Efficient Tipperary dispatch Waterford

MISSION accomplished, as far as Tipperary were concerned. The swashbuckling flair of the not too distant past made just a few rare appearances but, in reality, it was a day for pragmatism in this Munster senior hurling championship game at Walsh Park yesterday and Tipperary did not slip up in that regard.

Without ever clicking into top gear, the Tipperary machine moved along with just enough panache to keep Waterford - who, admittedly, salvaged their pride after last year's corresponding drubbing - out of reach and claim a provincial semi final encounter with Kerry, another "no win" assignment.

The statistics tell the story. Tipperary troubled the scoreboard operator most frequently and from the time captain Michael Cleary fired over a third minute free, they never trailed. And yet Waterford will wonder if this was one that got away on them.

Tipperary's defence, in particular, was magnificent. Colm Bonnar was inspirational at centre half back and George Fread wasn't far behind him in the corner. They needed to be inspired. Waterford won plenty of possession although it wasn't always used in the most fruitful manner; partly because of tenacious Tipperary defending, partly because of poor stickwork.

The game's decisive period was played out in the five minutes before referee Dickie Murphy's half time whistle, a spell when Tipperary grabbed 1-2 to just a solitary point in reply from Waterford. And Liam Cahill's goal proved to be most decisive of all, conning as it did from a Tipperary free around the middle of the field which Waterford believed should have gone their way. With some justification, perhaps.

Teenager Ken McGrath, with an opponent in tow, was deemed to have travelled too far by the referee and, from the resulting 3 St minute free, Cleary sent the sliotar into the danger zone. Liam McGrath found John Leahy who crossed to Cahill and, just moments after moving into the corner from the wing, he first timed the ball to the back of the net. Simple and effective.

That first half, in particular, produced some fine championship hurling for the crowd of 15,655 with Waterford goalkeeper Ray Barry pulling off two fine saves - one from Nicky English, who used his experience and his head to bring some of the younger Tipperary forwards into the game, and the second from Thomas Duane - to keep the margin within reach.

The tight pitch, however, didn't exactly suit Tipperary's open style and they did well to readjust to its confines, getting over a particularly tricky assignment in the process. English's overall contribution in attack outweighed the two points he scored, but particularly pleasing for manager Fr Tom Fogarty was the manner in which Duane and Cahill assumed responsibility when the chips were down.

It was important for Tipperary to put their National League Final defeat and its manner behind them. And they did. However, Tipperary, more than anyone, know they need to progress even further if they are to trouble either Limerick or Clare in Munster, never mind becoming contenders in the All Ireland series.

Still, no less than 1-5 of Tipperary's first half total (they led 1-8 to 0-6 at the break) came from play, in contrast to a miserly point of Waterford's tally, scored by 17 year old attacker McGrath in the 27th minute. Admittedly, Tipperary's defence made things particularly tough for the Waterford forwards.

Elsewhere, though, Waterford were giving as good as they got. Their huddle for the National Anthem before the match, one suspects, was to induce team bonding, but unfortunately many of their good deeds were done on an individual level when the match got going, with the likes of Fergal Hartley and Tony Browne, especially, playing as if their lives depended on the outcome.

The half time deficit of five points was, perhaps, a little harsh. But Waterford needed to make inroads quickly on the resumption and, when Tipperary thwarted those early second half efforts, the match fizzled out somewhat until a late revival towards the end.

Indeed, Tipperary had stretched into a 1-13 to 0-8 lead with just over six minutes remaining - but it is to Waterford's credit that Tom Fives, Johnny Brenner and Paul Flynn strung together three successive points, before Flynn then blasted a 21 yards free to the net in injury time to set Tipperary and Waterford pulses racing for quite different reasons.

However, Dunne tapped over a safety point to ensure Tipperary's progress and leave Waterford wondering if a little more self belief and some luck could have swayed things in their direction. One thing is for sure, though, Waterford - with the nucleus of the 1992 All Ireland under 21 team - aren't too far adrift of the so-called "big guns".

Thankfully, there was no repeat of the sour taste left in the mouth from recent clashes of Tipperary and Waterford, even if there were five bookings. Billy O Sullivan (who was surprisingly substituted later), Johnny Brenner and Damien Byrne of Waterford, and Nicky English and John Leahy of Tipperary.