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Liam Cahill admitted that his team simply couldn’t live with Limerick after Ireland’s final defeat on Sunday at Croke Park.
Waterford appeared in the final for the second time in four years, but once again they faced a county at the top of their game.
Déise would have been happy to be just three down at halftime after scoring three quick points late in the first half.
Earlier, Stephen O’Keeffe had made a brilliant double save to prevent Kyle Hayes and later Cian Lynch from finding the net.
But Limerick still looked comfortable as the second half progressed, and when Cahill’s men started looking for a goal themselves, Treaty City’s men were able to keep the score going with points to claim their second crown in just under 28. months.
“A really difficult day,” Cahill told RTÉ Sport after the match. “Limerick was really good for their victory. A powerful team.
“We picked a bad day to lose our consistency, our choices and decisions on the ball. But that was mainly due to the pressure we were playing under as well, the way Limerick was attacking us.
“Massive congratulations to Limerick. They are a really good team and I think today they would have been a real test for any opponent.”
“Limerick brings such a game plan that they have so many options and so many guys to watch out for. They are creating an overlap and when you focus so much on them it is very difficult to implement your own style of play.”
Waterford had their chances of scoring but Nicky Quaid lived up to whatever was thrown at them and Tadhg de Búrca’s loss with a leg injury in the second quarter was certainly a serious blow.
Despite a 2020 in which they exceeded most expectations, Cahill still said the result was difficult to accept.
“We came today to have a real cut. I know that today’s score at the end was not pretty, but they gave it their all.
“Watching from the line, they emptied their stomachs to try to hold on and do the right things. It wasn’t from lack of trying today, we just ran into superior opposition.”
“It’s (the locker room) a pretty crude place right now.”
With 2020 being such an unusual season and hoping in GAA circles that the competition format will return to normal for next year, Cahill says he is determined to show that his run to the finals was not a flash. in the pan.
“We would like to think we made a great progression this year, but the real test for us will be next year, and how can we build on that and make sure our progression stays on an upward curve.
“It’s a job for me and the management team to get down to business early next year and try to find a couple of new players again so we have more options.
“Looking at our whole strength and conditioning side as well to make sure that we can improve physically and be able to match players like Limerick and other counties that are so physical in the modern game.
“A great job ahead, but a good year and a good experience for many of today’s players.”
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