Waterford minor football manager Brendan Kearney is backing his squad to deliver despite a disrupted build-up, as the Déise prepare to host Clare in Phase 2 of the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship.
The game throws in at 7 pm on Monday in Lemybrien — a venue Kearney believes is quickly becoming the true home of Waterford football.
“It’s been a huge success,” he said. “You don’t need a massive crowd there to generate a great atmosphere. Seven or eight hundred people create a real home feel, and the players are loving it. The pitch is in great condition, and the support has been brilliant.”
However, preparations have not been ideal for the Déise heading into a pivotal encounter.
“We’ve had a rough week with injuries,” Kearney admitted. “Peter Murray, our joint captain, is out after breaking his arm in training, and we’ve had a couple of other knocks as well. On top of that, we’ve three lads away in New York, so it’s not perfect — but we’ve built good depth in the squad.”
That squad depth could prove crucial against a Clare side Waterford narrowly defeated earlier in the campaign.
“It’ll be another 50-50 game,” Kearney said. “There’s not much between any of the teams. We’ll need to be better than we were against Kerry, especially in the first half. We’ve shown what we can do at our best — now it’s about putting in a full performance.”
Clare come into the game on the back of a heavy defeat to Cork, but Kearney is reading little into that result.
“Cork have been doing that to a lot of teams — they’re very strong. Clare will be looking for a response, so we can’t take anything for granted. We just have to focus on ourselves.”
There is more than just championship points on the line, with Monday night’s clash also doubling as a decider for the Darry Cup, adding extra incentive for both sides.
“It’s effectively a cup final as well,” Kearney noted. “There’s silverware at stake, so that raises the stakes even further.”
With this marking Waterford’s final home game of the campaign, Kearney is calling on supporters to turn out in force.
“A big crowd makes a huge difference. The support in Lemybrien really drives the team on, so hopefully we’ll see plenty there again.”
Beyond Monday night, there is a growing sense of optimism around Waterford football at underage level — something Kearney is keen to highlight.
“There have always been talented footballers in Waterford. What’s changed in recent years is the structure and the work being done at underage level. The development squads have made a big difference, and players now feel they’re being treated equally. That all adds up.”
Fixture: Waterford vs Clare
Competition: Munster Minor Football Championship
Throw-in: 7:00 pm,
Venue: Lemybrien
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