1. Colm Callanan (Galway)
A clean sheet for the Kinvara man in Thurles yesterday, found the likes of Johnny Glynn frequently with his puckouts and made one excellent save to deny Patrick Horgan a second-half goal.
2. Padraig Mannion (Galway)
The Ahascragh-Fohenagh club man excelled in the sweeper role and helped provide Galway with a great platform to dominate.
3. Brian Murphy (Cork)
One of the few bright spots on a dark day for Cork hurling, the experienced Murphy defended stoutly to try to stem the Galway tide.
4. Paul Schutte (Dublin)
Did his best to shore things up for Dublin at the back, particularly in difficult circumstances in the second-half as Waterford poured forward in strength.
5. Aidan Harte (Galway)
Harte was very influential in directing matters from the half-back line for Galway and also chipped in with 0-2 from play.
6. Darragh Fives (Waterford)
On his return from a long injury layoff, Fives slotted in seamlessly to the Waterford defence and helped shape their eventual triumph.
7. Daithí Burke (Galway)
After a season where he’s already won an All-Ireland club medal in football with Corofin, Burke has slotted in to the hurling team efficiently and was very solid in the half-back line yesterday.
8. Austin Gleeson (Waterford)
Released to play a more offensive role by the Waterford management and he certainly made an impact in grabbing 0-4. His converted sideline cut was sublime and he also launched over another terrific over-the-shoulder point in the second-half.
9. Jamie Barron (Waterford)
Full of energy and running, made a vital contribution as Waterford took over around the middle in the second-half.
10. Ryan O’Dwyer (Dublin)
O’Dwyer set up Mark Schutte’s goal, worked hard to stymie the Waterford backline and impressed in taking the fight to Dublin.
11. Shane Bennett (Waterford)
A fantastic starting debut by the Leaving Cert student in helping to quell the influence of Liam Rushe and also illuminating the game with that stunning second-half goal.
12. Jonathan Glynn (Galway)
The powerful wrecking ball in Galway’s attack, Glynn set the tone with that outstanding goal in the early seconds of the match. He finished with 1-2 while a combination of raw heft and force caused Cork untold problems.
13. David O’Callaghan (Dublin)
Justified his recall to the Dublin starting side by contributing 0-3 and posing plenty questions for the Waterford rearguard.
14. Maurice Shanahan (Waterford)
A towering presence again in the Waterford attack, Shanahan is really picking up the scoring slack since Pauric Mahony’s season-ending injury. 1-12 was his total when the clock stopped yesterday with his freetaking excellent and he also bagged that crucial second goal.
15. Cathal Mannion (Galway)
He’s still eligible for the U21 grade but Mannion has lit up Galway’s senior attack so far this summer. In the first-half yesterday he was in devastating form as he fired 0-5 from play and he added another brace before the finish.
Who were the best players of the weekend in your view?
Let us know in the comments section below.
