Timely balm for Waterford's wounds

NHL DIVISON ONE: Waterford 2-17 Kilkenny 1-16: THE QUANTUM of solace afforded Waterford by this overturning of last year's All-Ireland final rout will be naturally limited, although manager David Fitzgerald was correct to point out that had Kilkenny been capable of handing them another severe beating they would have.

But the win in yesterday’s Division One fixture in front of an attendance of 7,500 couldn’t be said to have been a tame affair.

A couple of flashpoints saw four players sent off on yellow cards after 25 minutes and another two following in the second half for red card dismissals, as the All-Ireland champions went down for the first time since last season’s league semi-final against Tipperary.

Along the way there was an interesting afternoon’s hurling on a Walsh Park surface much improved from the opening day of the league. Since then, the AllIreland finalists have put together back-to-back victories and with players returning from injury Fitzgerald’s team are in a position to challenge for the title they won two years ago.

Kilkenny were also understrength and in the disciplinary upheavals managed to lose three All Stars, but, despite trailing from the end of the first quarter, they stayed in touch on the scoreboard until the end.

Kilkenny were forced into a late change, bringing in Seán Cummins at full back for flu-victim JJ Delaney. Cummins marked Stephen Molumphy, who did reasonably well at full forward – particularly with a smart catch from Gary Hurney’s dropping ball and a kicked finish for Waterford’s first goal.

That established their control over a match that had initially looked like racing into an uncomfortable re-enactment of last September after the All-Ireland champions scored three slick points, from Richie Power, Willie O’Dwyer and John Tennyson in as many minutes after the throw-in.

Waterford steadied and played themselves into the match.

Michael Walsh gave another fine display at centre back – unruffled, apart from a period late in the first half just after the four yellow cards had been issued. On either side of him both Richie Foley and James Murray worked hard and cleared plenty of ball – the latter in particular constantly making himself available for dispatch duty.

The yellow cards cost Kilkenny Tommy Walsh and Jackie Tyrrell and Waterford two of their more productive forwards, Eoin Kelly – who despite being on the field less than 10 minutes had looked threatening – after a tangle with Walsh and Séamus Prendergast after his altercation with Tyrrell.

Nonetheless, Ken McGrath came into the game and if his contribution on the scoreboard was largely limited to frees, it still yielded an impressive total of nine points and his work-rate was encouraging on his second start at centre forward.

Kilkenny started the second half a goal down, 0-11 to 1-11, and with a much rearranged team after the yellow cards. O’Dwyer dropped back to centrefield, releasing Tennyson to wing back and in the forwards Eddie Brennan, Richie Power and Hurler of the Year Eoin Larkin switched around to try and inject a little more urgency.

But with nearly an hour gone a tussle between Declan Prendergast and Brennan culminated in the Waterford full back lashing out with hurl for which he was given a straight red card. Officials had also seen enough for Kilkenny’s Brennan to merit a red.

Power’s frees maintained the margin at around a goal until the 65th minute when Maurice Shanahan’s shot came back off the post and Molumphy did well to claim the rebound and set up Dan Shanahan, who had a productive afternoon after replacing Kelly, for Waterford’s second goal.

Power replied in kind almost immediately, but two points from McGrath and some resolute defending ensured victory.

Winning manager Fitzgerald was happy with the display and answered the inevitable question.

“But does it help after the All-Ireland last year? It does because if Kilkenny could beat us 10 points today they’d have beaten us 10 points today and they didn’t. I think you could see there was good spirit in the lads. They hooked and blocked and chased very honestly.

“You’re going to have a few schemozzles,” he said of the flashpoints. “Half the people who come to see hurling want to see a bit of rough and tough.

“The lads got a red card for the way they reacted and that has to be done and that’s fine . . . there will be jostling and hassling and whatever off the ball.

“There’s a few tackles I’d agree with sending off, head-high challenges, blatantly pulled on going through, whatever. But hurling is a game with a lot of passion and I like to see a lot of passion and the crowd like to see it. Isn’t it great to see a crowd of a few thousand really excited on 1st March? That’s fantastic. With Waterford Crystal closing and a few other things they needed a lift and this team is trying to give them a lift. They’re a people’s team working hard.”

His Kilkenny counterpart Brian Cody was succinct in his reaction: “They deserved to win it. We expected a tough game and that’s what we got, very competitive. Nothing soft out there.

“We didn’t do enough to win it. They were on top. Having said that, it was very close. We’ll be looking for a big improvement.”

WATERFORD: C Hennessy; E Murphy, D Prendergast, N Connors; R Foley, M Walsh, J Murray; S O'Sullivan, J Nagle (0-1); S Prendergast (0-4, three frees), K McGrath (0-9, two 65s, six frees), G Hurney; S Molumphy (1-0) J Kennedy, S Walsh (0-1). Subs: E Kelly (0-1) for S Walsh (15 mins), D Shanahan (1-1) for Kelly (25 mins, yellow), P Hurney for S Prendergast (26 mins, yellow), M Shanahan for P Hurney (62 mins). Red Card: D Prendergast

KILKENNY: PJ Ryan; J Dalton, S Cummins, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, J Ryall (0-1); J Tennyson (0-2, one 65), M Rice (0-1); E Brennan (0-2), W O'Dwyer, E Larkin (0-1); M Grace (0-1), R Power (1-7, four points frees), A Fogarty (0-1). Subs: TJ Reid for Walsh (25 mins, yellow), C Hickey for Tyrrell ( 26 mins, yellow), R Hogan for Fogarty (63 mins). Red Card: E Brennan.

Referee: A Stapleton (Laois).