A somewhat weakened Waterford side, even with all the positive mantras imaginable, were unlikely to relish facing Limerick after last weekend's morale‑sapping defeat to Cork. There was hope of a response, but few genuinely expected it.
Local paper headlines can often rally behind their teams, but when they slip into downbeat, alliterative titles before a big game, it’s rarely a promising sign.
Waterford manager Peter Queally admitted it had been a "tough week" after conceding 3-25 to last year's All‑Ireland finalists. But the bounce‑back his side so badly needed arrived, as they had four points to spare on the Treaty County on Sunday afternoon.
"We're delighted with the result. We've had a tough week now, a lot of soul searching after last week's defeat and the manner of the defeat... so it was important that we put in a fighting performance here today," Queally told RTÉ Sport.
How teams respond to a setback can be telling, and Queally revealed that while the focus during that "tough" week was on performance rather than outcome, the win over Limerick was "much needed".
"I suppose we're more worried about how we performed today than anything else but in fairness to the lads, they came good in the second half and we probably didn't have enough at half-time, but they got the result and we needed the result too.
"We kind of put a lot of emphasis on the performance, but at the end of the day it's all about winning these games too."
Waterford had the benefit of the breeze in the first half, but the sides traded scores throughout, level eight times in the opening 35 minutes.
Queally highlighted the impact of the second‑half surge, where between the 43rd and 55th minutes they outscored Limerick 1-04 to 0-03.
"The came good in the second half... I wouldn't say we hurled brilliantly, but there was times where we moved the ball well and got scores at crucial times.
"When I probably look back on it again, it's probably we got frees at vital times, but it was the manner in which we won them frees... They were kind of in that middle third, it was a bit of a war zone, there wasn't much room and fellas were winning breaks, coming out of it and probably getting fouled."
Next up for Waterford is Offaly, another significant test, but much of the wider focus remains on the Munster Championship, where back‑to‑back wins have proved elusive in recent years.
"There's still pressure there, this is a big game for us, this is what we spoke about inside in the dressing room there now, this is a dress rehearsal for Munster Championship when you're in Division 1, you're getting tough games every week.
"We've had good wins in the past in Munster Championship and we unfortunately haven't backed it up, so we've had a good win today, we have to back it up now next week, so there is pressure on and we have to put in a performance next week against Offaly too."
It has been five years since the Déise last beat Limerick, and the team is still awaiting the return of Ballygunner's Dessie Hutchinson, Paddy Leavy, Ian Kenny and Patrick Fitzgerald.
Queally confirmed that some may feature as soon as next week: "They're back with us next week, so they'll probably need a bit of training to get back up to scratch... But hopefully a few of them will be togging out with us next week and in the next round after that we should have a few playing then."
Limerick manager John Kiely now finds himself in a similar position to Queally last week and will be seeking a strong reaction when his side meet Kilkenny next Sunday.
He acknowledged the display was below their usual standards and felt a lack of sharpness played a part.
"We looked at times like we were about to grab hold of the game, but ultimately I think Waterford played better than us today," Kiely told RTÉ Sport.
"We did look ring rusty at times today. Simple things like the pick-ups, unnecessary drop balls, our shooting accuracy, all those bits and pieces. They all display an element of a lack of sharpness and ultimately I think we got out fought today."
Limerick did narrow the gap to a point in the second half, and while Kiely accepted there will be more "soul searching", he remains confident in his group.
"We got moments during the second half where it looked like we could close the gap, but to be fair to Watford, every time we came at them they had a response for it.
"We have a bit of soul searching to do after today, but I have no doubt that knowing the character of the guys that we have in that dressing room, they'll be honest with themselves and they'll get an opportunity during the week to turn this around."
