Power play keeps minors in championship
Waterford goalkeeper, Billy Murphy, and his team-mates finished their Munster MHC campaign in style with a fine win in the Gaelic Grounds on Thursday night. Photo: Denis O'Flynn.
Four goals, with Power play behind each one, kept Waterford’s championship campaign alive as James O’Connor’s side had their first win in four championship games when beating Limerick in the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Thursday last. Waterford went into this game knowing that only a win would be good enough against a team also looking for a first championship win and though Limerick have a game in hand against Tipperary even an unlikely win there by any margin would not surmount Waterford’s head to head win here.
The Waterford lineout showed two changes from that published with Jack Twomey and Tadhg Corcoran starting in defence in place of Conor Lynch and Conor Power. From the start there was a real sense of urgency about the Waterford approach to this game. Named at no. 15, Jack Power immediately moved out to midfield from where he raced through to set Shane Power up for the opening goal. Power continued to to open up the Limerick defence with his strong running from outfield but in trying to set up goal scoring opportunities for Shane Power easy point scoring chances were declined before Shane Power pointed in the 6th minute.
Waterford should have been further ahead before Patrick Kearney had his side’s opening point in the 9th minute and followed up with two further points from frees before Mark Hartley points from play and a free put his side three points clear again in the 18th minute.
Waterford were wasting goal scoring chances as Kearney kept Limerick in touch from frees but in the 25th minute Jack Power made a great catch outside the Limerick 20 metre line and raced clear of defenders to smash the ball to the net from close range for the score of the game. Two further points from frees by Kearney for Limerick and Waterford points from Shane Power and Hartley gave Waterford an unflattering 2-5 to 0-6 halftime lead with all the Limerick scores coming from frees.
Cormac Power replaced Tadhg Corcoran in the Deise defence for the second half as Limerick also made two halftime substitutions. Two points from Mark Hartley (1F) and Limerick’s first points from play by Pat Cagney and Kearney retained the halftime margin between the sides before Tommy Kennedy gave his side a two goal lead with a 41st minute point. A minute later Kennedy was fouled by halftime sub Conor Ryan who was sent to the line on a second yellow card.
Limerick now faced an uphill struggle and when Shane Power broke through to score his second goal in the 49th minute the final result looked inevitable. Limerick refused to concede and showed commendable spirit as Cosgrave shared the next four points with Jack Power and sub Cormac Spain before Malachy McKenna’s 53rd minute goal lifted home spirits. There were signs of nervousness in the Waterford defence as Jack Cosgrave and Jack Power exchanged points but concerns were allayed in the 60th minute with Conor Power breaking forward to finish an attack to the net.
Limerick pressed hard in added time but Cosrave was wide from a 20 metre free after John O’Keeffe and Shane Power (F) exchanged points to complete the scoring.
A fully deserved win for Waterford here with Jack Power the man of the match backed up by big performances from Fiachras Cooney, Tommy Kennedy and Shane Power.
– Shane Power 2-3 (0-1F), Jack Power 1-2, Mark Hartley 0-5 (3Fs), Cormac Power 1-0, Tommy Kennedy and Cormac Spain 0-1 each.
– Patrick Kearney 0-7 (6Fs), Jack Cosgrave 0-4 (3Fs), Malachy McKenna 1-0, Gavin Dorgan, Patrick Cagney and John O’Keeffe 0-1 each.
– Billy Murphy (Tallow), Alex Furlong (Roanmore), Fiachra Cooney (Ballygunner), Jack Twomey (Cappoquin), Tadhg Corcoran (Mount Sion), Joe McDonnell (Tallow), Ollie Fives (Ballygunner), Tommy Kennedy (Mount Sion), Rory Jacob (Passage), Gearoid O’Shea (St. Mollerans), Caoillin Revville (Roanmore), Eoin Burke (Roanmore),Mark Hartley (Ballygunner), Shane Power (De La Salle), Jack Power Ballygunner. – Conor Power (De La Salle) for Corcoran (HT), Cormac Spain (Ballygunner) for Hartley (47), Aaron Coughlan (Mount Sion) for Burke (49), Jamie Shanahan (Erins Own) for Reville), Ben Cummins (Lismore) for Jacob (58).
– Cathal Dennehy, Conor Ryan, Daithi Dennehy, Eoin Brosnan, Jack Cosgrave, Paul Murphy, Patrick Cagney, Eoghan Harris, Gavin Dorgan, Danny Sheehan, John O’Connor, Jack Fitzgerald, Diarmuid Hurley, Patrick Kearney. – Malachy McKenna for Hurley (11), Conor Ryan (Ahane) for Sheehan and Denis Blackwell for Fitzgerald (HT), Eamonn Richardson for Brosnan (51), John O’Keeffe for Dorgan (50).
Referee – C. O’Donovan (Tipperary).
