Ruthless WIT back on track
Fitzgibbon Cup
Waterford IT……………………………………………………… 5-19
St Patrick’s-Mater Dei……………………………………….. 1-06
by Daire Walsh
A week on from their spirited defeat by holders UCC, Waterford IT got their Fitzgibbon Cup Group A campaign back on track thanks to a ruthlessly efficient 25-point victory against an overwhelmed St Patrick’s-Mater Dei at Alfie Byrne Park.
With a host of familiar faces in their team, WIT were the clear favourites and with just seven minutes gone on the clock they had already raised three green flags courtesy of clinical finishes by Liam McGrath, Jake Dillon and Gavin O’Brien.
The supremely-fit Deise outfit, managed by former Tipperary star Colm Bonnar, added points from current Kilkenny netminder Eoin Murphy (who was positioned in the half-forward line) and the energetic Dillon, before a shell-shocked Pat’s finally opened their account via a fine long-range effort by Jack McGrath.
Further scores from McGrath, O’Brien, Cathal Kenny and Waterford’s Pauric Mahoney greatly enhanced WIT’s superiority during the second-quarter, and with centre-forward Mahoney bagging his side’s fourth goal with an Anthony Nash-style penalty in stoppage-time, they brought an astonishing 19-point cushion (4-9 to 0-2) into the second-half.
The Munster men initially maintained this momentum upon the resumption with unanswered points from Mahoney (two), Kenny and McGrath, but faded as the one-sided game came to a close.
Scorers for Waterford IT: P Mahoney 1-6 (1-0 pen), L McGrath 1-3, G Dillon, G O’Brien 1-1 each, C Kenny 0-4, M Power 1-0, T Hammil, S Roche, E Murphy, J Hayes 0-1 each.
Scorers for St Patrick’s-Mater Dei: J McGrath 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 ‘65’), E Morrissey 1-0, P Walshe 0-2.
WATERFORD IT: S O’Keefe (Waterford); G Teehan (Kilkenny), P Gahan (Kilkenny), J Maher (Tipperary); T Hammil (Tipperary), J O’Dwyer (Tipperary), S Murphy (Wexford); S Roche (Waterford), C Kenny (Kilkenny); H Kehoe (Wexford), P Mahoney (Waterford), E Murphy (Kilkenny); L McGrath (Tipperary), J Dillon (Waterford), G O’Brien (Waterford).
Subs: M Power (Kilkenny) for E Murphy (21), J Hayes (Kilkenny) for Dillon (34), J Langton (Kilkenny) for Kehoe (37), C Heffernan (Waterford) for Mahoney (38), L O’Loughlin (Clare) for S Murphy (45).
ST PATRICK’S-MATER DEI: L White (Wexford); R O’Hanrahan (Kilkenny), J Kelly (Meath), C Fennessy (Clare); N Maguire (Dublin), P Butler (Kilkenny), C Wafer (Kilkenny); E Morrissey (Kilkenny), E O’Neill (Dublin); K Ryan (Wexford), R Peacock (Laois), J McGrath (Kilkenny); E McIntyre (Tipperary), C Joyce (Kilkenny), P Walshe (Kilkenny).
Subs: S Geraghty (Meath) for Joyce (23), D Flaherty (Dublin) for Wafer (37), B Kearney (Down) for O’Neill (40).
Referee: G Duffy (Antrim).