5 in a row for Waterford Ladies Footballers, defeat for the Counties Intermediate Camogie Team and Beth Carton impresses again

Waterford won a fifth successive Munster Intermediate Ladies Football Championship on Saturday afternoon last when they overcame the challenge of Tipperary with three points to spare.

This was the third meeting of the two neighbouring sides this year. The previous two encounters resulted in hard fought victories for Waterford, and this game was also expected to be close and the players on show did not disappoint.

It was Tipperary that began this game the brighter of the two sides, and raced into a very early 1-1 to no score lead, Edel Hanley hitting the point inside a minute of the game starting with Gillian O’Brien rattling the Waterford net two minutes later.

Waterford hit back with a Michelle Ryan point from a free on four minutes, and moments later the Déise side were somewhat unlucky not to have drawn level as a Linda Wall effort came crashing back off the Tipperary cross bar. Points from Shona Curran and Aoife Landers did follow for Waterford to leave the minimum between the sides in the Challengers favour with ten minutes on the clock.

A brace of scores by Gillian O’Brien sandwiched between a Michelle Ryan effort from a free gave Tipperary a 1-3 to 0-4 lead with the game just after the game entered its second quarter.

Both sides were doing well to deal with the sweltering conditions the more the game went on. Shona Curran gave Waterford the lead on twenty three minutes, blasting to the net after she got onto the end of a brilliant Elaine Power pass. This was followed with efforts from Edel Hanley and Michelle Ryan which kept Waterford 1-5 to 1-4 in front.

Tipperary’s centre forward Gillian O’Brien levelled the game with three minutes of the half to play, but Waterford kicked the next two points through Linda Wall and Michelle Ryan to give Waterford a two point lead, but before the break, Patricia Hickey a first half substitute for Kelly Hackett put over a point for Tipperary to leave Waterford 1-7 to 1-6 in front at the break.

In Waterford’s two previous games in the competition, they put in very good performances to ensure victories, and with just the minimum between the sides at the break, Waterford were going to have to make it three in a row of good second half performances if they were to win a fifth successive Provincial title in a row.

It was Tipperary however, that made all the early running in the second half and it was for a while looking as though the Premier County Women would break Waterford’s dominance in this competition in recent years.

Lorraine O’Shea hit an early brace of points to give Tipperary the lead once again and this lead was extended when Gillian O’Brien and Patricia Hickey hit further scores with Elaine Power and Michelle McGrath responding with points for Waterford to leave Waterford trailing 1-11 to 1-9.

A point from Aoife Landers on 42 minutes brought Waterford to within one of Tipperary, but it was followed with efforts from Gillian O’Brien and Patricia Hickey, a score which proved to be the challengers last of the game.

Waterford however were to finish the game the stronger of the two sides.

Aileen Wall, a player who if the All-Starts were to be announced at the end of the provincial championships last weekend would surely secure at least one award for Waterford, crashed the ball to the net nine minutes from time to give Waterford the lead once more. And it was followed with a point from Michelle McGrath which gave Waterford a deserved 2-13 to 1-13 victory after sixty minutes of football.

Waterford: Aimee Jordan; Nora Dunphy, Ann Dunphy, Mary Foley; Roisin Tobin, Grainne Enright, Karen McGrath; Michelle McGrath, Elaine Power; Aoife Landers, Shona Curran, Mairead Wall; Aileen Wall, Michelle Ryan, Linda Wall. Subs: Shauna Dunphy for Shona Curran, Dearbhla Ni hAodha for Mairead Wall.

Scorers: Michelle Ryan 0-4 (4 frees), Shona Curran 1-1. Aileen Wall 1-0, Michelle McGrath, Aoife Landers 0-3 each, Elaine Power, Linda Wall 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Helen Kennedy; Brid Condon, Samantha Lambert, Rachel Kenneally; Anne O'Dwyer Jennifer Grant, Barbara Ryan; Mairead Morrissey, Sheelagh Carew; Lorraine O'Shea, Gillian O'Brien, Niamh Lonergan; Edel Hanley, Kelly Hackett, Aisling McCarthy Subs: Patricia Hickey 0-2 for Kelly Hackett, Katie Lyne for Rachel Kenneally.

Scorers: Gillian O'Brien 1-4, Edel Hanley 0-3(2 Frees), Sheelagh Carew, Lorraine O'Shea, Patricia Hickey 0-2 each.

Referee: Sean Joy (Kerry)

In Camogie, Waterford lost their unbeaten run in this year’s Intermediate Championship when they lost to Limerick in Killeedy.

The first half proved to be a very even affair with the sides retiring at the break 1-8 to 1-8.  However, having made the long trip to Co Limerick inside a bus in what was what surly was the hottest day in a long number of years, took its tool on the Waterford players.

Limerick was first out of the blocks in this game hitting an early point, but it was cancelled out with an effort from Karen Kelly free.

Points from Deirdre Fitzpatrick and Niamh Mulcahy followed to give Limerick the lead once more, but Waterford again responded with another Karen Kelly free.

A Mary O’Callaghan goal for Limerick followed, when a high ball into the Waterford goal mouth was not dealt with properly.

Trailing 1-4 to 0-2, Waterford however, were to finish the half strongly. Karen Kelly struck another point for Waterford and Zoe O’Donoghue hit the Déise’s first goal of the game.

Four points from Trish Jackman and one each from Karen Kelly and Jennie Simpson with the home side hitting one in return had Waterford leading by two with the break fast drawing close.

Limerick who was best served by Niamh Mulcahy on the day hit back with three points, but Zoe O’Donoghue hit a response for the visiting side to send the sides in at the break on level terms.

After the break, the visitors found themselves put under a lot of pressure by the home side.

The brilliant Niamh Mulcahy put over five points inside the opening minutes of the second half for Limerick. Waterford had a chance to reduce Limerick’s lead but Nicola Morrissey saw were effort tail wide of the posts.

The Limerick attacking players were putting Waterford under a lot of pressure and the ball was encamped in the Waterford side of the field for much of the second half.

Limerick hit a further 1-4 before Waterford struck their first score of the second half ten minutes from time when Karen Kelly converted a free following a foul on Nicola Morrissey.

Three more Niamh Mulcahy points followed for the home side which brought their tally on the scoreboard to 2-20, but credit to Waterford, the side refused to throw in the towel and they were rewarded for their perseverance near the end when Trish Jackman saw a high ball which she sent in around the Limerick goal fall into the net.

This win secures Limerick’s passage into the semi finals of this year’s championship as group winners. They have their four games played in the league section of the competition, finishing on six points, but Waterford can join them on six points if they beat Antrim this Saturday at O’Toole Park in Crumlin (1-30pm). A defeat for Waterford in this game will mean that Antrim or Cork will join Limerick in the semi finals from Group one, while a draw would do Waterford if Kilkenny were to beat Cork this weekend.

Meanwhile the County’s Under 16 Camogie team have secured a place in the semi finals of this year’s ‘B’ Championship after they recorded another huge win (5-13 to 2-3), this time over Derry at the Trinity Gaels Club Grounds in North Dublin.

Waterford was again best served by Beth Carton in this game, finishing the game with 2-4 to her name. The De La Salle Club player has been in devastating form this year in the sides wins over Westmeath, Armagh, Derry and the sides draw with Cork, and will surely have caught the eye of the various selection committees of the different awards presented each month. Others to impress in this game were included Molly Curran who hit four points while Elizabeth McGrath, Iona Heffernan and Aisling Power also impressed hitting a goal each.