Shanahan and team mates delight in Deise win
Centre forward Dan Shanahan was ecstatic with Waterford's historic league win yesterday, but far from taking personal plaudits, he was keen to praise the performances of his team mates during the 0-20 to 0-18 victory over Kilkenny.
"We were definitely the hungrier team and we deserved this win. To beat Kilkenny in Thurles is a dream but we know that it's only the end of April so please God the next two trophies we win will be the big ones," Shanahan admitted.
Seamus Prendergast ensured a two-point gap for Justin McCarthy's side late on in Thurles - something which Shanahan just could not believe after all of the years of heartbreak. The win marked Waterford's first league success since 1963.
"It was pity I didn't get the score myself," Shanahan joked.
"Seamus was outstanding today and he is consistently playing well. As a team, we're consistently playing well and that's a big thing for us."
Despite this historic win, Waterford's players will not be putting their feet up as Shanahan explains.
"With the club championship next week, there is no resting for us. This win was all about the crowd today and there were tears in my eyes at the final whistle," he added.
Veteran player Tony Browne has seen good and the bad days with Waterford, but the number five was delighted that all that hard work had finally paid off.
"We have waited a long time and it's a great day for Waterford hurling. It's over 40 years since we won the league and this team was always capable of winning a national title and although we were knocked at times, we knew today that we were in with a shout," Browne said.
"We are just delighted to beat one of the best hurling teams of all time."
At the start of the second half Kilkenny came back strongly but Waterford certainly dug deep and Browne was happy with this display of determination.
"We dug in hard. This happens to us at times but we proved in the Cork game and throughout the league that when we do go a few points behind, we don't panic.
"I think a little bit of experience with this team is after coming through and when we go four or five points down, we don't panic any more because we know we have great men up front that can knock over a few balls in a couple of minutes."
The taste of victory is always sweet but for 2006 All-Star Browne and his colleagues, today's win was extra special.
"I probably planned on retiring a few years ago but to come back and to get the All-Star last year and now a National League title, we'll keep pushing until we get the big one," the Mount Sion half-back proclaimed.
"We won't lose the run of ourselves (with the celebrations). Lads will enjoy both tonight and tomorrow but we won't get carried away, that's for sure."
