Tipperary stave off the threat of relegation with great fightback in Waterford

Tipperary 2-24 Waterford 1-23

National League form can be notoriously erratic. Three weeks after they were on the receiving end of a heavy drubbing by Limerick at home, Tipperary showed admirable resilience to erase a ten-point deficit to beat Waterford and ensure their survival in the competition’s top tier, after Sunday’s game at Azzurri Walsh Park.

The result means that they will go into next Saturday evening’s final group game against Kilkenny in Thurles without the threat of relegation hanging over them.

However, the defeat has sent Waterford plunging through the relegation trapdoor, and next year they’ll be plying their trade in Division 1B.

Aided by the gale in the second half, Tipp had enough about them to emerge from this difficult assignment by reeling in Waterford and closing out the victory in a game that developed into a real dogfight. 

They were eight points down at half-time but soon began to eat into Waterford’s sizeable lead. Unanswered points from the lively Stefan Tobin, Conor Stakelum, Eoghan Connolly’s 65 and Tobin again within five minutes of the restart were sufficient to send chants of “Tipp, Tipp, Tipp” ringing around the covered stand on this cold, blustery afternoon.

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Waterford responded with a free from ace marksman Reuben Halloran. However, Tipp were in the ascendancy. John McGrath had a point at the conclusion of an attack in which they had two glimpses of goal, a score that was followed by a converted Eoghan Connolly free from long range, and a Jake Morris point from play.

Waterford tried to dig in as best they could, and were aided by a Sean Walsh point. Tipp came back again with points from Jason Forde’s free and a John McGrath effort from play, with Reuben Halloran replying from a free.

With 12 minutes of normal time remaining, Tipp hit the front for the first time. John McGrath initially looked to have lost possession but managed to supply a pass to Jake Morris, who broke through the defensive cover to lay the ball off to substitute Gearoid O’Connor, who sent a low shot to the net (2-18 to 1-20).

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Back came Waterford with a converted Reuben Halloran free. But the momentum was firmly with Tipperary. Jason Forde was on target from a free. The sides were level for a second time thanks to another Halloran free. 

In the final five minutes of added time, plus another five of additional time, Tipp outscored their opponents by 0-5 to 0-1. Oisín O'Donoghue, Andrew Ormond and that man John McGrath raised white flags to push Tipp a goal clear.

A Reuben Halloran 65 cut the deficit but two accurate frees from substitute Darragh McCarthy ensured that Tipp left the Suirside venue with maximum points.

Tipp will be satisfied to have survived this fierce challenge from Waterford. Their defence was excellent throughout, doing well to keep a rampant Waterford attack at bay when they encountered some difficult moments, especially in the second half. Captain Ronan Maher made a welcome return from injury and was a commanding presence. Eoghan Connolly, Bryan O’Mara and Michael Breen were solid too.

John McGrath (who was coolness personified in the chaos around him) and Jake Morris provided great leadership, with McGrath registering a critical tally of 1-4 from play. On his full debut, Stefan Tobin was a real bright spark, scoring four points from play. Jason Forde had his moments too, Conor Stakelum was always a willing worker while substitutes Gearoid O’Connor, Andrew Ormond and Darragh McCarthy all made important scoring contributions.

Waterford started with the assistance of the strong wind that blew straight down the pitch.  Tipp had a heavy workload facing them in the second half, when they found themselves eight points in arrears (1-17 to 1-9) at half-time. The margin could have been even greater, had it not been for the points that Andrew Ormond and Stefan Tobin scored in the final moments of the half.

For Tipp, the opening stages were a mirror image of the Limerick match. They were left at the starting blocks as Waterford, with Shane Bennett, Dessie Hutchinson and Jamie Barron in sparkling form, streaked into a 0-5 to no score lead.

Waterford were 0-10 to 0-4 ahead when Tipp received the lifeline they needed in the 22nd minute. The goal came about as a consequence of good work by Jake Morris, who gave John McGrath the opportunity to shoot low to the net.

Not for the first time, last year’s Hurler of the Year had come up trumps for his team. When Jason Forde added a point from a free, the gap was down to just two points after 23 minutes.

However, no sooner had Tipp gained the initiative than they surrendered it. A Waterford team that was sharper, playing with greater intensity and energy, had a goal from Sean Walsh straight after Forde’s point, as their position of dominance was quickly restored.

When Dessie Hutchinson found the mark in the 35th minute Waterford were ahead by ten points, 1-17 to 1-7. However, late first half scores from Andrew Ormond and Stefan Tobin reduced the deficit to more manageable proportions, giving Tipp a platform from which to launch their second half comeback.   

This fixture was delayed by a week because of the death of Benny Kiely, the father of Waterford's Michael Kiely, who received a great reception when he appeared as a 56th minute substitute.

A minute's silence was observed before the start in Benny Kiely's memory.

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly, Robert Doyle, Bryan O’Mara, Craig Morgan, Eoghan Connolly (0-2, 1’65, 1 free), Ronan Maher (captain), Joe Caesar, Conor Stakelum (0-1), John McGrath (1-4), Jake Morris (0-2), Kevin McCarthy, Oisín O’Donogue (0-1), Michael Breen, Jason Forde (0-6, 5 frees), Stefan Tobin (0-4).

Substitutes: Andrew Ormond (0-2) for Kevin McCarthy (25 minutes), Gearoid O’Connor (1-0) for Joe Caesar (half-time), Darragh Stakelum for Craig Morgan (48 minutes), Darragh McCarthy (0-2 frees) for Jason Forde (65 minutes), Sean Kenneally for Stefan Tobin (72 minutes).  

Waterford: Billy Nolan, Aaron O’Neill, Mark Fitzgerald (captain 0-1), Ian Kenny, Sean Mackey (0-1), Tadhg de Burca, Shane Bennett (0-4), Darragh Lyons (0-1), Paddy Leavey, Jack Prendergast (0-1), Jamie Barron, Reuben Halloran (0-8, 6 frees, 1 ’65), Sean Walsh (1-1), Peter Hogan (0-1), Dessie Hutchinson (0-5).

Substitutes: Calum Lyons for Peter Hogan (28 minutes), Michael Kiely for Sean Mackey (56 minutes), Jack Fagan for Darragh Lyons (58 minutes), Brian Lynch for Shane Bennett (66 minutes).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).