By Dermot Keyes at Walsh Park
A second half blitz inspired by Stephen Bennett saw Waterford retain top billing in Division 1B and firmly in contention for a fourth National Hurling League title.
Before a 5865-strong gate, Liam Cahill’s men looked stronger, faster and hungrier than a Tipperary side whose challenge significantly diminished heading into the final quarter.
An end to end first half featuring 28 scores saw Waterford go in two points to the good, leading by 1-13 to 0-14, with Kieran Bennett opening the scoring after 15 seconds.
But Tipperary, with the wind in their favour, soon took up the running, with Jason Forde and Michael Breen both pointing twice, in addition to a single from Mark Kehoe to go four clear by the seventh minute.
Stephen Bennett’s free reduced the arrears in the 10th minute with Tipp’s Barry Heffernan next to score on the quarter hour mark.
Mark Kehoe brilliantly killed another high ball after 16 minutes to extend Tipp’s lead only for the onrushing Iarlaith Daly to immediately point from Waterford’s next attack. Points from Jake Morris and Mark Kehoe left Tipperary in a commanding position after 20 minutes, leading by six points, but that was to prove as good as it got for the visitors. Stephen Bennett offered an instant reply from Waterford’s next attack and had Barry Hogan’s net billowing 60 seconds later following a fine move involving Michael Kiely and Patrick Curran. Barely a minute later, Curran was next to point and Bennett’s 25th minute free restored parity. Bennett tagged on another free after 26, rapidly followed by a fine Jack Prendergast effort down the right flank as Tipp’s momentum ground to a halt. Bennett landed another free just shy of the half-hour mark to send the hosts a goal clear. But Tipperary rallied with points from Conor Bowe and Jason Forde before Prendergast and the advancing Tadhg de Búrca raised white flags for the Déise at the City End (1-11 to 0-13).
Stephen Bennett, arguably in the form of his life, rifled over a glorious point from wide on the left to send the home support into raptures. Tipp skipper Ronan Maher, similar to de Búrca, landed a brilliant point from the halfway line in the first additional minute, with Michael Kiely completing the first half scoring following excellent work by Patrick Curran and Cian Wadding.
Whatever competitive fire and brimstone there was in the opening half soon fizzled out upon the resumption, and while Waterford clearly kept the foot down, Tipperary struggled to move through the gears.
Points from Jason Forde (a free) and Mark Kehoe brought the sides level for the last time after 39 minutes but the closing half hour belonged to Liam Cahill’s men.
Stephen Bennett, who would ultimately tally 1-16, opened the second half scoring, converted two further frees, followed by another Jack Prendergast point after 43 minutes. Michael Breen’s point somewhat stemmed the tide but Waterford’s gallop ultimately proved impossible to break. Bennett landed a 65 on in the 45th minute, with Iarlaith Daly firing over his second of the day three minutes later.
Tipp made their last flourish of note between the 49th and 51st minutes through a brace of Jason Forde frees and a fine effort by Conor Bowe before Waterford took command, with Bennett’s couplet of frees leaving them a goal clear after 53.
This was the opening point of a 10-score sequence which put Waterford in command, including a fine effort by Mikey Mahony on the day the All-Ireland winning Ballygunner contingent returned to the Déise fold.
Ronan Maher’s stoppage time free proved the final score of an afternoon when Waterford’s all-round game produced an edge alarmingly lacking from a Tipperary perspective. These sides will meet here again in the Munster Championship six weeks from today, a match they’ll head into as the firmest of favourites. Perhaps the only negative for Waterford this afternoon arose when a hamstring problem forced captain Conor Prunty off with just seven minutes remaining.
Scorers for Waterford: Stephen Bennett (1-16; 0-11f, 0-1 65), Patrick Curran (0-3), Jack Prendergast (0-3), Iarlaith Daly (0-2), Kieran Bennett (0-1), Michael Kiely (0-1), Tadhg de Búrca (0-1), Mikey Mahony (0-1).
Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde (0-6; 0-4f), Mark Kehoe (0-4), Michael Breen (0-4), Conor Bowe (0-2), Ronan Maher (0-2), Barry Heffernan (0-1), Brian McGrath (0-1), Jake Morris (0-1).
Waterford: Shaun O’Brien; Conor Gleeson, Conor Prunty, Shane McNulty; Jack Fagan, Tadhg de Búrca, Iarlaith Daly; Cian Wadding, Darragh Lyons; Neil Montgomery, Patrick Curran, Kieran Bennett; Stephen Bennett, Michael Kiely, Jack Prendergast.
Subs: Mikey Mahoney for Michael Kiely (55), Shane Bennett for Kieran Bennett (55), Philip Mahoney for Conor Prunty (63), Conor Dalton for Jack Fagan (70), Billy Power for Jack Prendergast (70).
Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Cathal Barrett, James Quigley, Brian McGrath; Dillon Quirke, Ronan Maher, Robert Byrne; Paddy Cadell, Barry Heffernan; Conor Bowe; Jason Forde, Michael Breen; Mark Kehoe, John McGrath, Jake Morris.
Subs: Alan Flynn for Paddy Cadell (HT), Denis Maher for John McGrath (54), Conor Stakelum for Jason Forde (68), Cian Darcy for Dillon Quirke (72).
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
