February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Pierce O’Reilly
Waterford 2-17, Tipperary 1-13
An ugly scene at the end of this game marred what was otherwise a sporting, closely contested championship encounter Sunday at Gaelic Park. The early dismissal of Tipp’s Declan O’Meara set the tone for a physical clash that at times reached boiling point. The close clashes resulted in a low-scoring, even pedestrian first half, which was dominated by a slicker Waterford outfit playing a stylish brand of open hurling. At the interval, the Decies lad 0-7 to 0-5 with Eoin Dunne and Roy Hennelly the marksmen in attack.
Eoin Cummins, Tom Moylan and Brendan Murphy hit early scores for the Premier County. However, they lacked an overall cohesion. New York all-star John Madden rifled over another point for the Munster men, but they failed to ignite in the humid conditions.
Waterford, on the hand, with Dunne and Hennelly finding their range, stole a two-point lead at the short whistle. The second half produced tit-for-tat hurling with both sides swapping early scores. Then Brendan Murphy hit the onion bag for a Tipperary goal to give them the impetus. Waterford hurled away and three minutes later import Pat Higgins whipped the sliotar to the Tipp net. Further points from Denis McCarthy, Dunne and Hennelly gave them the lead entering the final furlong, and they kept their heads despite the best efforts of the blue and yellow men.
When Denis McCarthy hit the net for goal No. 2 withfour minutes to play, the door was bolted on any Tipperary revival.
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Waterford: Ian Duggan, Philip Wickham, Stewart Barry, Joe Feeney, Richie Purcell, T. Holden, E. Dunne 0-9, Jimmy Duggan, D. Sweeney 0-1, P. Higgins 1-1, B. Grant, D. McCarthy 1-2, R. Hennelly 0-4.
Tipperary: C. Dorrian, T. Keane, S. Quirke, D. O’Meara, O. Cummins 0-1, S. Shepard, K. McAdams 0-1, J. Madden 0-3, J.O’Donnell, M. Kennedy, B. Murphy 1-5, T. Moylan 0-2, J. Lyons. Subs: M. Comerford 0-1.