Waterford are through to the All-Ireland SHC quarter-final stage after a breathless win over Galway at Semple Stadium.
The Deise looked to be coasting as Jack Fagan’s goal helped them to a 12-point half-time lead, but a red card to Conor Gleeson began to catch up with the Munster men late on. Joe Canning broke the all-time scoring record with his haul of 0-9, but his clever assists for two Jason Flynn goals in injury time almost brought Galway back from the dead.
It was too little too late, however, as three late scores from Stephen Bennett kept Waterford’s noses just in front.
With both sides struggling for form coming into this clash, Liam Cahill’s men hit the ground running.
The game began at breakneck speed with 16 points going over the bar from 21 efforts in the opening quarter.
Waterford led by 0-9 to 0-7 but it could have been more, only for Austin Gleeson getting caught in two minds before firing a tame attempt at the keeper on 15 minutes.
Conor Whelan was the only Tribe forward making any impression as he darted across the half-forward line to hit 0-3, repeating both his and his teammates’ form from the Dublin loss.
Meanwhile, the Deise half-back line sauntered through the first half as Calum Lyons and brothers Shane and Kieran Bennett hit 0-5 between them.
Jack Prendergast, Patrick Curran and Fagan interchanged, and each put the umpire to work before the interval.
The key moment came on 32 minutes when a long sideline was cut towards Dessie Hutchinson, who fed Curran to then pass the parcel on to Fagan. The Meath native fired to put Waterford 0-9 ahead as they outscored Galway in the second quarter by 1-9 to 0-2.
Canning was struggling to get a ball on the inside line, and went in at half-time favouring his shoulder.
Waterford spent an age in the dressing-room at the interval, but referee Sean Stack stood firm and issued a red card to defender Conor Gleeson when they finally returned - suggesting he had struck the Portumna man.
With 12 points to make up, it offered a sliver of hope to Galway and manager Shane O’Neill, whose native Limerick had come from ten behind to beat Tipp a week earlier.
It didn’t change the flow of the game, however, as Austin Gleeson and the returning Jamie Barron found the mark, while Peter Hogan and Fagan helped themselves to scores.
By 54 minutes, Waterford were 16 points to the good, with little sign of a comeback.
Yet that’s precisely what happened as the Tribe went on a run of 3-8 to 0-5 in the final quarter 0 with the substitutes nailing 2-5.
Cathal Mannion hit the first goal after moving inside, and then Canning set up Flynn for the others.
A valiant attempt, but the Deise march on.
