Tom O'Connell: 'I copied Jude Bellingham!'
7 April 2024; Tom O'Connell of Waterford celebrates after his side's victory in the Munster GAA Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between Waterford and Tipperary at Fraher Field in Dungarvan, Waterford. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
Tom O’Connell celebrated like a Galactico when he banged in those two late goals on Sunday.
“It was just a bit of craic. I told the boys that I would do something mad if I scored a goal! I copied Jude Bellingham!” The full-forward had plenty of support in the stand.
“My mother, my father, my aunt and a few cousins. I have a few cousins away, they’re over at the Munster match. They’ll be delighted now that’s the one they missed!”
This was his first championship win in a Waterford shirt. “We’ve had a lot of tough battles with Tipperary in the last few years and we’ve always come out on the wrong side by a point or two every single time. It’s great to get one over them and have a shot now at Clare. You never know what could happen now!” The first-half was a frustrating spectacle for supporters and players.
“We were killing ourselves more so than anything. Getting into good positions and either fluffing our shots, giving away a bad pass or running into trouble. It was more what we were doing to ourselves than what Tipp were doing to us.
Gooch got a point straight after half time and that set us on the way. We were in a good place after that.” The Brickey Rangers man punched home his first goal after Alan Dunwoody supplied the pass.
“I didn’t think he was going to pass it to me at first! I was going to start roaring and shouting at him! Thank god he just got the hand pass off. I was lucky enough it went in. I had one a minute before and it hit the crossbar. Evan Comerford nearly got a touch on it, I was lucky to get that one in.” He was in the right place at the right time when Stephen Curry struck the post.
“Ten yards in front of goal, no one would miss it!”
What a difference a fortnight makes. Two weeks ago, heads were down after a 25 point loss to Laois. Manager Paul Shankey was on cloud nine as he conducted more post-match interviews than usual. “It’s great to talk to you after a positive result for a change! It’s a fabulous result. It gives everyone a lift, it gives everyone a bit of a smile.
You could see the reaction on the field after it with all the parents, family and friends of the players. You can’t beat that.” Against the gale, his side outscored their opponents 2-6 to 0-3. “You couldn't ask for a better second half.”
He also paid tribute to Michael Curry who made his 97th appearance for the Déise. “If we had fifteen Mike Currys, we'd be doing well! No drama, just a brilliant lad. Delighted for him and his family. I saw his parents on the pitch afterwards and you could see what it meant to them.”
