The Waterford footballers suffered a 2-14 to 0-7 loss to Tipperary in the McGrath Cup at the Gold Coast this afternoon.
Early goals from Sean O'Connor and Kevin Fahey put this game to bed in the first quarter. O'Connor blasted to the roof of the Waterford net after just 18 seconds. On 16 minutes, Conor Cadell and Steven O'Brien set up Fahey for a second green flag. Waterford goalkeeper Ben Kirwan then denied O'Brien with a diving save.
O'Connor finished with 1-3 while 2020 All Star Conor Sweeney slotted four points. Jack Kennedy converted three dead balls from distance. The second half turned into a stop start affair as 20 substitutions were made.
Sean Whelan Barrett struck Waterford's opening point after 26 minutes. Conor Murray kicked four frees for the home side. John Devine impressed on his first senior start with two points.
18 new faces are on the Déise squad this season. "We're in a trial situation with our players; we're trying out everyone," explained coach Peter Leahy. "We have 40 on the panel and all 40 have got game time in the McGrath Cup. We've lost a lot of players from last year so we have to develop new talent."
Waterford will travel to Leitrim on January 29 for the first round of the Division 4 campaign.
Scorers for Tipperary: S O'Connor 1-3 (2fs), C Sweeney 0-4 (2fs, 1 mark), K Fahey 1-0, J Kennedy 0-3 (2fs, 1 45), M O'Shea, S O'Brien, L McGrath, D Leahy 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: C Murray 0-4 (4fs), J Devine 0-2 (1f), S Whelan Barrett 0-1.
Tipperary: M O'Reilly; J Harney, J Feehan, D Carew; K Fahey, C O'Shaughnessy, L Boland; P Feehan, C Kennedy; C Cadell, M O'Shea, J Kennedy; C Sweeney, S O'Brien, S O'Connor.
Subs: T Doyle for Cadell (HT), M Stokes for C Kennedy (48), D Leahy for J Kennedy (49), T Maher for Harney (50), L McGrath for Sweeney (54), D Brennan for O'Shea (54), J Lawrence for Feehan (61), C Deeley for Boland (61), C O'Mahony for O'Reilly (63).
Waterford: B Kirwan; R O'Connell, D Ó Cathasaigh, C Ó Cuirrín; J Keane, C Walsh, L Fennell; M Curry, K Sheehan; B Lynch, S Whelan Barrett, J Devine; D Quirke, C Murray, M Kiely.
Subs: B O'Brien for Ó Cuirrín (HT), C Maguire for Sheehan (43), S Fitzgerald for Quirke (46), A Beresford for Kirwan (49), M Cummins for Keane (49), B Hynes for Devine (49), D Fitzgerald for Kiely (55), D Reidy for Fennell (55), E McGrath-Butler for O'Connell (55), R Browne for Walsh (58), G Duffy for Whelan Barrett (58).
Referee: T McGrath (Limerick)
