Waterford 0-17
Galway 0-16
Tomás McCarthy reports from Walsh Park
PETER HOGAN WAS the hero as the Waterford hurlers snuck past Galway in front of 3,662 fans this afternoon. The sides were level eight times before the Ballygunner super sub struck a last minute winner.
Jason Flynn and Sean Loftus missed late chances to equalise for Galway who were guilty of thirteen wides. Conor Whelan was the main threat for the Tribesmen with four points from play.
Pauric Mahony was top scorer for the Déise with 0-8 while Austin Gleeson starred at centre back. It’s three wins from three for Liam Cahill’s men in Division 1A ahead of trips to Tipperary and Limerick.
Mahony, Gleeson, Kevin Moran and Jamie Barron all made their first starts of the 2020 league for the hosts.
Brian Concannon replaced 2017 hurler of the year Joe Canning at centre forward. Galway lost All Star defender Padraic Mannion after just 18 minutes.
Four late points by Calum Lyons, Mahony and Moran saw wind assisted Waterford lead 0-11 to 0-8 at half time. Galway notched nine wides.
Patrick Curran and Stephen Bennett put Waterford two points up after six minutes. Concannon and Sean Loftus quickly levelled and it was tit for tat for the rest of the half.
By the 22nd minute, it was seven all and the teams were tied on six occasions. Conor Whelan got two for the Tribesmen with Tadhg Haran, Sean Bleahane and Concannon also on target. Jack Fagan fired two for Waterford while Austin Gleeson converted a free from his own 45.
On 25 minutes, Bennett caught a Billy Nolan puckout but his close range shot was saved at the near post by James Skehill. The visitors won a free at the other end and Haran tapped it over. Neil Montgomery released Calum Lyons for the equaliser. Mahony and Kevin Moran added points to leave the home team 11-8 up at the break. The guests didn’t score for the last eleven minutes of the half.
Another Haran and Cathal Mannion’s first of the afternoon cut the arrears to one within five minutes of the restart. Waterford replied with four in a row, three from the stick of Mahony as well as a Jamie Barron single (0-15 to 0-10).
Conor Whelan hit back with Galway’s first in eleven minutes. Stephen Bennett was then swallowed up when another goal chance presented itself and Whelan pointed at the other end (15-12). His fourth from play.
Mahony then sent over his eighth of the afternoon. An Evan Niland free and two Cathal Mannion points made it nervy finish for the locals. Mahony missed a free to extend the lead to two before Niland levelled for the eighth time at sixteen all.
Off the subsequent puckout, sub Hogan snuck Waterford ahead. More late drama was to follow as Jason Flynn hit the post before Sean Loftus shot wide. Their thirteenth wide.
Scorers for Waterford: Pauric Mahony 0-8 (5fs, 1 65), Jack Fagan 0-2, Calum Lyons, Austin Gleeson (f) Kevin Moran, Jamie Barron, Stephen Bennett, Patrick Curran, Peter Hogan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Galway: Conor Whelan 0-4, Tadhg Haran (3fs) Cathal Mannion 0-3 each, Evan Niland (2fs), Brian Concannon 0-2 each, Sean Loftus, Sean Bleahane 0-1 each.
Waterford
16. Billy Nolan (Roanmore)
2. Shane Fives (Tourin)
3. Conor Prunty (Abbeyside)
4. Shane McNulty (De la Salle)
5. Calum Lyons (Ballyduff Lower)
8. Conor Gleeson (Fourmilewater)
7. Kevin Moran (De La Salle)
26. Austin Gleeson (Mount Sion)
9. Pauric Mahony (Ballygunner)
12. Jack Fagan (De La Salle)
23. Jamie Barron (Fourmilewater)
10. Neil Montgomery (Abbeyside)
13. Jack Prendergast (Lismore)
14. Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart)
15. Patrick Curran (Dungarvan)
Subs
20. Peter Hogan (Ballygunner) for Curran (HT)
19. MJ Sutton (Ferrybank) for C Gleeson (57-62 Blood)
19. MJ Sutton (Ferrybank) for Montgomery (63)
24. Dessie Hutchinson for Bennett (69)
Galway
1. James Skehill (Cappataggle)
2. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields)
3. Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree)
4. Sean Loftus (Turloughmore)
5. Padraic Mannion (Ahascragh Fohenagh)
6. Shane Cooney (St. Thomas’)
7. Fintan Burke (St. Thomas’)
8. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
9. Adrian Tuohy (Beagh)
12. Tadhg Haran (Liam Mellows)
23. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)
10. Niall Burke (Oranmore/Maree)
13. Sean Bleahane (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
14. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
15. Conor Cooney (St. Thomas’)
Subs
22. Sean Linnane (Turloughmore) for Padraic Mannion (18)
25. Jason Flynn (Tommy Larkins) for Bleahane (44)
18. Evan Niland (Clarinbridge) for Haran (56)
17. TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge) for Fintan Burke (66)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
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