WATERFORD HURLING MANAGER Derek Mc Grath described his celebrations after Waterford’s assured victory over Cork in the Munster semi-final as a ‘release’.
The Déise overcame a patchy start to claim a fairly comfortable four point victory over their neighbours in Semple Stadium on Sunday, and McGrath says his celebrations were as of a result of pent-up emotion over the last nine months.
“That was just a winter of hurt, discontent and purgatory at the hands of…I won’t say local scribes…there was so much negativity in Waterford between October and January, it all came out there.”
Advertisement
“I think I was entitled to my Paolo Di Canio moment if you like! I still kept the head afterwards, which was the most important thing. I was really delighted with the lads, it was a release.”
McGrath also praised Dan Shanahan’s influence on the team after the Lismore native was constantly seen on the sideline, even inside it at times, barking orders at players and offering constant encouragement.
“I think he thinks he’s playing (Dan). But he’s so affable and so likeable amongst the squad. He’s the only member of our backroom team that has played the game at the highest level.”
I have two championship appearances. We have a hurler of the year and he has several Allstars and is the record goalscorer in Waterford in terms of championship appearances.
Shanahan, left, was right on top of the action in Semple Stadium yesterday. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
Waterford started the game slowly but McGrath insists that it was a mixture of super-charged emotions and high pressure from Cork that caused their early wobble.
McGrath also revealed that a video message from the injured Pauric Mahony had a draining effect on his side too. “Yeah, we had a wobble. I think it came from high pressure from Cork early on, they pushed up on us and we weren’t able to get our game going.”
“I think we were over-structured for the first time this year. I think we were over emotive as well. We watched a video with a message from Pauric Mahony on the bus on the way in and we were drained. I think just with the emotion of it, from players to management, we were drained.”
“Some of our speedier players, our guys who would be known for their fitness, they just looked a bit leggy early on. The emotional knock on of the video had an effect. But it up opened up from there and I thought we were a bit unlucky not to have another goal before half time.”
McGrath’s Waterford side will now meet the winners of the other semi-final between Limerick and Tipperary in the Munster final on 12 July.
Waterford boss has a 'Paolo Di Canio moment' celebrating win over Cork
WATERFORD HURLING MANAGER Derek Mc Grath described his celebrations after Waterford’s assured victory over Cork in the Munster semi-final as a ‘release’.
The Déise overcame a patchy start to claim a fairly comfortable four point victory over their neighbours in Semple Stadium on Sunday, and McGrath says his celebrations were as of a result of pent-up emotion over the last nine months.
“That was just a winter of hurt, discontent and purgatory at the hands of…I won’t say local scribes…there was so much negativity in Waterford between October and January, it all came out there.”
“I think I was entitled to my Paolo Di Canio moment if you like! I still kept the head afterwards, which was the most important thing. I was really delighted with the lads, it was a release.”
McGrath also praised Dan Shanahan’s influence on the team after the Lismore native was constantly seen on the sideline, even inside it at times, barking orders at players and offering constant encouragement.
“I think he thinks he’s playing (Dan). But he’s so affable and so likeable amongst the squad. He’s the only member of our backroom team that has played the game at the highest level.”
Waterford started the game slowly but McGrath insists that it was a mixture of super-charged emotions and high pressure from Cork that caused their early wobble.
McGrath also revealed that a video message from the injured Pauric Mahony had a draining effect on his side too. “Yeah, we had a wobble. I think it came from high pressure from Cork early on, they pushed up on us and we weren’t able to get our game going.”
“I think we were over-structured for the first time this year. I think we were over emotive as well. We watched a video with a message from Pauric Mahony on the bus on the way in and we were drained. I think just with the emotion of it, from players to management, we were drained.”
“Some of our speedier players, our guys who would be known for their fitness, they just looked a bit leggy early on. The emotional knock on of the video had an effect. But it up opened up from there and I thought we were a bit unlucky not to have another goal before half time.”
McGrath’s Waterford side will now meet the winners of the other semi-final between Limerick and Tipperary in the Munster final on 12 July.
‘Into that storm in Tullamore, not to have an extra man back was suicidal’
Here’s the All-Ireland football qualifier first round draw
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
celebrations Munster SHC Dan Shanahan derek mcgrath Cork City Waterford