Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League Group A
Waterford 0-21 Tipperary 1-15
At a wet and windy Mallow, Davy Fitzgerald was elated to make his managerial return but cautioned against making anything of Waterford's three-point Munster Hurling League win over 14-man Tipperary.
"It’s great to be back! You miss it," he said.
"The year out was great and it was great to be a pundit and all that but I kinda like being out there. It’s nice when you win but I just enjoy being on the training field and being with the lads. That’s what I really enjoy."
When asked what he’s looking for at this time of the season, Fitzgerald replied with one word: "Character."
He found it in Kilrossanty’s Paudie Fitzgerald, who scored two points in a five-minute match-winning cameo at the end.
"There was a lad at the end, he wasn’t feeling well the last few days, and I needed him to go on because we had an injury. When he went on, he did well and he was after playing a full game yesterday, an under-20 final," said the former Clare and Wexford manager.
"He’s a young lad and Paudie in the next few years will be deadly but fair play to him tonight. He did well."
The success over the man he replaced in Liam Cahill, taking his first game in charge of his native Tipperary, was achieved with 12 different scorers against Tipperary’s four. Jason Forde struck 1-11 (1-04 from play) in defeat.
A change of venue to Mallow, with Fraher Field waterlogged, spared Cahill a return to action on Waterford soil but Cathal Barrett’s red card, after two yellows, the second in the 58th minute, gave the Déise the impetus to outscore Tipp by 0-07 to 0-04 from there to the end.
What did Fitzgerald, 12 years on from his last game at the Déise helm, take from it?
"Not much. It's the third of January, I'm not an idiot," he chuckles.
"This is a million miles away from what’s going to happen in Semple Stadium in May playing Tipperary. I wouldn’t read a whole lot into it."
Fitzgerald was happy, though, to see so many putting their hands up in the absence of a dozen players from last year’s Championship team.
Both managers were keen to reinforce messages to their young sides. Fitzgerald brought his trademark 100% effort on the sideline, protesting referee decisions and bemoaning misplaced passes. Cahill, never slow to make an early sub, did the same in his own way, hooking Joe Fogarty after 27 minutes of his county debut.
Davy sought to sow confusion from the start, positioning five of his forwards inside the 21 for the first three minutes before they fanned out. No sweeper, certainly, as the half-forwards dropped deep to run at Tipp, and they were effective in creating space.
Waterford took their chances, apart from a second-half Stephen Bennett penalty saved by debutant goalie Rhys Shelly, while Tipp were less polished in their shooting. Cahill, though, exhibited little concern at the result. The application was his emphasis and he liked much of what he saw.
"I thought it was a brilliant work out. This time of the year, it’s about just getting players back on the field and seeing where they are fitness-wise and attitude-wise.
"We’re training really hard behind the scenes and we’re getting as much game-time into fellas as we can. This Munster League is ideal for that.
"Instructions were very basic tonight. It was looking at the way guys were applying themselves and their attitude and very proud of the way Tipperary battled right to the end tonight."
The match reflected the journey Cahill sees ahead: Tipp with some catching up to do.
"We’re under no illusions in Tipp. We’re a little bit behind everyone else. It is a big job to make sure we’re unearthing players for the future. That’s always my objective. Whatever my term will bring here, that’ll be left in a good place for the future."
Waterford: B Nolan (0-01f); S McNulty, M Fitzgerald (0-01), C Ryan; M Harney, C Lyons, C Daly (0-01); P Leavey (0-01), R Halloran (0-07, 6f, 1 65); N Montgomery, C Dunford (0-02), S Walsh (0-02); J Power, DJ Foran (0-01), B Power (0-01).
Subs: I Daly (0-01) for McNulty (h-t), M Kiely for Foran (47), Stephen Bennett for Walsh (48), A Gleeson (0-01) for B Power (66), Paudie Fitzgerald (0-02) for Dunford (69), A Ryan for C Daly (70+5).
Tipperary: R Shelly; C Barrett, M Breen, G Ryan; D McCormack, P Campion, S Neville; P Cadell, G Browne; A Tynan (0-01), J Forde (1-11, 0-6f, 0-1 65), J Fogarty; C Bowe (0-01), M Kehoe, P Creedon.
Subs: C Stakelum for Fogarty (27), C O’Dwyer (0-02) for Tynan (45), Johnny Ryan for Browne (45), Jack Ryan for Creedon (45), S Kennedy for Bowe (62), G O'Connor for Kehoe (70).
Referee: J O’Halloran (Limerick).
