Back to back titles keep Waterford in the frame

Waterford made it two wins from three games in this year’s second division of the Irish Daily Star National Camogie League when they beat Wexford at Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon, with four points to spare.

The home side in this game fully deserved their victory and were always on top, apart from a few minutes early in the second half when the Model County Ladies hit some crucial scores which looked as if they were going to make a game of things.

While the Fraher Field playing surface had dried out considerably from the recent game between Waterford and Cork at the venue, the surface was not ideal to good hurling been played, and at times when the ball was played along the ground at times just as a player would attempt to pick the ball it would bobble at the last moment making things somewhat difficult for players on both sides.

Waterford raced into an early lead when Jennie Simpson pointed on two minutes. Three minutes later Waterford were unlucky not to have further stretched their lead when a Karen Kelly free dipped at the last second and Deirdre Colfer in the Wexford goal did well to keep it from creeping in under her cross bar, but when the ball fell to Nicola Morrissey she say her effort go narrowly wide.

Jennie Simpson extended Waterford’s lead on nine minutes when she got her second score of the game.

On the quarter of an hour mark Cait Doyle had a good chance to put Wexford in front when she won the ball in front of the goal but her tamely hit shot was easily saved by Deirdre Brennan in the Waterford goal.

Points from Shona Curran and Karen Kelly quickly followed to give Waterford a four point advantage on seventeen minutes, a lead that was extended to six when Deirdre Fahy and then the impressive Lorraine Bray hit points in quick succession.

Wexford up to this point had barely tested the Waterford defence but on 20 minutes they had a good chance when Mary Sinnott had a chance but Deirdre Brennan once again dealt with her effort comfortably.

The Model County side hit their first score of the game on twenty five minutes when Aoife Shiel pointed and seconds later Lorraine Bray shot just wide.

Cait Doyle and Karen Kelly exchanged scores inside a minute of each other and one minute from the break Deirdre Colfer once again did well to smother a ground stroke effort from Lorraine Bray who was causing plenty of trouble in the Wexford full back line.

Waterford however did manage to add to their tally on the scoreboard before the break when Deirdre Fahy pointed after some excellent work by Lorraine Bray.

Trailing 0-8 to 0-2 at the break, Wexford came out for the second half a much different side and looked as if they were going to make a game of things.

Margaret Byrne pointed three minutes after the restart and second later the same player made no mistake whipping on a low ball in from the wing and planted it in the Déise net.

Points from Karen Kelly from a free and then Nicola Morrissey from open play gave Waterford a 0-10 to 1-3 lead at the end of the third quarter, but from here on in Waterford were on top throughout.

Deirdre Fahey was unlucky not to have rattled the Wexford net eleven minutes from time, Deirdre Colfer for the third time did well to deny the Déise attackers the chance of having a green flag waved, but Karen Kelly was on hand and she made no mistake in putting the ball between the uprights to give Waterford a 0-12 to 1-3 lead.

Margaret Byrne put over a free for Wexford nine minutes from time but it was quickly cancelled out by an effort from Jennie Simpson.

It was the visitors that hit the last two scores of the game, both from Aoife Shiel very late in the game, but there was never any real chance that they would get the scores that would get them something from this game.

Waterford: Deirdre Brennan; Emma Hannon, Fiona Morrissey, Vicky Falconer; Jenny McCarthy, Charlotte Raher, Mairead Murphy; Shona Curran, Jennie Simpson; Deirdre Fahey, Nicola Morrissey, Laura Buckley; Lorraine Bray, Karen Kelly, Zoe O’Donoghue. Subs; Clare Murphy for Lorraine Bray, Sarah Coughlan for Zoe O’Donoghue, Valerie O’Brien for Deirdre Fahey, Nicola Fitzgerald for Emma Hannon.

Scorers: Karen Kelly 0-4 (2 frees), Jennie Simpson 0-3, Deirdre Fahy, Nicola Morrissey 0-2 each, Shona Curran, Lorraine Bray 0-1 each.

Wexford: Deirdre Colfer; Amy Dillon, Niamh O’Connor, Emma Lacey; Róisín Murphy, Margurette Doyle, Emma O’Connor; Rachel Colfer, Bridget Curran; Mary Sinnott, Aoife Shiel, Mairead Sheehan; Cait Doyle, Bridin Doyle, Margaret Byrne. Sub: Nancy Dunphy for Mairead Sheehan.

Scorers: Margaret Byrne 1-2, Aoife Shiel 0-3, Cait Doyle 0-1.

Referee: Donal Leahy.

Waterford: Deirdre Brennan; Emma Hannon, Fiona Morrissey, Vicky Falconer; Jenny McCarthy, Charlotte Raher, Mairead Murphy; Shona Curran, Jennie Simpson; Deirdre Fahey, Nicola Morrissey, Laura Buckley; Lorraine Bray, Karen Kelly, Zoe O’Donoghue. Subs; Clare Murphy for Lorraine Bray, Sarah Coughlan for Zoe O’Donoghue, Valerie O’Brien for Deirdre Fahey, Nicola Fitzgerald for Emma Hannon.

Scorers: Karen Kelly 0-4 (2 frees), Jennie Simpson 0-3, Deirdre Fahy, Nicola Morrissey 0-2 each, Shona Curran, Lorraine Bray 0-1 each.

Wexford: Deirdre Colfer; Amy Dillon, Niamh O’Connor, Emma Lacey; Róisín Murphy, Margurette Doyle, Emma O’Connor; Rachel Colfer, Bridget Curran; Mary Sinnott, Aoife Shiel, Mairead Sheehan; Cait Doyle, Bridin Doyle, Margaret Byrne. Sub: Nancy Dunphy for Mairead Sheehan.

Scorers: Margaret Byrne 1-2, Aoife Shiel 0-3, Cait Doyle 0-1.

Referee: Donal Leahy.

Irish Daily Star – Division 2 Group 2 League Table

Limerick          3          3          0          0          +39      6

Galway            3          2          0          1          +21      4

Waterford       3          2          0          1          +3        4

Meath             3          2          0          1          -4         4

Antrim             3          0          0          3          -21       0

Wexford          3          0          0          3          -38       0

Next Fixtures: Sunday March 31

Meath V Galway

Limerick V Waterford

Antrim V Wexford (Saturday March 30)

Venues and times to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Waterford are Munster Under 16 ‘B’ Camogie champions for 2013 after they beat Cork comprehensively (3-10 to 0-4) at the Gold Coast Grounds. It was also announced today that Waterfords Munster Minor 'B' Camogie Final fixed for Buttervant on Monday is off, after the Kerry County Board conceeded the fixture.