It took a superb save from Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe to deny Paudie Feehan just 17 seconds after the restart but Forde tied the sides for the fourth time from the resultant 65.
Three minutes later John McGrath collected a superb crossfield lineball from distance by Ronan Maher to shoot a good point and edge Tipperary in front.
Waterford countered and Stephen Bennett slipped in behind the home defence but his effort was saved by Paul Maher.
Tipperary responded with a fine point from Noel McGrath and another effort from Forde to lead by three after 45 minutes.
But Waterford hit back with a quality goal when a good passing movement was finished to the net from a tight angle by Mark O’Brien.
That tied the game at 0-13 to 1-10 but Tipperary, aided by a dubious lineball in midfield, were awarded a penalty when Breen was fouled by Ian Kenny. Forde stepped forward to blast home the penalty and Waterford suffered another blow when Gleeson limped off.
Tipperary pushed on to lead by 1-16 to 1-10 going into the final quarter when Seán Curran, Brendan Maher and Ronan Maher delivered good points.
They would have been out of sight had goalkeeper O’Keeffe not produced a wonderful save to deny Forde.
But Waterford lacked penetration at the other end to eat into the lead and Tipperary pushed for home and their first win of the campaign.
Ronan Maher landed a superb lineball from the right and Forde tapped over another free as Tipperary continued to turn the screw. Maher split the posts with another fine effort from out the field.
Jamie Barron got Waterford’s only point of the second-half in stoppage time at the death as they added five wides after the restart.
But Tipperary finished on the front foot when Ronan Maher crowned a superb display with his fourth point of the night to complete the rout and get their League campaign up and running. Waterford will have some work to do before they take on neighbours Kilkenny in two weeks but already they are in trouble.
TIPPERARY: P Maher; A Flynn, T Hamill, S O’Brien; J O’Dwyer (J Barry 10), Padraic Maher, P Feehan; R Maher, B Maher; D McCormack (P Shanahan 4, Patrick Maher 58), N McGrath, S Curran; M Breen, J Forde, J McGrath. Scorers: J Forde 1-9 (1-0 pen, 0-7f, 0-1 ’65), R Maher 0-4 (0-1 lineball), N McGrath 0-2 (0-1 lineball), S Curran 0-2, B Maher, M Breen, J McGrath 0-1.
WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, I Kenny; M O’Brien (J Barron 55), A Gleeson (S McNulty 51), K Bennett; S Roche (P Hogan 19), M Kearney; K Moran, C Dunford (P Mahony 58), B O’Halloran; S Bennett (M Walsh 60), DJ Foran, P Curran. Scorers: M O’Brien 1-0, M Kearney 0-3, P Curran 0-3 (3f), A Gleeson, J Barron, I Kenny, B O’Halloran, DJ Foran 0-1. REFEREE: C Lyons (Cork).