By Cian O'Connell

Having lost six players from his 2017 Championship panel, Tom McGlinchey remains well and truly aware of the challenges facing the Waterford footballers.

A year ago Waterford came within a whisker of causing a southern shock against Cork. Since then, though, injuries and player unavailability have caused Waterford some problems.

Building on that defiant display against Cork was the mission for 2018. “That was the hope," McGlinchey says. "They say a week is a long time in politics. Well, six month is a long time in football because the Cork game, six of the first team aren’t available to me now.

"Four very serious long term injuries, and two guys not available for one reason or another. And they would have started this year, but again it gave a chance to me to bring in new players. The League was disappointing because we had hoped to build on the Cork game from last year and it obviously it didn’t work out."

A May 19 Semple Stadium tussle against Tipperary beckons for Waterford. "We’ll see how we get on, on the 19th, but it’s going to be very difficult.

"We are starting with practically 50 per cent of  new panel and it’s going to be hard to bring them up to the standard that’s required for senior inter county."

Waterford only managed one draw and a win from their Allianz League campaign. "Division Four it is hard to get that momentum going," McGlinchey admits.

"I suppose Carlow did it this year. If you actually sit back and analyse Carlow the last couple of years they were kind of in this position, always kind of fifth, sixth, seventh in the table.

"Last year they had a bit of a run and they brought that forward to this year and I suppose you can see now they qualified, but for us, Waterford, it’s harder every year."

McGlinchey wants Waterford to accomplish their summer mission by winning a Championship match this year. We just want to win a game, it doesn't matter who it is," McGlinchey remarks.

"Obviously if it is Tipperary it would be a scalp, but it is all about winning a game. The good thing about last year is we got a performance against Cork, people spoke about it for a couple of days afterwards which was great for the players.

"That is what we are hoping for this year, to put up a good performance againt Tipperary and see how the year pans out after that."