DAVY FITZGERALD BEMOANED his Waterford team’s struggles in the third quarter as they lost out in their trip to Cork in Division 1A of the Allianz hurling league today.
Waterford produced a terrific closing quarter display to only fall two points short in the finish, 1-21 to 1-19, but were left to regret the slump in their display after half-time.
They trailed by a point at the break, yet were ten adrift midway through the second half after Cork had dominated.
“It’s the same f**king thing — that 15 minutes after half-time. The exact same as the last two games. I think Cork are one of the best teams out there. I’d be very straight, I think they are. But we f**king made them look exceptionally good with the way we let them run at us for the first 15 minutes.
“We stood off. We were in control in the first half. I didn’t think we were under pressure too much, to tell you the truth. Playing against the breeze, I thought we should have gone in level or up one. And then we f**king go down ten.
“But I’m so proud of the boys. If that was over the last five or six years and at different times they’re going down ten, then they’d go down 15 or 20.
“I think you saw the fight that’s in them today. I’d say there were four or five wides that we’ll kick ourselves over. And I mean bad ones in really scoreable positions that we’ve got to put over the bar.
“Happy with the attitude but I’m not happy with that 15, 17 minutes. It’s just annoying and we’ve got to sort it out.”
Fitzgerald finds it hard to put a finger on the issue in Waterford’s form immediately after half-time, but he was full of praise for Cork, their Munster championship opponents in eight weeks time.
“We’ve tried to say there isn’t a problem, that we’re imagining it, but we’re not. It happened in the Offaly game, it happened in the Clare game and it happened again today. I don’t know why and we’re just going to have to look to try and sort that out. If we sort that… like, we could have taken points in the last two games. And I know we can say we’re missing loads. It’s just annoying.
“If there was another three minutes, we are winning that game. Conor Sheehan pulled the trigger there at the end and he did well when we came on, but Mikey Kiely was inside him on his own 30 yards out from goals. There were a few small little things if we just steadied a bit. Momentum is a funny thing. When we get it at the end, it is very hard for Cork to stop our momentum.
“But give Cork credit. When Cork are in full flow, I think they’re an incredible team. My honest opinion is that I’d put Cork in the first one or two for the All-Ireland Championship. I think they’re right up there. And that’s not playing games. I believe they have that talent.”
Waterford continue to be hit by absentees, but the outlook is more encouraging in terms of potential returns.
“Jamie (Barron) hasn’t played in a number of months. Darragh Lyons is (able for) 50 minutes and we played him for 58 today. He is not fit enough to do that. Jamie, Peter (Hogan) might start the next day. My point being that they haven’t enough of preseason done to nearly last 70, so we have a lot of work to do in the next seven or eight weeks to try and get them boys up to 70 minutes.
“The same with the other lads coming back. That is the biggest concern for me; Ian Kenny, Iarlaith Daly, Conor Prunty, Stephen Bennett, Dessie, Jack Fagan will be okay, Shane Bennett, there are eight or nine fellas who I need to get game-time into their legs more than anything else.
“The lads that came on today will be in line to probably start (in Waterford’s next game against Wexford). They’ll be there or thereabouts if all goes well training-wise. Ian Kenny and Iarlaith Daly shouldn’t be a hundred miles off.
“Jack Fagan will be back, only got back into the country late last night. Tadhg (de Búrca), there’s an outside chance of him making the panel the next day. Dessie (Hutchinson) could make the next day, so he could. Patrick Fitz will definitely be ready for the next day. Shane Bennett should be ready.
“Conor Prunty might make the last game, will be 50/50. Stephen won’t. Stephen will be another week or two out after that. It’s a six-seven-week job from the last day. I think that’s where we are injury-wise
