There is a view abroad that somehow Limerick left last Sunday's Munster final "after them".

This is based on the idea that, with just ten minutes left, there was very little between the teams and that all Limerick needed was the kind of heroic late surge which had been a feature of their games against Tipperary. Indeed, in the build-up to the game on this website, it was repeatedly suggested that, if Limerick could keep in touch until the closing stages, their mental strength in tight finishes would see the prevail over what was perceived as being a flakey Waterford outfit.

The actual evidence provided no support whatever for such wishful thinking. In every game of note they have played this year - including against much better opposition than Limerick - there has been very little between Waterford and their opponents entering the closing stages. And in every one of those games it was Waterford who showed the physical and mental strength required to get over the line with their noses in front.

The second half last Sunday can be divided into three distinct phases as far as the Waterford effort is concerned. In the first six minutes they created no scoring opportunities at all as Limerick made a brave effort to impose themselves on the game. Then, for nine minutes, they created and missed numerous chances. Eoin Kelly and Ken McGrath sent frees wide. In a nightmare patch, Paul Flynn made (another) hames of a sideline cut, took all day to wind up his shot out on the wing and was blocked by Seamus Hickey, and waltzed through the defence twice only to shoot wide and foul the ball before shooting (an extraordinary error for such an experienced player).

There was a time when such a series of setbacks would have caused Waterford heads to go down. However, once Dan Shanahan steadied the ship with his inspirational point from out on the left sideline in the 50th minute,Waterford really cut loose. Limerick strove manfully to stay in the game,but in their eagerness to retrieve the situation they pushed forward and left the gaps at the back which the Déise exploited mercilessly. Leaving Dan Shanahan loose inside the 20-metre line - twice - was suicidal, and Brick Walsh and Seamus Prendergast duly dispatched the killer balls which sent Big Dan in one-on-one on a helpless Brian Murray.

Much has been made by the pundits of Waterford's supposed master stroke in "withdrawing" Eoin Kelly to midfield in the final fifteen minutes. Justin McCarthy doesn't do master strokes. Kelly was moved to midfield as a direct replacement for the injured Jack Kennedy, who had earlier been switched to that area when Kevin Moran was substituted. Waterford continued to play with six forwards, with Eoin McGrath taking Kelly's place in the full forward line. It was up to one of the Limerick midfielders, and not Mark
Foley, to mark Kelly.

One could fault the Limerick management for the way their team lost its shape in the closing stages. However, something similar happened in all their games against Tipperary, the difference this time being that Waterford had the fitness, the experience and the quality to exploit the situation. A more appropriate focus of criticism of Richie Bennis and company relates to their lack of a game plan last Sunday. There is no way Limerick were going to beat Waterford in a point-shooting contest - not even Cork or Kilkenny can do that. You need goals to beat the Déise, as Limerick themselves showed in 2001 and almost showed in 2003.

Last Sunday, Brian Begley appeared to be in fine form, but was starved of good ball - he only made six plays in all (three of which were scores and one of which drew a fine save from Clinton Hennessy). A feature of Limerick's games so far this year is how little we have seen of Andrew Shaughnessy in open play, and last Sunday was no different. The first time Shaughnessy played the ball apart from frees was in the 63rd minute, an even then, the play was made in midfield where little damage could be done. It is hardly rocket science to suggest that Limerick should have concentrated on sending high ball into the edge of the square, with Shaughnessy hanging around to avail of any ball which might have come his way via Begley.

The idea that Limerick forced the pace of the game last Sunday, with Waterford mainly in containment mode, is not supported by the statistics of plays made. In fact, Waterford made more significant plays than Limerick in both halves, for an overall total of 147 to 136. Eight Waterford players (Brick Walsh, Tony Browne, Ken McGrath, Kevin Moran, Dan Shanahan, Eoin Kelly, Stephen Molumphy, and John Mullane) played the ball more than ten times compared with just four for Limerick (Donal O'Grady, Mike O'Brien, Peter Lawlor and Mike Fitzgerald). Brick Walsh was the busiest player on the field, with 17 plays, followed by Donal O'Grady with 16.

Waterford now face into the business end of the championship knowing tha they have yet to be fully extended, which is as they would want it to be. They will have taken particular encouragement from the second half performance of Paul Flynn. Flynn has been plagued by injury over the last two or three years and has rarely played a full game at full throttle i that period. Following his operation late last year, he has only been
gradually getting himself back to match fitness. In the first half last Sunday he was completely anonymous, but he really came into the game after the change of ends, showing the kind of touches which have not been seen from him for years.

This could be the little extra they require to finally go all the way.


Paul Flynn ... eye on the ball...