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Derek McGrath: 'I'm absolutely thrilled'

Wexford v Waterford - GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final

Wexford v Waterford - GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final

By John Harrington

Waterford manager Derek McGrath was thrilled with this team’s victory over Wexford in today’s All-Ireland SHC Quarter-Final.

He admitted he had been ‘terrified’ by the challenge of facing this Wexford team, and was proud of the way his team dealt with it.

“Delighted,” said McGrath after the match. “Absolutely thrilled to be a in a third semi-final in a row. So I think we are justifiably a top four team. If we are anything more I am not sure.

“I think we’ve recovered well from the Cork loss. Just terrified of this game. Because I was listening to Lee Chin speaking during the week and saying that every word Davy said was gold.

“And I just felt they were a really together, focussed team. And I knew what was coming. So proud of our team to be in a third consecutive semi-final. Hopefully we can take the next step the next day.”

Kevin Moran’s goal very late in the first-half gave Waterford a five-point buffer at the break, and McGrath agreed it was one of the game’s most decisive moments.

“Yeah, because until then we knew how it was going,” he said. “It was a classic case of they have seven and we have seven (defenders) and who is going to break first in terms of a tit-for-tat approach.

“Sometimes if you push your extra man up on their extra man it is a five on five situation at the other side and there is acres of space.

“So I am proud of the lads in terms of how we kept our shape..our use of Daragh Fives in particular in the first half. It was obvious with Podge Doran he was not only going to try and discommode Noel in the air but he was going to try and discommode Tadgh as well.

“So that was a crucial score in the game, that goal, because it was the first time there was a chink of space in behind and I felt Kevin took it well for a guy that is not renowned for goal scoring.”

Wexford v Waterford - GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final

Wexford v Waterford - GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final

There was one cloud on McGrath’s horizon after the match, and it was a dark one – Tadhg De Búrca’s second-half red-card that could rule him out of the All-Ireland Semi-Final.

McGrath said he didn’t see the incident that led to the Waterford sweeper’s dismissal, but admitted De Búrca would be a massive loss if he is suspended.

“I didn’t see it,” said McGrath. “What I will put on record is that Tadhg has been central to everything we have done well over the last four years. Made his debut at wing in 2014 and has been hugely central to how we play and what we have done.

“He is a purist, an absolute purist in his approach. I will have to see it and then we will leave due process take its course.

“It would be massive. It would be a huge blow. It would probably change things. I probably haven’t thought about it in terms of what has happened.

"I didn’t speak to him about it, I just got word from the fourth official that it was a possible red. That was the transmission coming through the radio on the sideline.”