INSIDE THE BAINISTEOIR’S HEAD

THIS wasn’t part of the plan for Waterford — travelling to Cusack Park with their Championship fate effectively out of their hands. Even a win in Ennis might not be enough if Cork beat Tipperary. From a League title last month and looking like the team best placed to take down Limerick, the Déise summer may be over by half past five tomorrow evening. Firstly, Liam Cahill and his players need to concentrate on what they can do — beat a buoyant Banner side. And Cahill needs to find a way to get Dessie Hutchinson, his team’s most incisive forward, more involved. Hutchinson torched Sean Finn – taking him for 0-5 in the opener against Limerick – but last week in Walsh Park, he cut a frustrated figure at times, tied up by Sean O’Donoghue and simply not getting the supply of ball. Rory Hayes has spent the past couple of weeks burnishing his reputation as one of the best corner-backs in the game and he’s likely to be detailed to look after Hutchinson. But Cahill (right) needs his side to be feeding the insideforward with quick ball. If Hutchinson gets the right sort of supply, he can do damage – look at how he created the goal for Jack Prendergast last weekend.

Cahill will demand a response from his players after such a poor second-half display against Cork. In a must-win game, Waterford wilted as the game progressed and looked particularly leggy in the final 20 minutes, perhaps a consequence of a heavy training load. But if Cahill can figure out a way of getting the most of Hutchinson this weekend, his team may get a result in Ennis — and it will be left to his native county to do them a favour in Thurles.