Fifteen wides saw Waterford's second half comeback fall just short in a cracking minor contest under the Fraher Field floodlights on Thursday night. Tipperary needed injury time points from substitutes Darragh O'Hora and Jack Cahill to rubber stamp their second win of the campaign (3-16 to 2-14).
James Woodlock's side saw a thirteen point lead reduced to three as a sensational solo goal from Shane Power and a booted effort from Gearoid O'Shea brought the home crowd to life. The Déise couldn't complete the job however as four wides in a row over the closing five minutes proved costly.
Goals from Adam Ryan, Cillian Minogue and Billy O'Brien left the Premier 3-9 to 0-6 to the good at the interval. Waterford started brightly as Mark Hartley nailed a long range free after just 45 seconds. The home team didn't make their early dominance count however and struck three wides inside five minutes. Tipp wing back Jake Donelan Houlihan levelled with a fine strike from 65 metres.
In the sixth minute, Cillian Minogue fed Adam Ryan who billowed the roof of the net (1-1 to 0-1). Another monster point from Donelan Houlihan moved them five clear (1-4 to 0-2).
Waterford's wide tally increased to six by the sixteenth minute but two Hartley frees and a Shane Power point left just a goal between them.
On 22 minutes, Eoghan Doughan's free landed short but the ball was batted down to Minogue who fired home (2-6 to 0-5). The hosts finished the half with nine wides and one ball short. James O'Connor's side tried to work the ball out from short puckouts but ran into Tipp traffic, much to the delight of an animated James Woodlock. It got worse for Waterford two minutes into injury time when Billy O'Brien latched onto a long delivery from Donelan Houlihan and pulled past Billy Murphy. The last act of the opening half.
Even with the wind at their backs, it looked like a mountain to climb for the Déise. Stefan Tobin stretched the gap to thirteen before Hartley fed Cormac Spain at the other end. The Ballygunner man blasted over. Shane Power's second point raised another cheer but the wides soon entered double figures. A Euan Murray point from an acute angle was the perfect response (3-11 to 0-8).
On 41 minutes, a lifeline for Waterford as Shane Power sped past six Tipp defenders and slipped the ball to the bottom corner. The De La Salle man pointed to the air in celebration. A superb solo effort. Six minutes later, the roars got even louder as Gearoid O'Shea won a turnover and kicked to the cobwebs (3-11 to 2-11).
Tobin stood up for the under pressure Premier with two points.The gap stood at three, entering the last five minutes, when Waterford wasted four chances in a row. Darragh O'Hora and Jack Cahill, son of Tipp senior boss Liam, sealed victory.
