Late Landers saves deny Tipperary

Waterford edged their way through to a Munster final against either Cork or Clare with victory against Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh yesterday.

With a paying attendance of 30,532 both teams provided an enthralling match. Perhaps it was not a classic, it was far too competitive for that. There were many remarkable personal performances but above all there was a complete honesty of purpose, and at the end, a generous acceptance by Tipperary that the better team won.

Nor was it lost on Waterford's supporters that under the new regulations in the All-Ireland hurling championship, they will be playing a vital role in Croke Park later this year regardless of the outcome of their Munster final efforts. The new dispensation has given an enormous boost to their morale.

While Waterford may bemoan their own prodigal tally of nine wides in the second half, Tipperary will surely feel that the elements were against them in a rather more outstanding manner.

Twice in the first half they prised open the Waterford defence only to be deprived by the woodwork surrounding the Waterford goal.

They will also regret bitterly the fact that when their efforts were

on target Brendan Landers in the Waterford goal deprived them of scores which would surely have seen them through to the Munster final.

Landers' double reflex save in the closing minutes brought moments of despair from the Tipperary supporters and roars of ecstatic delight from those of Waterford.

What hurling followers can take away from this match is a deep pride in their game and if Waterford supporters were in a slightly triumphalist mood at the end, it could be interpreted as a celebration of triumph rather than any hint that they were gloating about the misfortunes of the opposition.

After an untidy start, the sides settled down. Tipperary 's attack was substantially reshuffled from the throw-in. Liam McGrath started at centre forward, Declan Ryan was in the right corner and Liam Cahill on the right wing. Waterford corner backs Tom Feeney and Brian Flannery either in reply or by previous design also swapped positions, but that was to be the norm for the day, as frequent switches were made throughout the afternoon.

There was little to choose between the teams in the first quarter as Tipperary played with the significant breeze blowing into the Blackrock goal.

The sides were on equal terms at seven points each after 31 minutes, but Waterford supporters were downcast when Tipperary scored three points (Cahill 2 and Declan Ryan) and then Eugene O'Neill added a goal just before the break.

This came about when Brian Horgan in the Tipperary defence, floated a free into the Waterford goal-mouth and O'Neill made most of Waterford's hesitancy to knock the ball into the net. A point by Paul Flynn left the score at 1-10 to 0-8 in favour of Tipperary at the break.

Against the freshening breeze in the second half Tipperary stuttered and stumbled. They seemed bewildered by some of the Waterford switches, and points from Tony Browne (free), Ken McGrath, Billy O'Sullivan, Paul Flynn and Anthony Kirwan brought Waterford level.

Then the irrepressible Flynn put them ahead as he tore through the Tipperary defence and O'Sullivan added further to the gloom before O'Neill got Tipperary's first score of the second half, a free after 21 minutes. Two points from McGrath, who was now adopting a wandering role, brought the score to 1-11 to 0-17 in favour of Waterford, but Tipperary then struck for another goal.

John Leahy, having less than a successful afternoon and now operating at centre forward with Declan Ryan on the edge of the square, floated the ball into the Waterford goal area and Eugene O'Neill got his stick to the ball first to deflect it past Landers to level the match.

Waterford refused to yield and with their full-back line of Flannery, Cullinane and Feeney and the heroics of captain Stephen Frampton, Kevin Hartley and Brian Greene in the half line, Tipperary's efforts were frustrated.

They might nevertheless have rescued the match had not Landers made two extraordinary saves from Michael Kennedy and Liam Cahill in the space of 10 seconds or less and as a result Waterford held on gamely.

Landers may play for a long time in the future but it is doubtful if he will ever make a better save than that of Kennedy's first effort which he batted away at full strength and then regained his feet to block Cahill's efforts.

Praise goes to all but particularly to Landers and his fellow Waterford defenders and to Tony Browne and Peter Queally at midfield.

Personal tallies of five and eight points from Ken McGrath and Paul Flynn respectively and the support from Billy O'Sullivan (three from play) Dan Shanahan and Dave Bennett also contributed substantially to Waterford's success.