- Waterford are back in the All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals. Work rate, effort, and application were all back with aplomb for the Deise who survived a late challenge from Galway to book their place in the last eight.
At the first half water break, it was a two-point game, albeit Waterford had controlled the early goings and would probably have felt aggrieved to not be further ahead.
Waterford's scores in the first half were generated from the half-back line right through to the full forwards - Peter Hogan, Jamie Barron, Calum Lyons, Shane Bennett, Austin Gleeson, Patrick Curran, Stephen Bennett, Jack Prendergast and Jack Fagan all registering on the scoresheet.
Waterford's interplay and support lines created problems for Galway all day and the Tribesmen often looked to be at sixes and sevens to deal with the pace of Waterford’s attack.
The ever-reliable Stephen Bennett, who at times has kept Waterford in games, was not leaned on as much today, but Galway were not offering as many frees to Waterford to require Bennett's services. The low free count from Galway might not necessarily be down to their discipline, but more so Waterford's ability to find space and attack areas where now maroon shirts could be found.
Seven unanswered points from Waterford either side of the water break in the first half spelled the tale of the game that was going only one way. It was Jack Fagan's goal on the 32nd minute that nearly put them out of sight, but as the Deise boss said after the game "It's Championship. It's the helter-skelter of Championship hurling. Hurling is gone so fast and so lethal now that even a 16 point lead isn't even comfortable, but it makes for great viewing I imagine"
A stand-out moment from the first 35, was when Mt.Sions Austin Gleeson stood over a ball on the right sideline and drilled it over - a real thing of beauty - and a point that put Waterford eleven points to the good. He followed up a moment later with another from play to make that a twelve-point lead.
An off the ball incident with Conor Gleeson and Joe Canning before the break was paid little heed by the officials when the whistle went, but emerging from the tunnel for the second half, Gleeson was shown a straight red by Sean Stack to the dismay of the fans in Blue and White. A skirmish ensued on the sideline between both teams, with the referee and both managers getting involved to break it up. Tensions had hit a peak and set up what would be an epic second half of championship hurling.
Cahill said that the team had discussed how to deal with going a man down in their preparations for the game, but when the red was pulled out for Gleeson it was "a big shock to the system for both management and players at the start of the second half. When you leave the field at the end of the first half with a full complement, it takes a lot of adjustment. I thought we dealt with it well up to the first water break, but Galway then really got a foothold with their overlaps and our tiring legs."
The initial reaction from Waterford was one of indignance. They opened the scoring for the first half regardless of being down a man. Austin Gleeson and Peter Hogan both pointed to make the lead 14 points.
With just over a quarter of the game left to play, Jamie Barron and Shaun O'Brien both raised Deise spirits when they scored and denied scores respectively. O'Brien stopping Cathal Mannion's effort on goal was one of the key moments that would normally see a game draw to a firm close.
With 15 minutes left to play, Liam Cahill's team had reached that 16 point advantage, which he would later say "isn't even comfortable", but at the time, it undoubtedly felt like the game was theirs.
Mannion, who had been threatening the Deise goal mouth eventually found his reward. His strike billowed the back of O' Briens net, landing in the bottom right corner and lifting the first of three green flags.
Swapped scores between Stephen Bennett, Jason Flynn, Evan Niland and Joe Canning had reduced the 16 point gap down to eight. Canning, as expected was not going to let this game get away from Galway. He sent Jason Flynn in on goal for the first of two goals for the substitute. With less than 3 minutes of additional time on the referee's watch, Flynn again barged in on goal and called upon the umpires to confirm his three-pointer.
With three points in it and a free teed up for Joe Canning in the most dangerous of positions, the Galway ace who today broke Henry Shefflin's Championship record, stood over the ball, bent his back, lifted, struck and ultimately was denied by the boot of Conor Prunty.
Cahill was surely in need of a stiff drink by the time the final whistle blew, was happy to see his team put in the endeavor that they had become known for. Aside from leaving the strong lead dwindle, and allowing Galay back into the game - there was a never say attitude from his charges on display, "You'd have to be really proud of the players the way they showed that great character when that lead slipped back to two or three points with five minutes to go. A team of lesser quality and heart could have been turned over. They showed it last week against Laois in Nowlan Park. Great heart, great determination. That's what I'm seeing in these players every night in training since I arrived in Waterford. That's why I was so disappointed and irate after exiting the Munster Championship because they didn't give a true reflection of themselves and their identity".
