Waterford 2-21
Dublin 1-19
Fintan O’Toole reports from Semple Stadium, Thurles
WATERFORD’S STUNNING HURLING season shows no signs of slowing down as they swept past Dublin in Thurles today to set up an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Kilkenny.
Second-half goals from Shane Bennett and Maurice Shanahan enabled Waterford to power to the finish line against a Dublin team who finished with 14 men after Liam Rushe was shown a red card for striking Maurice Shanahan.
After being crowned league champions in May, Waterford progressed to the Munster final earlier this month before hitting their first roadblock of the year when they lost out to Tipperary.
But they have recovered impressively with today’s success ensuring they will contest an All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 2011.
Maurice Shanahan again lead the way in the scoring stakes as he shot 1-12 but Austin Gleeson’s 0-4 haul was invaluable while Shane Bennett’s brilliant 38th minute goal was the centrepiece of a fine display from the teenager.
A high-scoring first-half was filled with passages of free and open hurling with 25 points chalked up on the board. A Danny Sutcliffe effort in injury-time separated the sides and gave Dublin a 0-13 to 0-12 lead.
The teams were level on eight occasions during the first-half with Waterford forging ahead on a couple of occasions, 0-8 to 0-6 in the 16th minute and 0-12 to 0-10 in the 33rd minute.
However Dublin rattled off the last three points of the opening half through Paul Ryan and Sutcliffe (2) to go into the ascendancy at the break.
Waterford stormed out after the break and strung together a winning run. They outscored Dublin 1-7 to 0-2 to go ahead 1-19 to 0-15 midway through the second-half.
Bennett whipped up a fantastic ground shot to the net after being picked out in space by Shanahan while Kevin Moran, Gleeson and Jake Dillon all picked off quality points.
Dublin needed something to ignite their charge and they got it in the shape of a fierce left-hand shot to top corner of the net from Mark Schutte in the 53rd minute after he seized a cross from Ryan O’Dwyer.
That lifted Dublin and they were still in the hunt when Paul Ryan nailed a 63rd minute free as they trailed 1-21 to 1-17.
But Waterford then pounced for the kill as a sweeping counter-attack involving Stephen Daniels, Philip Mahony, Dillon, Patrick Curran and Bennett culminated with Shanahan getting the chance to bury his shot to the net.
Dublin’s woes were compounded by Rushe’s dismissal but Waterford can now start planning for a Croke Park date.
Scorers for Waterford: Maurice Shanahan 1-12 (0-10f, 0-1 ’65), Austin Gleeson 0-4 (0-1 sideline), Shane Bennett 1-0, Kevin Moran, Colin Dunford 0-2 each, Jake DIllon 0-1.
Scorers for Dublin: Paul Ryan 0-5 (0-5f), Mark Schutte 1-2, Danny Sutcliffe, David O’Callaghan 0-3 each, Ryan O’Dwyer, David Treacy (0-1f, 0-1 ’65) 0-2 each, Chris Crummy, Niall McMorrow 0-1 each.
Waterford
1. Stephen O’Keeffe (Ballygunner)
2. Shane Fives (Tourin)
3. Barry Coughlan (Ballygunner)
4. Noel Connors (Passage)
17. Darragh Fives (Tourin)
5. Tadhg de Búrca (Clashmore Kinsalebeg)
7. Philip Mahony (Ballygunner)
10. Kevin Moran (De La Salle)
8. Jamie Barron (Fourmilewater)
22. Shane Bennett (Ballysaggart)
6. Austin Gleeson (Mount Sion)
12. Jake Dillon (De La Salle)
21. Maurice Shanahan (Lismore)
14. Michael Walsh (Stradbally)
15. Colin Dunford (Colligan)
Subs
19. Stephen Daniels (De La Salle) for Connors (inj) (30)
25. Patrick Curran (Dungarvan) for Dunford (55)
9. Tom Devine (Modeligo) for Dillon (68)
11. Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart) for Shane Bennett (71)
20. Eddie Barrett (De La Salle) for Gleeson (71)
Dublin
1. Gary Maguire (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
2. Shane Barrett (Na Fianna)
3. Cian O’Callaghan (Cuala)
4. Paul Schutte (Cuala)
5. Chris Crummey (Lucan Sarsfield)
6. Liam Rushe (St Patrick’s, Palmerstown)
7. Joey Boland (Na Fianna)
8. Johnny McCaffrey (Lucan Sarsfields)
9. Niall McMorrow (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
10. Paul Ryan (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
12. Danny Sutcliffe (St Jude’s)
11. Ryan O’Dwyer (Kilmacud Crokes)
13. David O’Callaghan (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
14. Conal Keaney (Ballyboden St Enda’s)
15. Mark Schutte (Cuala)
Subs
20. Peter Kelly (Lucan Sarsfields) for Barrett (47)
25. Cian Boland (St Oliver Plunkett’s-Eoghan Ruadh) for McMorrow (54)
24. David Treacy (Cuala) for Ryan (63)
26. Eamon Dillon (Naomh Fionbarra) for Keaney (66)
23. Oisin O’Rorke (Kilmacud Crokes) for Sutcliffe (71)
Referee: Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)
