Déise come up just short in Masters finale
Waterford team that took on Derry in the All-Ireland Masters final.
All-Ireland Finals for Waterford in Football are few and far between. John Kiely’s Junior Football team won All-Irelands in 1999 and 2004. Prior to that, you have to go back to 1898 for when Waterford last played in an All-Ireland Final, when Erins Hope from Dungarvan who had a few players from Lismore involved when they went under to a side from Dublin 2-8 to 0-4 at Tipperary.
This was a game that went right to the wire, one that Waterford were unlucky not to have taken to extra time, to decide the outcome but in the end it was the Ulster Counties side greater experience at this level that was the difference between the sides at the end of sixty minutes.
This competition was played by the old rules. There was no two point scores and the game was played over 60 minutes instead of the usual 70 for inter county games. Had the game ended in a draw five minutes extra time would be played and if still the sides were locked together, another period of extra time would have been played with the first team to score in this period deemed winners.
Niall Hennessy opened the scoring for Waterford with a point on two minutes, but the Ulster side hit back with points from Darren Conway, Rory O’Reilly and Martin McGuinness to open up a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after nine minutes.
Gearoid O’Connor pulled a point back for Waterford, but a brace of scores, one from a free by Rory O’Reilly soon had the Oak Leaf County 0-5 to 0-2 in front.
Waterford however drew level after netting the games only goal when Ray Hennessy and Gearoid O’Connor played a series of one-two before the Gaultier club man finished to the net giving Kieran O’Kane no chance.
Points at the Waterford end from Martin McGuinness, Darren Conway and another from McGuinness opened up a three-point advantage, but Gearoid O’Connor and Mark Nugent responded to bring it back to the minimum with 22 minutes played.
Martin McGuinness and Mark Prendergast swapped scores before Gearard O’Kane opened a two-point advantage, but a Tony Whelan effort at the other end on 29 minutes left Waterford trailing 0-10 to 1-6 at the break.
Lee Hayes drew the sides level on the restart, but efforts from Lee Mullen and Rory O’Reilly had Derry back in front after 37 minutes.
Gearoid O’Connor and a brace from Tommy Canavan saw Waterford go 1-10 to 0-12 in front after 48 minutes. Efforts from Rory O’Reilly and Ciaran McIvor at the other end sent Derry back in front with four minutes remaining.
A John Conway effort levelled matters with just over a minute to play, a result that would have been fair on both sides at the end of the game, but as the game went to stoppage time, Waterford gave away a free with Rory O’Reilly put over to secure the title for the Ulster side.
Rory O’Reilly 0-6 (5f), Martin McGuinness 0-4 (1F), Darren Conway 0-2, Gerard O’Kane, Leigh Mullan, Ciaran McIvor 0-1 each.
Gearoid O’Connor 1-3, Tommy Canavan 0-2 (2F), Niall Hennessy, Mark Nugent, Mark Prendergast, Tony Whelan, Lee Hayes, John Conway 0-1 each.
Kieran O’Kane; Adrian Deery, Philip Mooney, Kevin Cosgrove; Edward McLaughlin, Brian Mullan, Gerard O’Kane; Darren Conway, Ryan King; Richard Clarence. Jimmy O’Connor, Rory O’Reilly; Sean Brady. Ciaran McIvor, Martin McGuinness.
Pearce McCallan, Padraig McCloskey, Gavin Mallon, Liam McElhone, James McNicholl, Kevin Donnelly, Stephen McGuigan, Eunan Murphy, Gareth Murphy, Paul Carston, Daryl Mullan, Ryan O’Kane, Leigh Mullan, Peter Campbell, Jimmy Cassidy.
David Whelan; Padraig Bambrick, Patrick Lynch; Donal Barry; Richard Halpin, Mark Prendergast, Niall Hennessy; Tony Whelan; Thomas O’Gorman; Mark Nugent, Tommy Canavan, Gearoid O’Connor; Brian Power, Richard Finnegan, Ray Hennessy.
Lee Hayes, Paul Power, Robin Croke, Denis Coffey, Jim Halley, Emmett Doherty, Billy Dumbrell, Joey Phelan, Ciaran Kearing, Keith Bell, Gary Maher, Barry Dunne, Michael O’Brien, John Conway, Gordan O’Regan, Conor O’Byrne, Alan Kelly, Oran Casey.
Aaron Clogher (Roscommon),
