The writing was on the wall from early on in the game but Waterford ensured there would be no surprises in the end with a comprehensive win over Galway in the Bord Gais Energy U21 All-Ireland Hurling Final.
This is their first All-Ireland U21 title since 1992 and the Deise were sublime from the start. Towering performances from Austin Gleeson, Patrick Curran and Shane Bennett inspired the Munster side to victory but it was a second half goal from Stephen Bennett that was the real exhibition moment.
A perfectly weighted long ball into the Galway defence was caught by Bennett and he struck on the spin to riffle the sliotar past Galway keeper Cathal Tuohy from well outside the big rectangle.
What a joy they are to watch! @DeiseHurling #BGEU21 #gaa pic.twitter.com/eFMLjH7o7x
— Marcas Ó Callanáin (@MOCallanain) September 10, 2016
To Galway's credit, they put up a resistance in the face of impending defeat. After heading in at the half-time break trailing by 3-10 to 0-06, they took the early initiative after the restart. Points from Conor Whelan and Eanna Burke reduced the deficit to eight points at one stage but the ambush was short lived.
In addition to Stephen Bennett's effort for goal of the year, his brother Shane also found the net earlier on with a beautiful piece of individual skill to slip the ball into the net.
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