Underdogs Waterford can beat favourites.

Waterford Senior Footballers take to the road this Saturday and head to Ennis for a Munster Quarter Final against Clare, where the visitors will be looking for what is a rare championship win.

Over the past twenty five years Waterford’s championship record is to be honest, not the best. After they beat Limerick at Fraher Field in the late 1980’s the county had to wait almost twenty years for their next championship win when they beat Clare at the same venue in 2007.

Since then, Waterford have recorded just one more Munster Championship win, that coming in 2010 when the side again won in Fraher Field, again against Clare.

While results have not always gone Waterford’s way, where Waterford is at when it comes to football is not as bad as some make out it to be.

In 2010 Waterford having had a number of near misses gained promotion from the bottom rung of the National Football League ladder in the first year of John Owens three years in charge of the team. While promotion was achieved over a series of games, it was confirmed when the side beat Clare in the last game of the campaign in Fraher Field.

Waterford played well after winning promotion and going into the last two games, they were still in with a chance of putting together back to back promotion (even if they needed other results to go their way) or get relegated. Unfortunately the latter was to happen.

In 2013, Waterford had a very disappointing league campaign. Four games were lost, against Offaly, Limerick, Leitrim and most disappointedly against London and in the Munster Championship the side suffered a heavy loss to Kerry in the Munster Semi Final which meant that when side were paired with Galway in the qualifiers, the experts gave Waterford no chance heading to the West of the Country, but Waterford almost pulled off what would be described by many as the shock of the year, as the visitors lead going into the final minutes of the game, but a strong finish by the Tribesmen in the closing minutes secured their passage to the third phase of qualifiers.

The league did not go well for Waterford this year just as was the case in 2013, but Waterford if they can draw inspiration on last years game with Galway, and from Tipperary last weekend who recorded a first Munster Championship success in a decade and Antrim the way they beat a slightly stronger Fermanagh side, then there is no reason why Waterford cannot win this weekends game.

The home side will head into the game as favourites. They won promotion from the fourth division of the league this year along with Tipperary, but in the league final at Croke Park they went under to the Premier County by a point.

However, Waterford has a habit of times in showing up the bookies.

The two sides in action this weekend met in the first round of the 2013 league. The game was to be played in Ennis, but it was obvious from early in the week leading up to the game that the Visitors would have to add a number of miles to their journey before they played the game.

The game was played in Milltown-Malbay and Clare went into the game the strongest of favourites. Waterford had only appointed Niall Carew as manager only a few weeks earlier and there was not much time to do anything with the team in advance of the game compared to what others had.

Clare also had a new manager. Mick O’Dwyer had left Wicklow at the end of the previous year and the Banner Men were quick to approach him. In the eyes of many, he was going to do great things for the side in the year ahead. His charges were going to win the game with Waterford and it was going to kick start bid for promotion. Waterford had not read the script however, and the side returned home with a win.

Waterford will go into this game with on of the smallest panels used by any side in this years championship, but will be one well prepared by Niall Carew.

The obstacles put in the way of the side in previous years have not appeared this year. The team and management have had a number of weeks without championship games standing in the way of preparation. Whether that is a good thing or otherwise remains to be seen as sometimes the best preparation for a big game involves playing competitive games right up to or as close as possible to the big game.

The fifteen players used by Niall Carew and his charges could well be predicted by many. What might not be so easy to predict is where players will be used, as in the modern game positions and printed line outs mean nothing.

Stephen Enright should start between the posts, but from there on it could well be a lottery. Shane Briggs could well start at Centre back and will captain the side. Between him and Stephen Enright could be Thomas O’Gorman. The Nire man’s twin brother is back in contention for a place in the team after missing the league and could well start somewhere in defence. Kieran Connery could also start in defence if fit. Conor Phelan would also be expected to start in defence and Dean Crowley who had a good league campaign for Waterford may also get a first championship start with Cillian O’Keeffe also starting as an attacking wing back.

In the middle of the field Shane Ahern, Tommy Prendergast, JJ Hutchinson and Michael O’Gorman could battle it out for two positions.

In attack Liam Ó Lonáin had an excellent league campaign for Waterford and should start. Paul Whyte appears to have recovered from the injury he picked up while playing for Waterford against Wicklow which all goes well for Waterford. Brian Wall is a very versatile player for Waterford and could be used in a number of positions while Wayne Hutchinson has made an impact since he joined the panel. The other two places in attack could well be taken by the two players mentioned above that are fighting it out for a centre of the field position that miss out on a number eight or nine shirt while Robert Ahern could also be in contention.

What team Clare puts out remains to be seen. They have a number of duel players and it remains to be seen if the likes of Podge Collins and Conor McGrath are more committed to hurling or football, of with a game coming up against Cork or Waterford in the Munster Semi Final if the players in question are going to risk playing and picking up an injury ahead of that game.

Other players that Clare will likely to be calling upon are Shane Hickey, Martin Murphy, Michael O’Leary, Michael O’Shea and of course David Tubridy.

Clare will head into this weekends game as the favourites, and will provide strong opposition for Waterford, but Waterford will be confident of winning this weekend.