Waterford and Leitrim do battle for League Final Spot

Sunday next is a big day for Ladies Football in Waterford and Leitrim as the two sides clash in Birr in the semi finals of this year’s Division Three Tesco home-Grown National Football League, where the winners will earn the right to play a hotly fancied Armagh side or Tipperary who are reported to have an unhappy camp in the final.

Both sides clashed recently in Fraher Field. On that occasion Waterford came out on top, winning 6-8 to 3-8, but it was not as easy for the home side as the final score line might suggest as for a great portion of the game, the visiting sides put it up to the hosts.

Both sides went into that game in need of a win. Waterford had lost their previous game away to Sligo who had lost to Leitrim in the opening round of games, so Waterford knew they always were going to face an up hill battle.

It was no surprise that the opening exchanges proved to be nervy. Neither side wanted to make any mistakes, and when a chance to open the scoring did arrive on five minutes, Margaret Revins hit the post but the quick thinking Old Parish Club Player followed the ball after striking it and when her initial shot came back off the post she was in the right place at the right time to finish to the net at the second time of asking.

Áine Heslin opened Leitrim’s account with a point, and they followed it up with a Michelle Heslin goal soon afterwards.

Waterford looked as though they had turned the game on its head around the mid point of the first half with the Wall sisters, Linda, Aileen and Mairead playing a major part in the turn around.

Aileen and Linda first combined to set up Margaret Revins for her second goal of the game on twelve minutes and then Mairead and Aileen combined to set up Liz Devine for a third Waterford goal moments later.

Michelle Ryan further stretched Waterford’s lead with a point, but this was to prove to be their last score of the half as the visitors finished strong with Áine Tighe putting over four points and Áine Heslin one to leave their side trailing 3-1 to 1-6 at the brake.

Mairead Stenson added a second Leitrim goal at the start of the second half and Sarah McLoughlin added a point turned Leitrim’s two point defecate at the break into a two point lead.

The Ballymacarbry pair Linda Wall and Louise Ryan kicked points for Waterford before Deirdre Ward struck Leitrim’s third goal of the game just before the three quarter point in the game, and they could have hit a fourth soon afterwards when Áine Tighe got inside the Waterford backs and looked as though she was going to raise a green flag and she would but for the brilliance of Aimee Jordan to keep her effort out.

This was the wake up call that Waterford needed. They were going to have Armagh next in the league, and if they were to get nothing from these two games, then there was a chance that Waterford could miss out on a place in the semi finals.

Waterford controlled the final quarter of this game. Margaret Revins completed her Hat-trick thirteen minutes from time. Shona Curran who had replaced Megan O’Connor hit a point before Michelle Ryan and Liz Devine struck further goals for Waterford.

Another inspired substitution by Pat O’Brien then made an impact as Shauna Dunphy who had replaced Liz Devine struck a sixth Waterford goal after which Linda Wall put over two points and Margaret Revins hit one to give Waterford what was a hard fought but deserved victory.

The final result of that game will play little significance into this weekend’s game.

Waterford go into this weekend’s game off the back of a heavy defeat to Armagh at Ardmore while Leitrim will be on some what of a high having beaten Tipperary in their last game.

Leitrim have a number of players that Waterford will have to look out for as given the chance they will cause the Waterford defence many problems.

Against Tipperary Áine Heslin had a quite game when it came to raising umpire flags, but she has kept them busy in other games and will be anxious to have them busy this weekend.

Other players that Waterford will have to look out to will include Deidre Ward, Michelle Heslin, Roisin Fowley and the brilliant Áine Tighe.

The treat that Leitrim will pose to Waterford will be well known to all involved with the team, but what might not be known to all is that they beat Tipperary last time out without Mary Farrell and Sharon Kerrigan missing from their full back line for a time after they collected yellow cards.

To date Pat O’Brien and his fellow selectors have given each available member of their panel their fair share to impress and to stake a place in the team for the championship which will begin in the coming weeks.

Its possibly fair to say that when they sit down to pick their team for this weekend they will be putting out their strongest fifteen.

This will mean that Aimee Jordan could start between the posts, Nora Dunphy and Mary Foley will start in the full back line and Louise Ryan and Karen McGrath will start in front of them.

The other places in defence could well be filled by the likes of Ciara Dunphy, Megan O’Connor, Roisin Tobin and maybe Grainne Kennelly who is back in contention now after a year away from the game and being involved with the Lismore Camogie team in their All-Ireland Final run.

Michelle McGrath and Elaine Power should again prove to be Waterford’s centre field pairing.

In attack the Waterford selectors could well have plenty of options open to them. Michelle Ryan, the Wall sisters and Margaret Revins would all look certain to start for Waterford with the final place in the team likely to be fought out between amongst others Hannah Landers, Liz Devine and Shona Curran who like Grainne Kenneally is again available after assisting Lismore to All-Ireland glory in Camogie.

This is a game that could well prove to be very close. Nine points separated the sides in Fraher Field when the sides last clashed, but there is something telling me that this game could well prove to be much closer.

When sides meet twice in close proximity it’s often the case that the result of the first game is often reversed. Hopefully as a supporter of Waterford teams, this weekend’s game won’t be one of these occasions.

Leitrim do pose a serious treat to Waterford, but Waterford are the more experienced team. Pat O’Brien will have available to him a number of very experienced players, players that are part and parcel of Waterford teams now for some time. He also has some exciting new young players brought into the set up this year. Many of these players have come off successful underage teams and will be anxious to show that what they have done in underage football they can now do at a higher level.

This experience should stand to Waterford. Named above is a great deal of Waterford panels. In giving what could well prove to be the Waterford starting line up, over fifteen players names are given. Only fifteen of them can start, meaning that in addition to putting out a potentially experienced starting fifteen, Waterford could have an experienced bench to choose from.

Waterford should win this game, but it could be close, maybe too close for comfort, with Armagh despite only beating Tipperary by two points in their previous game strongly fancied to come out of the other semi final.