Waterford boss Peter Queally praised super sub Patrick Curran after a dramatic comeback win over fourteen man Dublin boosted their promotion prospects.
Two more victories against Westmeath and Offaly will fire the Déise back to Division 1A for 2026.
Curran’s last minute goal, along with eleven Stephen Bennett points, saw the home team turn a five point deficit into a two point win before 5,481 fans.
Speaking after the game, Waterford boss Queally said: “He has been positioned around the middle of the field the last couple of years and out around half forward,”
“We’ve put him back inside and he’s reliving his earlier days of playing in there. He really enjoys it. He showed his predatory instincts today.”
Dublin manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin conceded defeat in the race for top flight hurling.
He admitted: “We’re realistically not in the mix for promotion I think. In the context of going up, it was do or die.
“That’s how we approached it after last weekend. It just killed that as far as we’re concerned.”
Cian O’Sullivan went from hero to zero for the Dubs as his straight red on 66 minutes, for a high tackle on Mark Fitzgerald, proved a game changer. His 2-2 from play had left the visitors five points up with ten to go.
Ó Ceallacháin refused to be drawn on the dismissal afterwards. The Dublin boss added: “There’s no point in me saying anything.
“There was more than that incident in this game today. It’s hard to understand certain things you know.
“The reality is we’ve spent too much time on the pitch over the last few weeks with fourteen men.”
The Walsh Park faithful erupted when Patrick Curran collected a Stephen Bennett cross and rattled the bottom corner for the equalising goal.
A helter skelter finish followed. Dónal Burke won a free off the puckout and put the visitors back in front. Jamie Barron levelled as four additional minutes flashed up.
Managers Queally and Ó Ceallacháin were both shown yellows as the tension rose. Bennett nailed a monster free before Curran got the insurance score. 1-2 from the super sub.
But Queally was delighted with the victory.
He concluded: “It’s a big relief to us to get the result and still be in the league with two more rounds to go. If we hadn’t won today, we were mathematically out of the promotion race.”
Injuries continue to concern Queally as Michael Kiely departed in the first half with a suspected calf problem.
Iarlaith Daly cried off in the warm-up with a groin injury while his brother Carthach is out for eight weeks with a hamstring problem.
Tadhg De Burca and Austin Gleeson are due to return on March 22 for the home tie with Offaly.
Waterford 1-23
Dublin 2-18
Waterford: S O’Brien; C Ryan, C Prunty, I Kenny; P Leavey, M Fitzgerald 0-1, M Kiely; C Sheahan, K Bennett 0-2; S Bennett 0-11 8fs 1 65, J Barron 0-1, P Hogan 0-1; D Hutchinson 0-3, P Fitzgerald 0-1, K Mahony.
Subs: G Fives 0-1 for Kiely (25), J Prendergast for P Fitzgerald (HT), D Lyons for Sheahan (52), P Curran 1-2 for Mahony (55).
Dublin: E Gibbons; J Bellew, D Lucey, P Smyth; D Gray, C Crummey, P Doyle; C Donohue 0-3, B Hayes; C Ó Ríain, D Burke 0-8fs, F Whitely 0-3; R Hayes, B Kenny 0-1, C O’Sullivan 2-2.
Subs: S Currie for Ó Ríain (43), C Currie for Kenny (47), K Burke for Doyle (49), D Ó Dúlaing 0-1 for R Hayes (55), J Hetherton for B Hayes (74)
Referee: S Hynes (Galway)
