WATERFORD FOOTBALL: Seán Morantalks to the Decies manager as he reflects on the unbeaten league campaign which has ended in promotion from the bottom tier

OF ALL the achievements and distinctions earned by counties on the final day of the NFL, Waterford’s stands out. Together with Division Two table-toppers Down, the Munster county is one of just two teams to complete the campaign unbeaten.

The consequent promotion means that, for the first time in living memory, Waterford will no longer be in the lowest division of the league.

Although this is historic territory for the team, whose struggles in the basement of football were the material for last year’s acclaimed book Working on a Dream by Damian Lawlor, they had been coming closer in recent seasons and finished fourth in the past two years.

At the helm for this breakthrough has been John Owens, the well-travelled former Leitrim and Tipperary footballer, who is a native of Down where he attended the famous football academy of St Colman’s (crowned All-Ireland champions at the weekend) and came under the influence of the college’s famous coaches Ray Morgan and Peter McGrath, the Down All-Ireland winning manager in 1991 and ’94.

His father’s work with the Northern Bank led to his peripatetic career in Down, Leitrim and Tipperary.

Settled in Clonmel since 1982, he took on the Waterford footballers at the beginning of the season having previously been in charge of his home county, with whom he contested Munster finals in 1993 (the day after his wedding) and ’94.

He came to the current position in a positive frame of mind and was familiar with the local scene, having worked in Ballymacarbery for nearly two decades.

“There’s been a lot of developmental work in Waterford. In 2003 the county won an under-21 provincial title and there’s been success in the junior football championship and the clubs are strong.

“I did some work with The Nire the year they reached the Munster club final. There are a lot of

good teams in the county. Ballymacarbery and Stradbally also both reached provincial finals and were very competitive.”

Owens did, however, feel Waterford would be taking on a stronger Division Four, with the arrival of the relegated Longford and Limerick.

“We saw how well they did against Kerry and Cork during the championship and knew we’d have our work cut out, what with Wicklow and Leitrim there as well.

“I think we had a really good start by winning away to Leitrim. Winning away is so important in the league and I know from my time there that it’s not an easy place to go.”

Interestingly, when asked about the toughest match of the campaign he cites the match the weekend before last against bottom side Kilkenny.

“It was one of the most important matches. People might find that strange, but they’re listening to all this talk about being whipping boys and they’re proud men too.

“I knew because they live close by they’d be very motivated and also knew that we needed to win by a big score to keep pace with Clare and Limerick, as the final table could well have gone down to scoring difference.

“We won by 22 points to give ourselves a sufficient chance. But just after that weekend the differences were something like us on 46, Limerick on 45 and Clare on 44 so we had to get those scores. I’m not denigrating Kilkenny by saying that because you could see they fought right to the end.”

A big win on Sunday against Clare sealed Waterford’s status as divisional leaders and they will face Limerick in the final in Croke Park in just under two weeks. A month later it’s Clare again, this time in the championship.

This year, Cork and Kerry are on the same side of the draw, meaning that, like the Division Four title, a place in the provincial final is between Waterford, Limerick and Clare.

Munster can be claustrophobic with two counties currently the best in the country and the other four trying to avoid them.

“That’s why the league is so important,” says Owens. “It’s tangible progress, whereas to win something in the championship you’ve to get past Cork and Kerry.”

He is anxious to acknowledge the input of trainer and former Monaghan player Joe Hagan and selectors Kenny Hassett, Liam Dalton and Jimmy McGrath – the latter two who had the doleful experience of losing a league match to Kilkenny during their own playing careers with Waterford.

He also refers to the fact that sponsors 3, the mobile phone company, include them in the same deal as the hurlers. “Wearing the same jersey as the hurlers is a boost.”

Being the weaker sport in a dual county creates difficulties, but while Shane Walsh and Liam Lawlor are currently with the hurlers, Gary Hurney has returned to the football panel after having left the hurlers. A week or so after that decision, Owens was on to him.

“I told him it would be a crying shame if we got promotion and he wasn’t part of it. I’d have loved for Shane and Liam to have been part of it too, but they’re committed to the hurlers.

“There was a bit of slagging in the dressingroom when he came back, but he’s a good influence and someone who looks for the ball (Hurney kicked seven points on Sunday) and always plays for the team.

“There were no issues. Everyone was delighted to have him back. When you’re on the verge of promotion everyone wants to get the best players involved.”

Finally, he took it as a mark of football’s new status that when he asked county chair Tom Cunningham could Fraher Field in Dungarvan be rolled, as it was a bit bumpy at training, not alone was the request met but Cunningham hopped up on a tractor himself and made sure it was done right.