Kilkenny are the defending champions and once again they looked very assured when defending their Leinster title. Similarly, to last Sunday’s drawn game at Croke Park, the pundits that will analyse the game will be former Waterford stalwart Ken McGrath, former 8 time All Ireland victor Eddie Brennan and former Clare and Galway boss Ger Loughnanne.
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Derek McGrath’s side were five points up with less than 15 minutes to go but retreated into their shell as they attempted to hold onto the lead and Kilkenny called on all of their experience to draw level. Probably the first time we weren’t behind was at the final whistle really.
Pauric Mahony scored his 14th point of the afternoon in stoppage time when Jamie Barron was fouled but Kilkenny, showing characteristic fighting spirit, saved the match when Conor Fogarty nailed a long-range score from play with a minute of the five minutes of added time remaining.
“It became obvious we needed a goal because whenever we got within a point or two points or three points they picked off some terrific long range points”, said the Kilkenny boss.
Moran had Waterford’s best goal chance early in the second half as he broke through the Kilkenny defence and appeared set to blast past Eoin Murphy but Padraig Walsh got back to make a last-gasp tackle and flicked the ball away.
Next Saturday’s replay has a 6.45pm throw-in, a start time that does not impress Shanahan.
Scorers: Kilkenny – TJ Reid 0-11 (0-10 fs, 0-1 65), W Walsh 1-1, R Hogan 0-4, C Fogarty 0-2, E Larkin, M Fennelly, C Fennelly 0-1. Or will Kilkenny power to another final? Subs: E Larkin for Farrell (46), L Ryan for Joyce (49).
WATERFORD: S. O’Keeffe; S. Fives, B. Coughlan, N. Connors; C. Gleeson, T.de Burca, Philip Mahony; J Barron, K. Moran (c); M. Walsh, A. Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; C. Dunford, Shane Bennett, J. Dillon. Waterford – P Mahony 0-14 (0-9 fs, 0-1 65); A Gleeson 0-5, J Dillon 0-2, K Moran, P Curran, M Shanahan 0-1.
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Subs used: M Shanahan (0-01) for Dunford, P Curran (0-01) for Bennett, B O’Halloran for Dillon.
