Waterford to bridge 41-year gap?
May 05, 2004
Can Waterford hurlers bridge a 41-year gap by winning the Allianz League (Division 1) title for the first time since 1963? Or will Galway collect their 8th crown? And who will replace Offaly in Division One next season?
Those are the big questions awaiting answers at the Limerick Gaelic Grounds
next Sunday when the Division One and Two finals will be played.
The 1963 victory represents Waterford's sole League success whereas Galway
will be bidding for their 8th title. Their last success was in 2000 when
they beat Tipperary in the final. It will the first ever League final
meeting between Galway and Waterford.
The Division 2 final also promises to be quite a contest as two unbeaten
sides, Down and Westmeath, battle for the title which also carries the
valuable prize of promotion to Division 1.
Sunday's full line-up in Limerick is as follows:
Div 1 Final: Galway v Waterford (4.00) (Live on TG4)
Div 2 Final: Down v Westmeath (2.15)
GALWAY v WATERFORD - PATHS TO THE FINAL
GALWAY
Galway 1-14 Dublin 2-6 (Parnell Park)
Galway 0-18 Kilkenny 1-12 (Pearse Stadium)
Clare 1-15 Galway 1-12 (Pearse Stadium)
Galway 5-13 Waterford 1-14 (Walsh Park)
Galway 3-22 Laois 1-8 (Pearse Stadium)
Galway 3-13 Cork 1-15 (Pearse Stadium)
Tipperary 2-15 Galway 2-13 (Thurles)
Galway 3-15 Limerick 1-10 (Pearse Stadium)
Played 8, Won 6, Lost 2.
Top Scorers: Eugene Cloonan 8-58; Damien Hayes 3-12; Alan Kerins 3-10.
WATERFORD
Waterford 0-15 Kilkenny 1-10 (Nowlan Park)
Waterford 0-25 Laois 3-11 (Walsh Park)
Waterford 6-17 Dublin 2-12 (Parnell Park)
Galway 5-13 Waterford 1-14 (Walsh Park)
Clare 1-16 Waterford 1-14 (Ennis)
Waterford 1-20 Limerick 4-7 (Walsh Park)
Waterford 0-14 Cork 0-13 (Pairc Ui Rinn)
Waterford 1-22 Tipperary 3-16 (Thurles)
Played 8, Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 2.
Top Scorers: Paul Flynn 5-53; John Mullane 1-21; Dave Bennett 0-21.
Last League Clash
Galway 5-13 Waterford 1-14, Walsh Park (March 21st 2004)
Eugene Cloonan hit 3-7 while Damien Hayes chipped in with 2-1 as Galway
galloped to the easiest of victories in a Division 1A clash. Galway led by
2-10 to 0-6 at the interval and added three more goals against a struggling
Waterford defence.
Galway: L Donoghue; D Joyce, D Cloonan, O Canning; D Hardiman, David Hayes,
F Moore; F Healy, T Og Regan; A Kerins (0-1), D Forde (0-3), D Tierney;
Damien Hayes (2-1), E Cloonan (3-7), R Gantley (0-1).
Subs: D Collins for Moore, A Cullinane for Tierney.
Waterford: I O'Regan; D Coffey, D Prendergast, E Murphy; B Phelan, T Browne,
L Lawlor; M Walsh, D Bennett (0-2); J Kennedy, D Shanahan (0-2), S Ryan; P O
'Brien, P Flynn (1-7), J Mullane (0-3).
Last 4 League Clashes
Galway 5-13 Waterford 1-14 (2004)
Galway 2-17 Waterford 2-13 (2003)
Waterford 1-16 Galway 0-16 (2002)
Galway 2-15 Waterford 1-15 (2000)
Last 5 League Final Appearances
GALWAY WATERFORD
2000 - Galway 2-18 Tipperary 2-131999 - Tipperary 1-14 Galway 1-101997 -
Limerick 1-12 Galway 1-91996 - Galway 2-10 Tipperary 2-81994 - Tipperary
2-14 Galway 0-12 1998 - Cork 2-14 Waterford 0-131963 - Waterford 3-10 New
York 1-10 (replay)1963 - Waterford 3-6 New York 3-6 (draw)1961 - Tipperary
6-6 Waterford 4-91959 - Tipperary 0-15 Waterford 0-7
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE ROLL OF HONOUR (DIV 1)
18 - Tipperary (1928-49-50-52-54-55-57-59-60-61-64-65-68-79-88-94-99-2001)
14 - Cork (1926-30-40-41-48-53-69-70-72-74-80-81-93-98)
11 - Limerick (1934-35-36-37-38-47-71-84-85-92-97)
11 - Kilkenny (1933-62-66-76-82-83-86-90-95-2002-2003)
7 - GALWAY (1932-51-75-87-89-96-2000)
4 - Wexford (1956-58-67-73)
3 - Clare (1946-77-78)
2 - Dublin (1929-39)
1 - Offaly (1991)
1 - WATERFORD (1963)
DOWN v WESTMEATH
Both teams are in great form this year, having managed to remain unbeaten.
Interestingly, the sides have already met this season, with the points
shared in an exciting draw so clearly the sides are very evenly matched. Now
the big question is - who will strike it lucky on Sunday and walk away with
the Division 2 title and a place in Division 1 next year?
It will be special occasion for Westmeath manager, Tom Ryan who is a native
of Limerick, whom he led to Munster championship successes in 1994 and 1996
and to an Allianz Division 1 title in 1997.
PATHS TO THE FINAL
DOWN WESTMEATH
Down 0-15 Derry 1-10Down 1-15 Westmeath 2-12Down 2-16 Kildare 0-19Down 2-23
Roscommon 1-9Down 2-28 Kerry 4-11Down 1-19 Wicklow 2-13Down v Meath*Played
6; Won 5, Drew 1.*(Not played: Down awarded the points) Westmeath 2-11
Kildare 0-16 Westmeath 2-12 Down 1-15Westmeath 3-14 Roscommon 0-9Westmeath
2-13 Derry 2-10 Westmeath 1-25 Wicklow 0-10Westmeath 2-9 Meath 0-10Westmeath
4-21 Kerry 0-9Played 7; Won 6 Drew 1.
THE LAST CLASH
Down 1-15 Westmeath 2-12 (February 29th, 2004)
A late rally by Westmeath earned them a draw in a cracking game at
Ballygalget. The sides were level (1-8 each) at half-time but Down opened up
a 5-point second half lead. However, Westmeath rallied and pointed twice
before Barry Kennedy slammed home the equalising goal in injury time.
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