It might seem like a November afternoon, but we’ve got two of the biggest games of hurling of the so-called summer in store over the next couple of hours.
First up, we’re going minute-by-minute for Waterford v Dublin in what’s their fourth-ever senior championship clash.
Derek McGrath will hope his young side put the Munster final defeat behind them while his counterpart Ger Cunningham will look for the Dubs to keep the momentum going all the way to the semis. They beat Limerick last time out of course.
GAA editor, Fintan O’Toole is in Thurles for us for the afternoon. Get in contact in the usual ways throughout; email adrian@the42.ie, comment below or use or various social media channels. Our Instagram game is strong these days:
This is your Sunday Game line-up. No sign of Shefflin again but you can’t have any complaints here.
Eddie Brennan reckons Cork could be the bolters out of the sides on show today.
Ger Cunningham has been speaking to Joanne Cantwell and the Dublin boss says his side are full of confidence today.
Hang on, The King is on the show tonight it seems:
Waterford now find themselves in unfamiliar territory, cast in the role of firm favourites. They were underdogs for the Allianz League final against Cork and even though they beat the Rebels then, the bookies still had them as outsiders for the Munster semi-final. Again, Waterford answered the questions thrown at them but Tipp were flagged up as pre-match favourites ahead of the Munster final – and delivered on that billing. But Waterford’s remarkable progress in 2015 will see them start as many people’s fancy to advance past Dublin on Sunday, and seal a place in the last four of the All-Ireland series.
Read out Waterford v Dublin talking points ahead of throw-in, which is imminent, right here.
Full house! The three panellists fancy Waterford to get over the line with Liam Sheedy saying there’ll be a few points in it.
What do you reckon?
Waterford 0-2 Dublin 0-1 And we’re up and running with Chris Crummy launching over the first score for the Dubs.
As I type, Maurice Shanahan splits the post with a free and then follows up with a point on the run off his left.
Waterford 0-3 Dublin 0-1 Great score. Serious workrate and hassling from the Déise and Colin Dunford is on the end of it.
Waterford 0-3 Dublin 0-2 Dotsy caught a great ball inside abd a goal looked to be a possibility but ultimately Mark Shutte tacks on a point. This pretty open so far with Austin Gleeson playing wing forward it seems.
Waterford 0-3 Dublin 0-3 Paul Ryan free levels it up.
Waterford 0-4 Dublin 0-5 Dublin Maurice Shanahan nails a 65 before Niall McMorrow opens his account and then Ryan O’Dwyer puts the Dubs ahead.
Niall McMorrow booked for a bit of a high stroke on Kevin Moran.
Waterford 0-5 Dublin 0-6 Maurice Shanahan nails another place ball but moments later Dotsy O’Callaghan builds up a head of steam and points off his left.
Dublin 0-6 Waterford 0-6 Enter Austin Gleeson. He’s reintroduced himself with a nice point after a sluggish start to his afternoon.
Waterford 0-7 Dublin 0-6 Colin Dunford does well to create and opening and ultimately score.
Waterford 0-8 Dublin 0-6 Maurice Shanahan has been unerring so far. He’s just landed another point from a free – his fifth in total so far.
That free, by the way, came after great use of the advantage rule by referee Johnny Ryan if you ask me.
Waterford 0-8 Dublin 0-7 They can’t keep it pucked out, as Donal Óg might say. Danny Sutcliffe gave his man a bit of elbow room but when the ball came his way from the Déise keeper, he nipped in and sent it back with interest.
Waterford 0-9 Dublin 0-7 Maurice Shanahan puts some breathing space between the sides again.
Waterford 0-9 Dublin 0-9 Paul Ryan with his second of the game and then Dotsy O’Callaghan with another. Great score.
Level for the sixth time, Marty tells us, for those interested.
Waterford 0-10 Dublin 0-9 Shane Bennett charged inside but was closed down well by the Dublin defence. The ball was ultimately worked out by Colin Dunfort and Kevin Moran points.
Waterford 0-11 Dublin 0-10 Ryan O’Dwyer levels for Dublin. More more interestingly, Bennett shoots and forces a save from Gary Maguire. The ball doesn’t go over the line and behind but the umpire signals for a 65. A bad call from the umpire but Shanahan converts.
Change for Waterford and it’s a blow after half an hour. From our man Fintan O’Toole in the press box in Thurles: “Looks like a hamstring injury forcing Noel Connors off, Stephen Daniels on instead.”
Waterford 0-12 Dublin 0-10 Shanahan again. You know the drill.
Brendan Cummins makes the point that discipline will have to be the watchword at half time for Dublin.
Waterford 0-12 Dublin 0-12 Paul Ryan sends over his third of the game before Sutcliffe levels it. they’ll be delighted to go in all square if that’s the case.
Waterford 0-12 Dublin 0-13 Danny Sutcliffe ensures that the Dubs actually trot in at the break, a point to the good. What did you make of that?
GOAL! Shane Bennett for Waterford!
What a start from the Déise. they scored the first point of the period and then Shane Bennett scored a class goal, striking the ball on the ground and hitting it high into the net.
Quality.
Waterford 1-14 Dublin 0-14 Austin Gleeson with a superb effort. He caught it himself, pulled the handbrake and was gone before sending it over.
As I type, Mark Schuttte tacks on an excellent point too. Badly needed.
Waterford 1-16 Dublin 0-14 Maurice Shanahan notches tow quick-fire points, one from play. We’ve seen a few fist pumps too.
Waterford 1-16 Dublin 0-14 Yellow card for Liam Rushe for a pull on Shane Bennett but Shanahan pulls the subsequent free wide – his first miss of the day.
Waterford 1-17 Dublin 0-15 Are the Dubs gone to sleep? It’s all coming from the Munster side at the moment – Jake Dillon scores a nice point after good thinking from Shanahan, before Paul Ryan scores a much-needed point for the Blues.
Waterford 1-18 Dublin 0-15 Maurice Shanahan scores again.
Waterford 1-19 Dublin 0-15 Austin Glesson is brimming with confidence now after a quiet start to the afternoon. He shot off the back foot but curled it inside the post.
GOAL! Mark Schutte for Dublin!
Waterford 1-19 Dublin 1-15 Wow! Forgive the cliche, but it’s game on Ger.
It looked to me at least that Waterford had more or less got this one under control but that goal opens up all kinds of possibilities.
Stephen O’Keeffe will be gutted as it seemed he had it saved but Mark Schutte’s shot went past him.
Waterford 1-20 Dublin 1-16 What a score from Austin Gleeson. A sideline cut from way down down, as Liam McStay might say.
Dotsy then added this third point after some great running.
Waterford 1-21 Dublin 1-16 Shanahan brings his tally to 12.
Goal chance! The ball somehow broke inside for Shane Bennett again but he could only throw a leg at it and missed.
Waterford 1-21 Dublin 1-17 Paul Ryan makes sure the Dubs stay in touch. David Treacy is on in the meantime.
GOAL! Maurice Shanahan for Waterford!
Waterford 2-21 Dublin 1-17 Surely that’s that. The Déise move the ball up the pitch quickly where Shanahan gets up a head of steam and lashes the ball home.
Waterford 2-21 Dublin 1-18 Dublin need goals but newly-introduced David Treacy has scored a point. We’re edging into garbage time.
Waterford 2-21 Dublin 1-19 Great run by a determined Dotsy that ultimately sees him dragged down by the scruff of the neck almost. The ball’s sent in low by Treacy but it’s deflected behind for a 65 by one A Gleeson.
Treacy then adds a second point.
Massive shemozzle at the end here which — Marty says — is a disgrace.
Liam Rushe earns himself a straight red card. Replays show he struck Maurice Shanahan into the visor.
Full-time: Waterford 2-21 Dublin 1-19
So the Déise march on to the last four while it’s the end of the road for Dublin in Ger Cunnigham’s first season.
What did you make of that?
“They’re a very tough side,” says Shane Bennett, when asked about Kilkenny after the final whistle.
Here’s that Liam Rushe stuff, late on.
So it’s the Cats up next for the Déise.
Today, attention turns to Cork v Galway. Follow that game here and we’ll have more reaction and analysis from Thurles throughout the day.
