All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Round 1 – Waterford v Meath

Ward fires Royals back on glory trail

By DAMIAN LAWLOR of the Sunday Independent newspaper

Sunday July 05 2009

MEATH 1-20 WATERFORD 0-8

MEATH recovered from a sluggish start in both halves to comfortably progress to the second round of the All-Ireland qualifiers at Pairc Tailteann last night. The game was well over as a contest by the break, but it didn’t look so facile for Eamonn O’Brien’s side at the start. Indeed, it took them a full 15 minutes to get going. Smothered by their opponents, they trailed 0-2 to 0-1 at one stage and Waterford even missed a goal chance in that time. It was a perfect evening for football with the Pairc Tailteann pitch looking resplendent under the summer sunshine, but the air was humid and it sucked the life and legs out of both teams.

Overall, the quality of football on view was poor for long stages and only Meath’s ability to shoot accurately from long range saved their embarrassment. It was towards half time, with the visitors tiring, when they began shooting at will and on sight. They hit seven wides and 0-12 before the break and it was enough to see them home against the minnows. There were stars for the underdogs, however. Wayne Hennessy had a bright opening but the skilful O’Gorman twins, Maurice and Thomas and Shane Briggs were outstandingly resolute in defence. At midfield they were wiped out, though, and the deficiency in that department gradually killed off their challenge.

Meath were best served by Joe Sheridan who looked menacing from the very start. He’s bang in form again and will be their playmaker for as long as they are in the championship. Tearaway corner back Chris O’Connor had a fine game with three points from play, Cormac McGuinness worked hard too and Cian Ward was lethal, as usual, from frees. But in many ways it was a no-win situation for the Leinster side. Just as Waterford hit three points on the trot after the restart the vocal crowd were on their side’s case straight away again — there’s no let-up when you have a pedigree like Meath’s. They opened the scoring through McGuinness after six minutes, but most of the 5,000 crowd were cribbing with their display after 10 minutes. Waterford took a one-point lead after 10 minutes as their swarm attack style of play opened the way for points for Hennessy and Patrick Hurney, when a goal was most definitely on. They lost influential full-forward Ger Power after a few minutes through injury but didn’t look out of place on the big stage.

The crowd wanted Meath to play more direct and let their feelings known from the stands. Sheridan duly levelled the scores with a fine point and the Senechalstown man then had a goal chance seconds later which Tom Wall saved brilliantly. With almost the entire Meath half empty they began to attack with the wind at their backs and hit two points on the trot from corner back Chris O’Connor and Peadar Byrne. At this stage the wind was growing and it aided the home side. Waterford looked to be retreating into their shells and were totally outclassed at midfield and couldn’t win any primary possession. Ward hit two frees in a row to leave Meath 0-6 to 0-2 up after 27 minutes. It was a stop-start affair with play broken up through injuries and poor home shooting — they hit five wides in 20 minutes.

But Waterford were camped in their own half and couldn’t get out. Meath hit another three wides and notched further scores from impressive corner back O’Connor and Byrne. O’Connor will have a future as a corner-forward, never mind defender, after this impressive display. The game effectively ended as a contest towards the end of the first half. Byrne added another score and O’Brien’s men, blessed with more firepower and artillery, stretched eight points clear at the interval, 0-12 to 0-2, and left John Kiely’s side without a score for half an hour.

The highlight was a booming Sheridan score on the stroke of half time. How they left him off against Dublin for so long is anyone’s guess. Waterford salvaged their pride with a much tighter display in the second half with some fine points by Munster player Liam O’Lionain and Tony Grey and they left Meath frustrated as the game wore on. Had the Decies not imploded midway through the first half this contest would have been much tighter.

As it is, Meath progress with their forwards in better fettle. Late sub Jamie Queeney showed their strength in depth with a late goal but there is still much more to do to get where they want to.

Scorers — Meath: C Ward 0-4 (4f), J Sheridan, C O’Connor, P Byrne 0-3 each, J Queeney 1-0, B Farrell, D Bray (2f), C McGuinness 0-2 each, S McAnarney 0-1; Waterford: W Hennessy (1f), Liam O’Lionain 0-2, T Grey, P Hurney, C McGrath, B Wall 0-1 each.

Meath: P O’Rourke; C O’Connor, A Moyles, E Harrington; S Kenny, C McGuinness, C King; N Crawford, B Meade; P Byrne, J Sheridan, S McAnarney; D Bray, B Farrell, C Ward. Subs: M Burke for P Byrne (h/t), B Regan for C McGuinness (58), S Sheridan for A Moyles (60), J Queeney for S Kenny (62), M Ward for N Crawford (65).

Waterford: T Wall; S Briggs, T O’Gorman, M O’Gorman; E Rockett, L Lawlor, T Grey; S O’Hare, B Phelan; W Hennessy, B Wall, L O Lionain; S Cunningham, G Power, P Hurney. Subs: C McGrath for G Power inj (4), E Walsh for S O’Hare inj (h/t), Ml O’Gorman for S Cunningham (55), J Phelan for C McGrath (63)

Referee: T Quigley (Dublin)