Hat-tricks from Ciara Hurley and Beth Carton secure All-Ireland spots for Waterford

This past weekend much was spoken of the Waterford Minor hurlers, and correctly so. After 21 years, the county reached an All-Ireland final at this age level.

The past weekend however should not be all about the Minors however. We had two other teams that reached All-Ireland Finals this weekend, and they deserve all the praise they can get, as they have put in the same effort, maybe an even greater effort than what the minor hurlers have put in this year.

The first Waterford team to reach an All-Ireland final this past weekend was the counties Under 16 Ladies Football team.

They travelled to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Saturday evening and returned home with an excellent 4-13 to 2-7 victory against Roscommon.

To reach last Saturday’s All-Ireland semi final, Waterford had to play Limerick and Clare in the round robin section of the Munster Championship and recorded good wins over both.

In the Munster Final Waterford took on Clare in Tipperary Town. In the first game between the two sides, Waterford had an easy win but this time around, Waterford found the going much tougher but they did enough to come through.

In Saturday’s game, Waterford were always on top, and opened the scoring inside a minute of the game starting when Lauren McGregor pointed and moments later Molly Curran added a second for the Déise.

Two points up with as many minutes played, Waterford wasted no time in extending their lead to five when Geraldine Power bellowed the net with a well taken goal and they lead went to six when Molly Curran got her second of the game on five minutes.

Ciara Hurley is a name that is unlikely to make it to much of the pages of the National media, but it is one that should be on the lips of many in the Déise after this game as she hit a hat-trick of goals, the first coming in the seventh minute of the game which gave Waterford a nine point lead.

Roscommon however refused to throw in the towel and they got some reward for their efforts when Niamh Feeney and Katie Daly hit points in the eight and eleventh minutes.

Over the following ten minutes, try and they might, both sides could not breach the others defence, however the long spell without a score came to an end on twenty one minutes when Ciara Hurley hammered her second goal of the game when she converted a penalty.

Waterford added another point through Lauren McGregor and after this they went for the kill, attempting a number of times to rattle the Roscommon net but Courtney Mullhall Gibbons in the Roscommon goal did well to keep efforts from Jessica Glavin, Lauren McGregor and Aoife Murray from reaching their intended destination.

Player of the match Ciara Hurley hit her second goal on twenty six minutes when she brilliantly clipped the ball over the head of the advancing Roscommon goalkeeper and into the net.

Liz Devine, a sister of minor hurling star Tom hit a point for Waterford as time in the first half ticked down. In added time at the end of the thirty minutes Rachel Fitzmaurice shot past Róisín Cahillane for a deserved goal for the Rossies for their efforts and Katie Daly got in the score sheet for the second time just before the half time whistle at which time Waterford held a 3-6 to 1-3 lead.

Waterford began the second half as they had the first. Ciara Hurley popped over an early point.

Caitriona O’Brien playing at full back for Waterford denied Roscommon a second goal on thirty-six minutes after she put in a timely intervention and shortly afterwards Waterford went 3-8 to 1-3 up when Liz Devine got her second score of the game.

Roscommon added a brace of points from Rachel Fitzmaurice before Rebecca Finan put the ball into the Waterford net after a high ball into the Waterford defence caused problems in clearing.

Roscommon had cut Waterford’s lead to six, but Waterford wasted no time in extending it to nine with efforts from Lauren McGregor, Aoife Murray and Geraldine Power going between the uprights.

Roisin Cahillane made a good save to deny Roscommon a third goal. Jill Mullooly put a close in free over the Waterford crossbar on thirty minutes, before Liz Devine pointed for Waterford in added time.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Ciara Hurley completed her hat-trick when she again chipped the Roscommon net minder and in the time that remained Liz Devine and Shauna Bannon swapped scores as Waterford ran out easy winners.

Waterford now takes on Meath in the All-Ireland Final. This could well prove to be a very difficult game for Waterford to win, as while the Royal County conceded seven goals in their semi final over the weekend, they hit a very impressive THIRTEEN to run out impressive 13-17 to 7-8 winners over Armagh.

The Waterford panel that travelled to Limerick on Saturday evening was: Roisin Cahillane, Rebecca Casey, Caitriona O Brien, Kate Hahessey, Emma Murray, Megan Dunford, Katie Hayes Caoimhe McGrath, Geraldine Power,  Ciara Hurley, Liz Devine, Jessica Glavin, Molly Curran, Lauren McGregor, Aoife Murray Catherine Hahessey, Katie Murray, Kate McGrath, Dawn Power, Grace Heffernan,  Cadhla McGrath, Aine Power, Lucie O Shea, Shauna Power, Niamh Power, Carrie O’Keeffe, Sinead Flynn, Roisin Curran, Laura Cusack and Denise O Connor

On Sunday afternoon, just as the Waterford Minors were running to the dressing rooms under the Cusack Stand for the half time break, the counties under 16 Camogie team were getting their All-Ireland semi final with Wexford underway at Fraher Field.

Waterford had an impressive journey to the semi finals, recording wins over Westmeath, Derry and Armagh and a drew with Cork, before loosing a play-off with Cork to decide which of the two would top the group after both finished the game on seven points.

With both sides through to the semi finals, the game with Cork mattered little. What was on stake for the winners was avoiding a fancied Wexford side in the semi finals.

When the sides clashed recently at Mahon in Cork, it was the home side that came out on top meaning that Waterford had to play Wexford in the semi finals while Cork would take on Dublin.

Waterford enjoyed much of the early exchanges. Two early chances from play and one from a free went to the wrong side of the posts before Molly Curran one of Waterford’s duel starts put the ball between the uprights from a free on seven minutes.

Wexford’s response was to hit back with points from Una Sinnott and Hayley Murphy but Waterford drew level on twelve minutes when Elizabeth McGrath pointed from a tight angle.

Waterford took the lead for the second time on twenty minutes when Elizabeth McGrath found Beth Carton and the brilliant De La Salle club member turned and fired to the net after gaining control of the sliotar and rattled the Wexford net.

Wexford responded with a point to cut Waterford’s lead, but Waterford continued to press hard at the Wexford’s defence and were unlucky not to have had added a second goal but Beth Carton was through on goal, but the play was called back for a foul on the De La Salle club player and from the resulting free Molly Curran made no mistake putting the ball between the uprights.

With time fast ticking down, Aisling Power was fouled to win a twenty metre free which saw goalkeeper Brianna O’Regan race up field to strike but her powerfully driven shot was brilliantly saved and put out for a forty-five, which Molly Curran converted to give Waterford a 1-4 to 0-3 lead at the break.

Wexford came out for the second half all guns blazing and whatever was said to them at the break obviously had an effect as they hit 1-2 without replay.

Hayley Murphy hit the first score of the second half, a point before Leah Walsh rattled the Waterford net to level matters and then Laura Dempsey gave the visitors the lead for the second time in the game when she put over a point.

Waterford refused to panic and hit back with a second goal from Beth Carton to retake the lead, before Chloe Fox and Olivia Lambert hit points for Wexford to level matters once more.

Beth Carton (remember that name) hit two points for Waterford. The first from a free which she won herself, and the second from play after she was picked out by Jessica Glavin, to send Waterford back in front.

Laura Dempsey responded with a point for Wexford and the Model County could have raised a second green flag moments later, but the Waterford defence did brilliantly to keep the ball out and then to clear it.

Just as in the Ladies Football game on Saturday, Waterford had a player who completed a hat-trick late in the Camogie Game on Sunday when Beth Carton finished to the net after a brilliant run from the half forward line.

Brianna O’Regan was brought up field at the end of the first half to take a free which was saved brilliantly by the Wexford defence, but when the side won a late free in the second half she was again brought forward to strike and she made sure that she would finish the game with her name on the score sheet as she pointed from the forty-five metre line.

After Beth Carton hit the net for the third time for Waterford, there was never any doubt as to what the final outcome of the game would be. However, credit to Wexford, they refused to throw in the towel and were rewarded for their perseverance when they added a late point.

Waterford ran out 3-7 to 1-9 winners and will now play Cork in the final after they beat Dublin at Urlingford.

This will be the fourth meeting of the two sides this year. Waterford won when the two sides clashed in the Munster Final at the Gold Coast earlier this year. When they clashed in the league section of the competition at Mahon the sides had to settle for a share of the spoils and when they played off to see which of the two would top the group after both finished on seven points, it was the rebels that came out on top again at Mahon.

What has happened in the three previous meetings between the sides will be forgotten about when the two sides meet again. It will be an all new game with both sides starting at 0-0 to 0-0 on the score board.

Could we see two Waterford sides, with some players involved in both teams win All-Ireland’s? Maybe we might.

Waterford Camogie Panel: Brianna O Regan, Rachel Donnelly, Sarah Geoghegan, Courtney Healy, Megan Dunford, Roisin Cahillane, Bronwyn Grace, Iona Heffernan, Caoimhe McGrath, Molly Curran, Jessica Glavin, Aisling Power, Niamh Ahearne, Beth Carton, Elizabeth McGrath, Clodagh Glavin, Hannah Murphy Nix, Kate McMahon, Sarah Murray, Ciara Twomey, Emily Power, Catherine Hahessy, Taylor Murray, Sibeal Harney, Saoirse Bonner, Aoife Shanahan, Kayleigh Veale and Sinead O'Brien