Waterford 1-18
Tipperary 1-17
Jackie Cahill reports from Thurles
AUSTIN GLEESON NAILED a sensational injury-time winner for Waterford as the Déise came from behind to stun Tipperary at Semple Stadium this afternoon.
Holders Waterford made it three wins from three in Division 1A of the Allianz Hurling League this year and have now won ten League games on the bounce.
And it was Gleeson who stepped forward to land a free from 100 metres in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Waterford snatched a game they looked to have lost late on.
Tipperary suffered a second successive defeat on a day when key forward Seamus Callanan withdrew before throw-in due to a hamstring injury.
Derek McGrath’s Waterford were five points down – 0-9 to 0-14 – early in the second half but then hit 1-4 without reply to turn the game on its head.
Waterford held that lead until the 68th minute before John McGrath banged home a superb goal, created by sub Kieran Bergin, to hand Tipp a 1-17 to 1-16 lead.
But Tipp, just like their previous outing against Kilkenny, contrived to throw it away in the closing minutes as Waterford came back at them.
Patrick Curran hit his ninth point of the game, and seventh free, to level it up before Gleeson had the final say.
Losing another tight game in this manner is a fresh psychological blow for Tipp but Waterford go marching on.
And history repeated itself again to an extent as Tipp saw good goal chances go begging.
Sub Niall O’Meara went desperately close in the second half while earlier in the game, Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher forced a brilliant save from Stephen O’Keeffe.
Waterford hung in grimly before getting the job done late on.
Tom Devine’s 59th minute goal nudged them ahead for the first time since Gleeson’s opening point and they were still standing at full-time following a breathless finish.
Tipp led by 0-12 to 0-8 at half-time, having scored five of the last six points on offer in the opening half, but were lucky that leading scorer John O’Dwyer remained on the field in the 20th minute.
O’Dwyer, who contributed 0-11, pulled wildly across the shins of Jake Dillon but match referee Colm Lyons opted for a yellow card.
Waterford boss Derek McGrath may have claimed this week that Tipp are ‘four to five years’ ahead of Waterford in terms of overall development but you wouldn’t have thought that on the evidence of today’s display, as his charges dug out a precious win against the Munster champions in front of 6,540 spectators.
Scorers for Tipperary: John O’Dwyer 0-11 (9f), John McGrath 1-2, Michael Breen 0-2, Brendan Maher & Noel McGrath 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: Patrick Curran 0-9 (7f), Tom Devine 1-0, Shane Bennett 0-3, Austin Gleeson (1f) & Kevin Moran 0-2 each, Jamie Barron & Mikey Kearney 0-1 each.
Tipperary
1. Darren Gleeson (Portroe)
2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill)
3. Tomas Hamill (Moyne Templetuohy)
4. Michael Cahill (Thurles Sarsfields)
5. Barry Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg)
6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Padraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
8. Michael Breen (Ballina)
9. Brendan Maher (Borris-Ileigh)
10. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
11. Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh)
12. Patrick Maher (Lorrha-Dorrha)
13. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
14. Liam McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
15. John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
Subs:
22. Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonagh’s) for Liam McGrath (51)
17. Kieran Bergin (Killenaule) for McCormack (58)
Waterford
1. Stephen O’Keeffe (Ballygunner)
2. Shane Fives (Tourin)
3. Barry Coughlan (Ballygunner)
4. Noel Connors (Passage)
7. Philip Mahony (Ballygunner)
6. Darragh Fives (Tourin)
10. Kevin Moran (De La Salle) – Captain
8. Jamie Barron (Fourmilewater)
23. Mikey Kearney (Ballyduff Upper)
14. Jake Dillon (De La Salle)
11. Shane Bennett (Ballysaggart)
12. Michael Walsh (Stradbally)
13. Patrick Curran (Dungarvan)
5. Austin Gleeson (Mount Sion)
15. Colin Dunford (Colligan)
Subs:
24. Tom Devine (Modeligo) for Kearney (47)
26. Tommy Ryan (Tallow) for Walsh (54)
19. Shane O’Sullivan (Ballygunner) for Dunford (65).
Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)
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