Correct. Anytime, the discussion comes up about which was the year that Waterford really missed their big chance, 2002, 2004, 2007 etc, I always say - the very first year 1998.
If you look at that Offaly team in 1998 All Ireland Final, Kevin Kinahan, Hubert Rigney, Brian Whelehan, Kevin Martin, Johnny Dooley and John Troy were all on the Offaly team that Waterford beat in 1992 U21 final.
Kilkenny had a very moderate team in 1998. Waterford for a lot of that semi final were suffering from stage fright on their first apperance in Croke Park in 35 years since 1963. They eventually got going late in the game, clawed back nearly all the deficit but came up 1 point short. If it had gone on for a few more minutes, I reckon Waterford would have won it. They wouldn’t have had any hang ups in the final about facing Offaly.
I was at that game, Galway played in the minor that day.
My abiding memory was the size of the Waterford crowd. A huge missed opportunity for Waterford. Started playing when the jig was nearly up. Kilkenny were lunging for the finish line against a superior side.
Waterford annihilated Galway in the QF that year. I remember going up to Croke Park with a lot of youthful optimism. I think it was race week. There must have been around 500 there from Galway. And about 15k from Waterford. In hindsight, the subsequent rinsing was inevitable.
Sometimes the ‘easiest’ time to win is first time up when there are no real psychological hang ups.
Having said that 2017 was a glorious opportunity. Galway were wobbling big time in the second half when Waterford could have seized the initiative.
The age profile of that Waterford panel was unreal when you look back on it with the majority 21-27. Sub-consciously they thought they’d ‘made it’ by performing relatively well in an All Ireland Final and they didn’t put the work in for 2018 and 2019 which were two wasted years with most players in their prime.
I was in Ardkeen that day waiting to get my tonsils out. Started bawling my eyes out (9 years of age) at final whistle. Operation didn’t go ahead cause I had throat infection. Shit day all round. Nearly sure there was a hoax bomb scare in the hospital as well to top it off.
Was the same age myself and in Croke Park on the day, naively though after 96&97 wins over Offaly and Kilkenny at that time were the norm, how wrong I was!
goal from Niall Maloney off of a mishit DJ Carey free.