Debuts on Waterford and Clare teams for NFL Opener

Waterford and Clare play their first competitive games of the year this coming Sunday when the two clash in the first round of this year’s Allianz National Football League at Fraher Field.

Both sides in the past would have used the McGrath Cup as a guide to give an indication as to where they are at, but as the two sides along with Tipperary and Limerick opted not to take part in this years competition as a protest against the Munster Council making the Senior Football Championship a seeded competition, ensuring that it almost certain that both Cork and Kerry are guaranteed a place in the Provincial Final.

However, while both sides have had no competitive games, the respective managers Niall Carew and Colm Collins have used the time since returning to training before Christmas to play a number of Challenge games, meaning that both sides will not be going into the game this weekend as ‘cold teams’.

The Banner-men travel to Dungarvan with three players in their selected starting team set to make their debut.

Pierce De Loughrey who was part of the Cratloe team that won a first Clare County Senior Football Championship will have the number one on his back. The other players set to be handed their debut by Colm Collins are Martin O’Leary of the Kilmihil club and Jamie Malone from Corofin both of whom are named in the corner forward positions.

The Full-back line is completely reshaped from Clare’s last competitive game as Kevin Hartnett is set to start at full back flanked by Dean Ryan and Martin McMahon, who switches corners from Clare’s defeat against Laois in last years All-Ireland qualifiers. Laurence Healy and Gordon Kelly are the players that miss out.

There is a complete new half back line with Enda Coughlan, Shane Hickey and Martin Murphy named in the number five to seven positions, replacing Declan Callinan, John Hayes and Graham Kelly

There is a familiar look to the pairing in the middle of the field with Gary Brennan and Cathal O’Connor set to start.

Shane McGrath survives in the half forward line from the defeat against Laois last July where he will have Shane Brennan and Sean Collins playing along side him. David Tubridy completes the starting fifteen and is named at full forward.

Twelve months ago when the two sides clashed at Milton-Malbay it was Waterford that returned home with a win and some have them down as favourites to win this year as well.

Last year Waterford had a very poor league campaign loosing four consecutive games to Limerick, London, Leitrim and Offaly and also suffered a heavy loss to Kerry in the Munster Championship at Killarney.

However, an excellent performance against Galway in the All-Ireland qualifiers, despite a narrow defeat, showed that all in Waterford football is not as poor as some report it to be, and with more time to the management team to prepare the team, expectations are that Waterford could well be challenging again for promotion from division four in 2014.

While Galway in recent years are not as strong as they were in the late 90’s they are still ranked much higher than Waterford and the fact that Waterford ran the Tribesmen so close shows that they can mix it with teams perceived to be stronger than they are.

One player that Waterford will miss this year is former captain Gary Hurney.

The Ballinacourty club man was one of the first names to be pencilled into the team sheet for almost a decade and a half by successive managers since the late 90’s. Before Christmas he announced his retirement from the inter-county scene.

Niall Carew is reported to be operating with one of the smallest panels in the four divisions of this year’s league but he will feel that what he has to work with is as good as what is in the county and will know that what he has is a committed bunch of players.

With Gary Hurney no longer part of the panel, a great deal of responsibility could well lie on the shoulders of the gifted Kilrossanty Club man Paul Whyte to provide much of the inspiration to inspire Waterford to the goals that the team have set for the year.

The team in recent weeks have played a number of challenge games against the likes of Kildare, Limerick and W.I.T. and results seem to be going well for Waterford.

Earlier in the week it was felt that Waterford had a few niggling injuries but it appears that some of these may be clearing up.

Paul Whyte was one player reported to be undergoing treatment but he played a full part for University of Limerick in their Siggerson Cup loss to Dublin City University during the week, a game that the Kilrossanty man hit five of his sides eight points registered on the score board.

Waterford has named a very strong starting fifteen for the game.

Tomás Wall starts in goals. Dean Crowley makes his debut in the corner back position. Kieran Connery is in the opposite corner having missed out on last year while Thomas O’Gorman is in the full back berth.

Shane Briggs captains the team from centre back were he will be flanked by Cillian O’Keeffe and Conor Phelan.

There is a centre field pairing of Tommy Prendergast and Shane Aherne. If this combination was to click this year, it will cause many teams problems and could mean Waterford having a good year.

Tony Grey, Brian Wall and Declan Allen are named in the half forward line, but you could be forgiven for thinking that Tony Grey and Cillian O’Keeffe could well swap positions at some stage.

Former Inter county hurler Wayne Hutchinson is named at corner forward with Liam Ó Lonáin in the opposite corner and Paul Whyte in the middle.

Over the past few years, little has separated these two sides when they meet and this game is expected to be no different.

Both sides will know that they will have to go all out to win the game. It is vital that if a team hopes to be in contention for a game in Croke Park on April 26 that they do not loose any ground early in the campaign as once you start to drop points you are playing catch-up with others in what could well prove to be a very tight league.

For visiting teams to play at Fraher Field is always a difficult task. In addition to Waterford playing Clare at the Shandon Road venue, they have games at the historic venue against London, Leitrim and Carlow and it is vital that wins are picked up in these games. There is difficult games away to play against Tipperary, Antrim and Wicklow and it is vitally important that not too much grounds is lost in these games if Waterford are to have a successful year.

Waterford to get Ladies National Football League campaign underway against Offaly

Waterford gets their National Ladies Football League campaign underway on Sunday afternoon when they take on Offaly at the Dungarvan Club Grounds. The game has a 2pm throw in.

This will be the visitor’s first competitive game at a National Level since they won last years All-Ireland Junior Football Final, where they beat Wexford in the final at Croke Park.

In fact 2013 was an excellent year for the Midlands county who not only won the All-Ireland final but they added the Leinster Junior Football Championship and the Ladies Football Division Four League titles to their roll of honour.

They will head to Dungarvan intent on bettering what they achieved in 2013 and will know that if they were to get off to a good start to the year that anything is possible as momentum from last year will continue to flow amongst the panel.

The Midlanders in the mist have some very good players. Mairéad Daly, Lorraine Kenna, Siobhan Flannery and Emma Corcoran were named in last years Division Four League team of the year and are players that the Waterford will have to keep a close eye on.

Corner forwards Mairéad Daly is one player that the Waterford defence will have to keep a particular eye on as she has a real eye for goal.

In last years All-Ireland she hit two goals to help her side win.

Others that Waterford could well be tested by include Emma Corcoran, Kym Furey as well as Treasa McManus a sister of Offaly football legend Ciarán.

Waterford last year in the league had a disappointing campaign.

They were relegated from Division two having won just one game, but in saying that were somewhat unlucky to be relegated as had Westmeath who looked impressive in a number of their games beaten Clare in the last game of the competition, Waterford would have stayed up, but instead Clare won the game by a very big margin.

Waterford however will know that they can do better.

Two years ago they reached the Intermediate All-Ireland, where they were beaten by a strong Armagh outfit but they had chances to win.

Last year Waterford won the Jim Kennedy Cup (the female equivalent of the McGrath Cup) and also won the Munster Intermediate Final for the fifth year in a row before going on to loose out in the All-Ireland series at the quarter finals stages of the competition against eventual winners Cavan.

Waterford this year will be without Grainne Enright who has retired from the Inter county scene having given the county a number of outstanding years in the county colours.

Ann Dunphy is reported to be carrying an injury that could rule her out for some time, while duel players Grainne Kenneally and Shona Curran are missing as they will be assisting Lismore in the All-Ireland Camogie Club semi final at the same time this game will go ahead.

A number of new faces are included in this year’s panel. These include Megan O’Connor, Caoimhe McGrath, Lauren McGregor, Lauren Guiry, Liz Devine and Shauna Dunphy who have come through from successful underage teams and they will all add to the panel for this year creating extra competition for places.

A number of players from the Saint Anne’s Club that had a very good run in the county championships last year and who went on to represent the county in Munster could also find themselves included in this year’s panel.

Waterford will go into this game on a high as they recently won the Shield Final of the Jim Kennedy Cup, beating Mary Immaculate College in the final at Rathkeale.

Having played at a higher level to Offaly should stand to them in this game.

Players like Nora Dunphy, Michelle Ryan, Linda and Aileen Wall, Elaine Power, Aoife Landers, Margaret Revins and Hannah Landers could well have the ability and the experience to help Waterford to a successful year in 2014 and to bring on the new players that are part of this year’s panel.

 

Lismore are 60 Minutes from All-Ireland Spot

Last weekend was a big and memorable one for one end of the Parish of Lismore and Ballysaggart, after the Ballysaggart junior hurlers qualified for this years All-Ireland Junior Club hurling final, and it could well prove to be an equally as big and memorable one for the other end of the Parish this weekend as the Lismore Camogie team take on Liatroim Fonetenoys in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie semi final at Kinnegad in Co Westmeath.

This will be Lismore’s third time at this stage of the championship, but their two previous attempts to advance to the next stage of the competition went against them, but there is a hope that the side in black and yellow shirts will make it third time lucky this weekend.

Lismore while little will be known of their opponents this weekend will know that they cannot be underestimated as to reach this stage of the competition you have to be a good team.

The Down side reached the All-Ireland semi finals after they beat Tyrone side Eglish in the Ulster Final back in the autumn of 2013.

Eglish had beaten the Down side in a three team Round Robin competition some weeks earlier and it looked for much of the Ulster Final as though that they would do the same second time around, but the Down side came from behind with two late goals to defeat the Tyrone side by three points.

In the final, Eglish played the better Camogie in the opening half, but at the break they only led a doggish Liatroim Fonetenoys side by a single point.

The Tyrone girls in the second half opened up a five point advantage when Julie Langan hit a goal, but the Down side refused to throw in the towel.

And refusing to throw in the towel was to pay off as a goal from full forward Grainne Kelly was to inspire a terrific comeback for the Down side and when the side hit a second goal shortly afterwards, there was only going to be one winner of the game, Liatroim Fonetenoys going on to win the game 2-5 to 1-5.

For Lismore, their run to Sunday’s game was equally as impressive.

Right throughout 2013 they looked very impressive.

The League final won in 2012 was retained in May, beating great rivals Saint Anne’s by a point in a very exciting finish.

When the championship came around later in the year, it was no surprise that they reached the knockout stages of the championship.

In the semi finals they accounted for Galltir who put it up to Lismore in the first half, but in the second half Lismore’s greater experience was to show.

In the county final it was Saint Anne’s that provided the opposition at Lemybrien.

In the first half it was Saint Anne’s who won the title twelve months earlier that had the better of the opening half.

Lismore in that game were first off the mark with an Aoife Hannon point, however four points off the stick of Karen Kelly soon had the 2012 champions three points in front.

Aoife Hannon and Caithriona McGlone responded with points for Lismore, but two points from Karen Kelly soon had Saint Anne’s putting daylight between the sides.

Lismore were refusing to throw in the towel and points from Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran soon had Lismore within touching distance of Saint Anne’s but the impressive Karen Kelly was to follow up with another point for Saint Anne’s.

Team Captain put Lismore in front late in the first half when she finished to the net, but a brace of scores from Inter county duo Karen Kelly and Zoe O’Donoghue with Aoife Hannon responding with a point had Saint Anne’s leading 0-11 to 1-6 at the break.

Lismore at the break made changes and the second half was only moments old when they began to pay off.

Laura Buckley won the ball and laid it off to Sinead Bennett who struck a second Lismore goal to give Lismore the lead, one that they did not loose.

Johanna Houlihan and Aoife Hannon stuck points for Lismore to give them a three point cushion and Aoife Hannon put over three frees to further stretch that lead.

Saint Anne’s struck back with four scores in a row, three from Karen Kelly and one from Sinead Cummins to reduce Lismore’s lead.

However, before the hour mark, Lismore were able to tag of scores through Aoife Hannon and Johanna Houlihan to help their side to a 2-15 to 0-15 victory.

For the Munster semi final, Lismore had to travel to Carrigaline to play the Cork Intermediate Champions on their home sod.

Making the journey across the county boundary, Lismore knew this game was always going to be a tough encounter, as nothing is ever won against Cork Opposition playing on home soil.

The home side got off to a good start with a converted Rachel O’Shea point with Lismore’s ace free taker Aoife Hannon put over two inside a minute to give her side a one point advantage with eleven minutes on the clock, a lead that was stretched two minutes later after some good work by Ruth Geoghegan saw the livewire forward put the ball between the uprights.

The Cork side were to come storming back hitting 1-1 which handed the initiative to the home side.

Both sides continued to trade scores for the remainder of the opening half but Lismore retired at the break trailing 1-4 to 0-6.

Aoife Hannon and Rachel O’Shea traded scores in the opening minutes of the second half before potential disaster struck to Lismore when they lost Aoife Hannon with an injury which required her to be transferred to hospital for treatment.

Lismore however raised their game after Aoife Hannon was replaced. Shona Curran who took over free taking duties dropped a long range free in front of the home side’s goal and when Caitriona McGlone reacted fastest she finished to the net.

The goal gave Lismore much confidence and they were able to add further scores from Shona Curran and Caitriona McGlone to give Lismore a much deserved 1-10 to 1-6 victory and a place in the Munster Final.

Clare side Newmarket-on-Fergus provided the opposition for Lismore in Latten-Cullen.

Weather conditions on the day of the final were far from ideal for good camogie to be played, but non-the-less both sides battled hard and in the end a draw was possibly the fairest result over all.

The Clare side were possibly the better team on the day and had they won, few would have complained.

They got off to a terrific start when Jenny Kelly beat Aisling O’Brien in the Lismore goal with only three minutes played. They extended their lead two minutes later courtesy of an Áine O’Brien free but it was cancelled out moments later by Aoife Hannon.

The signs were not looking good for Lismore when the Clare side went five points up after Ruth Kaiser and Deirdre Cassidy landed points, but Lismore showed their class by coming right back into contention.

Caitriona McGlone hit 1-1 for Lismore and Johanna Houlihan and Aoife Hannon landed points to lock the scoring a 1-3 a piece at the break.

The Clare side began the second half as they did the first. Áine O’Brien landed a brace of frees before Carol Kaiser struck for a second Newmarket-on-Fergus goal to give her side a five point lead.

Aoife Hannon and Deirdre Cassidy swapped points but Lismore refused to throw in the towel and in fact finished the game the stronger of the two sides.

Lismore hit points from Aoife Hannon and Shona Curran before Ruth Geoghegan struck an all important second Lismore goal to level matters on the score board.

When Áine O’Brien and Jenny Kelly landed points for the Clare side it looked as though they were going to win the game, but Nicola Morrissey landed a brace of points for Lismore to send the game to extra time.

Playing conditions were worsening with every passing minute meaning that it was going to be difficult for the thirty players on the field in extra time.

In the first half of extra time, Lismore went into the lead when Nicola Morrissey and Caitriona McGlone landed points, but prior to the break Áine O’Brien and Ruth Kaiser landed points to level matters once more.

It was no surprise with both sides tiring on a heavy field, that in the second half no further scores were hit so the two sides had to do it all over again.

In the replay a week later, Aisling O’Brien was the Lismore hero.

Lismore went into the replay as the underdog. The Clare side could have won the game in normal time a week earlier when a probing ball was sent in around the Lismore goal, but the Lismore defence which is outstanding since the competition began were able to cope with it and brought the ball out to safety.

A week earlier it was the Clare side that got off to a good start but this time it was Lismore that had the better start.

Johanna Houlihan put over an early point. Catriona McGlone extended the lead but two points from Áine O’Brien meant that the sides were locked together on the scoreboard after eleven minutes.

Aoife Hannon gave Lismore a two point lead when she put over a brace of frees, before the sides net minder began to show her class between the posts.

On the day if there is a word other than brilliant to describe the performance of Aisling O’Brien, please feel free to use it.

She won the Player of the Match Award in this game and nobody could have put up a better case for anyone else other than for Aisling O’Brien.

On the day she pulled off a number of suburb saves which ensured that her side never fell behind.

The first of these saves were pulled off eight minutes before the break when she denied the Clare girls a goal, putting the ball out for a ’45 which Áine O’Brien put over for a point.

Moments after pulling off the first of her great saves, Aisling O’Brien pulled off another fantastic save. This time the ball stayed in play and Lismore straight away sent the ball down field where Ruth Geoghegan won her side a free which Aoife Hannon put over the crossbar and moments later she added another which gave her side a 0-6 to 0-3 lead at the break.

The second half began with Aisling O’Brien showing that he did not loose any concentration during the break as she pulled off another top class save again putting the ball out for a ’45 which the Clare side converted.

Newmarket-on-Fergus were now begging to panic and continued to go for goals but were unable to break down the Lismore defence. Had they gone for points would the game have a different outcome?

Aoife Hannon pointed twice midway through the second half to extend Lismore’s lead to four and they were looking good to advance to this weekends clash.

The Clare side did manage to pull a point back through Aimee McInerney, but it was too little too late. Lismore held out for a 0-8 to 0-5 victory to capture a third Munster title.

Since that game, Lismore have worked very hard. A short time off was given off to the players after the win but they were back training over the Christmas period.

There is an unbelievable commitment within the panel. The panel showed this when they trained on Saint Stephen’s morning, a morning that most know very little about.

They have played a number of challenge games against Cork opposition since the Munster Final which helped get rid of any rustiness that may be in the team after the win in Latten-Cullen.

Training is going well over the past few weeks and the word coming from Lismore is that everything is going to plan.

First team players that missed games towards the end of 2013 are all back, meaning that the likes of Laura Buckley, Grainne Kenneally and Ruth Geoghegan etc. are all fighting hard for a place in the starting team.

No Waterford side have won a Club Camogie Final in the past. Lismore’s great rivals Saint Anne’s went closest. They are well equipped to win this game, but it won’t be easy.

With one side from the Parish already into an All-Ireland final, the ladies of Lismore and Ballysaggart will want to show that what the men of the area can do, the ladies can do as well.

County Senior Hurling and Football Fixtures.

Listed are the County Senior Hurling and Football Fixtures for 2014 from formulas given in some of this weeks local papers. County Senior Hurling Fixtures 2014
Round 1	Weekending 27 April	Group 1	Roanmore	V	Passage
		Group 1	Abbeyside	V	Fourmilewater
		Group 1	De La Salle	V	Lismore
		Group 2	Dungarvan	V	Ballygunner
		Group 2	Mount Sion	V	Tallow
		Group 2	Ballyduff Upper	V	Ardmore
Round 2	Weekending 4 May	Group 1	Passage	V	Lismore
		Group 1	Roanmore	V	Fourmilewater
		Group 1	De La Salle	V	Abbeyside
		Group 2	Ballygunner	V	Ardmore
		Group 2	Dungarvan	V	Tallow
		Group 2	Ballyduff Upper	V	Mount Sion
Round 3	Weekending 1 June	Group 1	Passage	V	Abbeyside
		Group 1	Roanmore	V	Lismore
		Group 1	De La Salle	V	Fourmilewater
		Group 2	Ballygunner	V	Mount Sion
		Group 2	Dungarvan	V	Ardmore
		Group 2	Ballyduff Upper	V	Tallow
Round 4	Weekending 6 July	Group 1	Fourmilewater	V	Passage
		Group 1	Lismore	V	Abbeyside
		Group 1	De La Salle	V	Roanmore
		Group 2	Tallow	V	Ballygunner
		Group 2	Ardmore	V	Mount Sion
		Group 2	Ballyduff Upper	V	Dungarvan
Round 5	Weekending 24 August	Group 1	Passage	V	De La Salle
		Group 1	Abbeyside	V	Roanmore
		Group 1	Fourmilewater	V	Lismore
		Group 2	Ballygunner	V	Ballyduff Upper
		Group 2	Mount Sion	V	Dungarvan
		Group 2	Tallow	V	Ardmore
Some fixtures subject to change if Waterford progress in SFC and SHC Championships.
Exact dates and venues to be announced.
County Senior Football Fixtures 2014
Round 1	Weekending 13 April	Group 1	Rathgormack	V	Ballinacourty
		Group 1	An Rinn	V	Clashmore
		Group 1	Kilrossanty	V	Ardmore
		Group 2	Gaultier	V	Stradbally
		Group 2	The Nire	V	Ballinameela
		Group 2	Saint Saviours	V	De La Salle
Round 2	Weekending 20 April	Group 1	Ballinacourty	V	Ardmore
		Group 1	Rathgormack	V	Clashmore
		Group 1	Kilrossanty	V	An Rinn
		Group 2	Stradbally	V	De La Salle
		Group 2	Gaultier	V	Ballinameela
		Group 2	Saint Saviours	V	The Nire
Round 3	Weekending 15 June	Group 1	Ballinacourty	V	An Rinn
		Group 1	Rathgormack	V	Ardmore
		Group 1	Kilrossanty	V	Clashmore
		Group 2	Stradbally	V	The Nire
		Group 2	Gaultier	V	De La Salle
		Group 2	Saint Saviours	V	Ballinameela
Round 4	Weekending 20 July	Group 1	Clashmore	V	Ballinacourty
		Group 1	Ardmore	V	An Rinn
		Group 1	Kilrossanty	V	Rathgormack
		Group 2	Ballinameela	V	Stradbally
		Group 2	De La Salle	V	The Nire
		Group 2	Saint Saviours	V	Gaultier
Round 5	Weekending 2 August	Group 1	Ballinacourty	V	Kilrossanty
		Group 1	An Rinn	V	Clashmore
		Group 1	Clashmore	V	Ardmore
		Group 2	Stradbally	V	Saint Saviours
		Group 2	The Nire	V	Gaultier
		Group 2	Ballinameela	V	De La Salle
Some fixtures subject to change if Waterford progress in SFC and SHC Championships.
Exact dates and venues to be announced.