NHL Division 1 Final: Kilkenny vs. Waterford

Daysha

Predictions anyone?

Even as a Waterford man its hard seeing Kilkenny lose this one. Waterford need all their main players playing at the top of their game and then hope the KK defence have an off day. Should be a great game though, looking forward to it. Its not often anymore that these two play each other.

While on that note, I remember reading Martin Breheny from the Indo i think saying how on their day, Waterford can beat anyone, "except Kilkenny". Surely thats a bit harsh. I'm pretty sure this is the teams first meeting in any competition since the AI Semi Final of 2004, and before that the last time the teams met in the Championship was at the same stage in 1998. I dont think he can make such a statement going by 2 Championship matches in the past 9 years.

Anyone in the top 9 can beat anyone. Sure havent Kilkenny already drawn with Dublin and lost to Tipperary this season? If only such results could be transferred into the Championship

Kojak

deise59 wrote:

While on that note, I remember reading Martin Breheny from the Indo i think saying how on their day, Waterford can beat anyone, "except Kilkenny". Surely thats a bit harsh. I'm pretty sure this is the teams first meeting in any competition since the AI Semi Final of 2004, and before that the last time the teams met in the Championship was at the same stage in 1998. I dont think he can make such a statement going by 2 Championship matches in the past 9 years.

I wouldnt pass too much remarks of Breheny, if I was you. He always wants to try to "stir the sh1t" when, in fact, all he does is say the same thing over and over again i.e Hurling is dying etc.

As regards the final today, it has the makings of an excellent game. The last time Waterford reached the league final, they got beaten by a poor Galway team. IMO, the biggest problem for Waterford that day was the fact that they had a Munster championship match against Clare the following week, and I believe they were caught in 2 minds as to what to do for the league final. Today, they dont have that concern and they can go at the match "hammer and tongs".

If its a high scoring game, I think Waterford have a very good chance (they always seem to play well when the scores are high), but if its a tight defencive type game, they could struggle. One thing that was interesting during the week was the inclusion of Henry Shefflin on the starting 15. I know he is KK captain for the year, but I still think that Cody is anxious of this match when he throws on Shefflin onto a team that reached the final without him.

Still, I think that Kilkenny will pull away from Waterford in the final 10 minutes and win by 4 or 5 points.

deisedevil

Two very contrasting statements coming from both camps.

Mcarthy: "It's not the be all and end all for us. It's only the month of April, let's see what the team is doing in July. We'll take this one in our stride,"

"Sunday puts us against the best team in the game and is a great experience for some of our younger players. But the league final is not going to make or break our season just as it didn't three years ago."


Fogarty(Kilkenny selector): "We didn't make a good start in this year's League, but it goes to show how seriously our players take the competition that they qualified straight for the semi-finals."

Written in Sunday Independent: "You'll never hear Brian Cody under-selling the League even if Kilkenny's season will definitely be judged on the championship. In fact, he never talks about the championship at this time of year. April is League final month and that's all that matters for Cody. When it's over he moves on. "


Mcarthy has made a mistake with those comments. It doesn't matter what you say to the players privately after saying that publicly. He's basically saying the League is no indication of what Waterford will do in the championship, what about forgetting about the championship, which isn't until 17th of June for us, and concentrating on this match for what it is, a national final, something we haven't won in 44 years and not treat it as an indication of anything else. No matter how much players put thise kind of thoughts out of their heads that will be in the back of their minds "we don't care about this, win lose or draw we're only waiting for June anyways" Players should be given no safety net whatsoever and no excuses. He should be coming out publicly with a message that we are all out to win this final and we are well up for it, no excuses after and no fall back for players, win or bust! I only pray he has a much different attitude in the dressing room and has the players breaking hurleys off the walls before they get on the field today, beating Kilkenny in a league final would give these players much needed belief, i think this match today is of huge significance no matter what Mcarthy has told the media!

pp_me129

Half time score: Waterford 11-9 Killkenny:D

Sully

Expected KK to do better..

Final score: Waterford 20-18 Kilkenny.

pp_me129

COMON DE Déise!!!:)

Kojak

Great result today for Waterford, and for hurling in general. Nice to see I was wrong about my prediction for today

There was some poor wides by both sides (especially Waterford in the first half), but they were creating the chances - Waterford should won by more. What I am trying to say is that there were a good bit ahead of KK, yet Kilkenny had a few goal chances that could have changed the balance of the match.

Everyone was saying that Waterfords' "big names" had to stand up if they were going to win, and Ken McGrath did just that. But I thought the 2 young lads, Aidan Kearney and Stephen Molumphy were excellent in their overall play. Molumphy worked tirelessly in the midfield while Kearnery was a close second for man-of-the-match, IMO.

From the point of view of the All_Ireland championship, I believe that Waterford shouldn't think that because they have won the league, that the All-ireland will come easily. However, if they keep themselves grounded after this (ther big worry is that they make this league title "their all-ireland") then they would be second favourites for Liam McCarthy.

Once again, well done to Waterford.

applehunter

At last they win something.

It will make our win over them in the Munster semi final even more sweet.

Flukey

It is great to see Waterford win a national title after so many years. John F. Kennedy, or Jack Kennedy, as his family knew him, was US President when they last won the league, in 1963. Jack Kennedy was the name of the first scorer in today's match.

Daysha

Holy god that was something else! Just returned from Semple Stadium and I’m over the moon. 44 years is a long time regardless of the competition. I don’t think it can be underestimated how much of a psychological boost this is for Waterford hurling. To keep Kilkenny goalless in a near Championship pace game is quite an achievement. We know if we are ever going to finally win an All Ireland chances are we’ll have to beat Kilkenny some point on the way and this could do wonders for their confidence.

For me, man of the match was Declan Prendergast, with Aidan Keirney, Clinton Hennessy and Ken McGrath behind him. It was a master stroke on the selectors part to put Prenderast on Shefflin as he kept him quite right through the match, in particular the first half. When the greatest player in hurling blasts a 21’ free in front of the goal wide you know he’s been rattled. He did find more space in the 2nd half but his shooting was pretty mediocre.

Clinton was brilliant aswell. His fantastic flick/save from Shefflin near the end of the 1st half was vital, and we now have a settled goalkeeper and a full back line who feel confident with him behind them.

And to all those who say Waterford are not consistent enough to win an All Ireland. Well beating Tipp, Cork and Kilkenny in a row in the space of 5 weeks scoring 1-19, 1-20 and 0-20 respectively is pretty consistent.

JHMEG

Tony Browne quoted on the RTE website as saying "'We are just delighted to beat one of the best hurling teams of all time."

I presume he was misquoted and really said "'We are just delighted to be one of the best hurling teams of all time.":)

Hats off to Waterford. They deservered the win. The lads around midfield, especially the new lads, worked like trojans. And Waterford have a goalkeeper that they can be proud of, very proud of. No other keeper, Cummins and Fitzhenry included, would have had the balls to pull off the stuff Clinton Hennessy did today.

BIG-SLICK-POKER

It all stems down to this flag and what it means to us , I sat and watched this game from the throw in In Thurles , Waterford support out numbered Kilkenny by about 4-1 from where i sat , The emotions were high 44 years waiting for this , It might not mean alot to the cats but by god did it mean alot to us , Emotions ran high after the game behind me stood a man mare than 60 years old Crying in celebration for the Deise and i stood there Proud to be a Waterford Man ,

I go to all the Games and this was as good as winning a Munster Title to me , The support the Buzz the feeling , Every Point roared on by The Support which is always there through Thick and thin , We deserved this Victory over our rivals , But have no doubt the Cats will be better and more dangerous by this , What more do they need but a wake up Call before a championship and they will come out with all Guns Blazing

On our Day we can challenge anyone , Ken Mc Grath (Superb) Seamus Prendergast (Myman of the match) Paul Flynn (The difference ) Eoin mc grath (proved he should be in ) Eoin Kelly (as good as Shefflin from frees ) Moments like this are always Rememberred but they can be overshadowed hopefully by Winning the Championship , We only Proved today the team is right for once , Now go out and Prove it this summer

Well done lads for bringing home this NHL Title , I saw history today and hopefully it was only Warm up to the summer ... There is no reason that we can go on from here ... In My opinion Clinton Hennessy has made the differnce behind the sticks we are a complete unit now and a force to be reckoned with this year have no doubt we will be there or there abouts and fight to the very final whistle ...



"We are here to challenge this year ,and challenge we will "

redspider

Congratulations to Waterford on their NHL title. You've been knocking on the door a few years now and its good to see you break through at this level and claim the scalp over KK. There is an All-Ireland title in the team if things pan out. KK and Cork, the usual suspects will be the main barriers, and although you may not make it this year, there is always next year. Well done, a much deserved title.

Redspider

Carrickman

Well done to Waterford!

gucci

well done waterford. and a well done to my own native rossies for winning division 3 over sligo!! i know its a "minor" title but they have come on very well this year and hopefully have a good nicky rackard campaign, and im delighted mervyn connnaughton a long time servent of roscommon hurling got to captain his side to a national title. pity the footballers couldnt make it a double on the day in cavan

DUB

Delighted for Waterford, they've been one of the most exciting teams of the last 5 years and it's great to see them win a national title. Seem to have found a good keeper and a solid full back line at last, some very exciting new players in there as well. Carney was fantastic in the final. Hope they can go on to better things in September.

Good win for Laois as well in a very disappointing Div 2 final, when is the play off v Limerick for division 1 status?


Other then that very happy with Dublin performance in Division 1, I left Parnell Park walking on air after the Kilkenny and Galway matches, just such a shame about the scheduling mess at the end, how amateur players are expected to play three away games in a week is beyond me. The loss of O'Reilly for the season isa huge blow but we're in division one next year and that's going to be a much better league then this years format with 8 games - 4 at home compared to this years 2 home games.