Déise minors can jump final fence to land a fourth All-Ireland title
Waterford's Cormac Spain will be a key player in Saturday's All-Ireland minor final.
The All-Ireland semi-final was the night it all clicked for the Waterford minor hurlers. A complete team performance. The one that manager James O'Connor spoke about all year long.
The ability of this Déise team to bounce up off the ropes has been impressive. They hit rocky patches against Tipperary, Clare, and Kilkenny but dug out wins in all three.
On Saturday evening, they must scale those heights again and beat Clare for the second time this season. The Banner are also on a high after coming through the backdoor and taking out Munster champions Cork.
The Déise won by six points when these two met in Fraher Field eight weeks ago, but that doesn’t paint the full picture. The sides were level nine times before Cormac Spain's long-distance free bounced into the back of the Clare net with five minutes left. Two duels unfolded on that Friday night in Dungarvan, which will have a big bearing on this decider. Waterford top scorer Cormac Spain versus Zak Phelan at one end. Clare's top scorer, Paul Rodgers, versus Conor Lynch at the other.
Spain missed early placed ball opportunities against Kilkenny but never let the head drop and took his two goals with aplomb. 8-64 of Waterford’s 9-126 this season belongs to the Ballygunner marksman (6-18 from play). Once he grabs that ball out in front, it’s curtains for the opposition. Phelan will try to limit the damage like he did at the start of May.
Paul Rodgers, younger brother of Mark, is just as important to the Clare cause. He has returned 2-60 across six games (2-16 from play). The Scariff striker produced thirteen points in a Man of the Match performance against Cork. He has hit double figures in his last five outings. He also sent over sideline cuts in the wins over Galway and Cork.
Liam Murphy and Ian O’Brien will also take watching. Corner man O’Brien was a livewire last time out. Clare like to work the ball through the lines and run hard at opposition defences. In the semi final, they found pockets of space in front of the Cork half back line and capitalised. Bradley Penkert, Hugo Quann and Tommy Kennedy can’t afford to sit too deep.
In Wexford Park, the Déise supporting cast performed lead roles. Shane Power (0-4), Jamie Shanahan (0-3) and Gearoid O’Shea (0-3) all came up trumps. Power is becoming more clinical and more influential game by game. He has contributed fifteen points across this year’s championship. The small but skilful Shanahan is Waterford’s second highest scorer with 1-15. The Erin’s Own attacker has delivered consistently. The away trip to Cork and the All-Ireland quarter final with Limerick stick out. Clare corner back Niall Doyle, who impressed in the semi-final, may be tasked with Shanahan. O'Shea is on eleven points and deservedly back on the team. Without the ball, the Déise attack must tackle with the same vigour as they did two weeks ago.
The full back line is Waterford’s strongest unit. Lynch snuffed out Kilkenny marquee man Jake Mullen to such an extent that he was taken off in the end. A rugged defender who likes to play from the front. Lynch may have been Man of the Match last time out but Darragh Murphy was mighty close. He made two goal-saving tackles in that grandstand finish. Hard to believe that he will be underage again next year. In the other corner, Darragh Keane was the Déise’s standout player against Limerick. Behind them is an excellent shot stopper in James Comerford. Every game he pulls off a spectacular save.
How will Clare cope with Jack Power on this occasion? The man in the blue and white helmet lorded the skies in Fraher Field back in May with nine clean catches. When Comerford looks up the field, he wants to pick out his Ballygunner clubmate. Power’s battle with Banner centre back Dara Kennedy is another crucial one.
Clare tend to go short off their own puckout. Waterford may push up and force the Banner to strike long. With an imposing half-back line, as well as Jack Power’s aerial prowess, the Déise will fancy their chances under those. What Clare lack in physicality, they make up for in fight however. They hunted down Cork in packs.
Waterford should field an unchanged line-up. How could any of the fifteen that faced Kilkenny miss out? Bradley Penkert sat out training last week, after taking a hefty knock against Kilkenny, but only as a precautionary measure. He will run out in the number five shirt. Caoillin Reville will be held in reserve again. The Roanmore man has come on as sub in six of the seven games and scored in three of them.
These opportunities don't come around that often. This is Waterford's fifth appearance in an All-Ireland minor hurling final. A savage contest is in store if the two semi-finals are anything to go by. The power of the Déise versus the pace of the Banner. James O’Connor’s young men must bring their A game again to add to the previous triumphs in 1929, 1948, and 2013. The Irish Press Cup to cross Rice Bridge on Saturday night.
