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You are > Home > Déise’s year of unfulfilled promise ends in Croker
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Déise’s year of unfulfilled promise ends in Croker
IT began as a hurling year of high promise, but ended in disappointment with the defeat of the county minors last Sunday. Just that Under 18 Munster title triumph to show for another season of high endeavour as the quest for an increasingly elusive All-Ireland title is set to continue into 2010.
As June drew to a close we were through to all four provincial finals with genuine prospects of winning all of them. Ultimately however only the minors obliged as the seniors, the intermediates, and Under 21s in turn all crashed to final day defeat.
There was of course still the hope that the seniors might put that Munster final loss to Tipperary behind them, and when Galway were sensationally toppled in the closing minutes of a rip roaring game it was another AllIreland semi-final date in what would be a repeat of last year’s decider against the Cats.
No rout this time as we put it up to the champions big time, but in the end the spoils of victory went to Kilkenny leaving us to wait another season—-at least— -to try and bridge that yawning gap stretching back to 1959.
FINAL THROW OF DICE
Last Sunday would be the final throw of the dice then in our bid to win an All-Ireland hurling title in any grade since the Under 21s so magnificently did the business for us seventeen long yeas ago. And that’s exactly what it turned out to be—-the last throw of the dice.
It’s back to the drawing board then on all fronts. Reflection time too, and considerations as to where we go from here on all fronts. Inevitably the position of senior team manager Davy Fitz will become a topic of conversation and already the man from the Banner has indicated that he is going to take a long and deserved break before making any decision on his managerial future.
As I understand it he has another year left on his contract, but while he hasn’t given any firm commitments in relation to it I do believe that he is set to stay put and see it to finality. To his credit it can be fairly said that he has worked tirelessly in his efforts to recoup so much of the pride and honour lost in last year’s All-Ireland final and no one can say that he hasn’t succeeded in doing exactly that.
Meantime there’s no word on the future intentions of some of the players who might be considered to be in the twilight of their wonderful careers. That’s only right too because the immediate aftermath of the semi-final defeat is not the time to be taking any such far reaching decisions.
Tony Browne, now into his 37th year, is the most obvious player in that particular category, but given his consistence brilliance since the championship campaign began is there any logical reason in the world why the wondrous Mount Sioner should not stay put for another season— -at least?
No September Sunday to look forward to then on any of the hurling fronts, and most definitely no end in immediate sight to our All-Ireland title famine. Hope really does spring eternal however, and when the dust has settled and another new season dawns be assured that all of the Deise teams will be gearing up for battle at ultimate glory. That’s the way it always has been with this proud county of ours and long may that remain the situation.
MINORS FALL AT PENULTIMATE HURDLE
Alas it was not to be. Our hurling hopes and expectations were buried beneath the Croke Park sod for a second successive Sunday as the minors had to give best to a cracking Galway fifteen in an All-Ireland semi-final in which our fellows never quite produced the sparkle that had toppled Tipp in the Munster decider.
Seven points in it at the end, 222 to 1-18,and in truth that margin just about reflects the overall difference between the sides over the course of sixty exciting minutes. Galway had what we didn’t have on the day—-a cohesive and free scoring set of forwards who always threatened, and in the end too much by way of responsibility was placed on the shoulders of Brian O’Halloran and Paudie Mahony in our own attacking set up.
BRILLIANT O’HALLORAN
Mind you O’Halloran was positively brilliant for every minute of the sixty and Mahony almost equally as good with the pair accounting for 1-7 of their side’s total. Elsewhere too there were fine contributions from midfielders Martin O’Neill(a really exciting future prospect) and Fionan Murray, while Philip Mahony, John Dee, and Daragh Fives hurled their hearts out in a defence in which the inside trio were always at full throttle trying to cope with very lively Galwegian attackers.
Then there was the quite magnificent Stephen O’Keeffe between the posts. The Ballygunner teenager just gets better by the day, and his 35th minute save to deny Galway a seemingly certain goal was just one of many top class stops by him throughout the game. Surely only a matter of time before he signals his arrival on the senior inter county stage.
The Waterford highlights of a keenly contested opening half at the end of which Galway led by 1-12 to 0-11, included a point of breathtaking quality by O’Halloran in the 11th to bring the sides level. Believe me the Clashmore youngster won’t have scored many better to date in his exciting young career.
Then there were three fine efforts on target by Paudie Mahony, the last of them after seventeen minutes as good as Croke Park has seen all year. That one also levelled things up on the scoreboard, and when we eased two clear with O’Neill (free) and Murray(sideline) unerringly finding the range our confidence was beginning to soar.
The closing nine minutes of the half however bordered on the disastrous from our perspective. Their goal in the 25th minute by full forward Badger gave them a lead they would never again relinquished, and following with a flurry of points they were four to the good, 1-12 to 0-11, at the half time break.
We needed a good start to the second half but it was Galway who got it with a brace of points inside ninety seconds, and but for the brilliance of goalkeeper O’Keeffe three minutes later we would have been facing an even steeper uphill task.
O’Neill and O’Halloran did keep us in touch with fine points, and when Paudie Mahony goaled following in the 52nd minute the deficit was down to four and a real glimmer of hope.
All that hope disappeared however three minutes from time when the outstanding Niall Burke crashed home Galway’s second goal and there now was no way back for our fellows. To their credit they never threw in the towel however with O’Halloran and O’Neill (his ninth) tacking on points, but it really was the classic case of too little too late and a fine effort had ended in gallant failure. Another chapter in what has become an all too familiar Waterford hurling story over the years. Disappointing yes, but over the season this team of ours has given us so many highs, and manager Jimmy Meaney and his management colleagues can also take a well deserved bow on their fine efforts.
The wait for All-Ireland gory at this level goes on, but at least there’s some very definite light now at the end of what has proven to be a rather lengthy and dark tunnel over so many years.
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