Up-and-coming Waterford hurling keeper leaves panel

Just weeks before their Munster Championship opener with Clare, Waterford boss Michael Ryan has confirmed that goalkeeper Adrian Power has left the panel.

According to tweets from WLRFM journalist Liz Reddy, Waterford goalkeeper Adrian Power has left the panel. The 24-year-old’s departure leaves manager Michael Ryan with just two keepers in his panel, Stephen O’Keeffe and Ian O’Regan.

Reddy has spoken to Ryan and he has said to her that he is happy to proceed with just two keepers for the rest of the summer. Since Clinton Hennessy retired last year, there has been a three-way battle for the Waterford No 1 shirt.

During the league and in challenge matches the shirt alternated between O’Keeffe and O’Regan but Power played in the vital win over Dublin, the final game in the league and the one that guaranteed their place in Division 1A next season.

There were rumours that Power had walked away back in March but at the time Ryan claimed that it was due to college commitments  - Power attends WIT - that he missed the league game with Kilkenny and he was soon back in the fold.

The Ballyduff Upper man has long been touted as the man to take over the reins from Hennessy but his stellar performances for his college, and his club, have failed to get Power into the Waterford team on a regular basis, under Davy Fitz or Ryan.

It looks like it will be at least one more year before he makes another bid for the coveted shirt too and one of O'Regan or O'Keffe will now get the nod for the game against Clare on June 17.