No joy in semi final, but Waterford are not far off the mark

For the third year running defeat was Waterford’s lot at the semi final stage of the All-Ireland Camogie championship on Saturday afternoon last when they went under to what is a strong Limerick panel, who at the end of sixty minutes had one point to spare.

Naturally, the players and management are going to be disappointed with the final result of the game. But the Waterford panel as well as those working with it, can and should take some solace in the fact that Camogie in Waterford is on the way up and the day is not too far off when the side will not just get past the semi final hurdle, but will also taste success on All-Ireland Final day in Croke Park.

Twelve months ago, when reporting on here on the defeat to Galway at the Ragg at the same stage of the competition, I said great strides are being made with the game in Waterford and have to repeat what I said then again this year.

The past twelve months has seen Waterford clubs Gailltir and De La Salle perform extremely well at Feile, with Gailltir coming back from the north with the division two final on the team bus for the second year in a row.

The counties under 16 team retained the Munster ‘B’ Final they won twelve months ago and this weekend the side play Derry in the All-Ireland final where they will be hoping to make up for the disappointment of loosing to Cork twelve months ago.

The Counties Minor team won the All-Ireland ‘B’ Final and Lismore won the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final after a replay and Butlerstown performed well in the Munster Junior Club Championship, while Presentation College Waterford contested a Colleges All-Ireland final earlier this year.

On each of these teams there is some very good players and there is some exceptional players, and it is only a matter of time that they force their way into the counties Intermediate team and when this happens, it can be taken that the side will be a force to be reckoned with and when they get up to senior, the side will hold its own against many counties.

Starting with several changes to the team that lost to Galway in the 2013 semi final and with one player remaining in the same position, Waterford began brightly against Limerick at Dr Cullen Park in Carlow.

After Limerick had missed some good opportunities to tag on some early scores, Waterford opened the scoring through Lismore’s Caithriona McGlone. Karen Kelly hit over a free to double Waterford’s advantage before Caitriona McGlone extended the lead with her second score of the game, her shot narrowly going over the crossbar when it seem destined for the net after some good spade work by fellow Lismore player Ruth Geoghegan in the build up.

The Lismore full forward was causing problems in the Limerick backs and she got through once more moments after registering her second of the game, but the Limerick defence did well to keep the shot out, putting the ball over the end-line for a forty-five which Saint Anne’s Karen Kelly converted to give Waterford a four point advantage.

Limerick’s first score of the game came courtesy of a free from Niamh Mulcahy. Lorraine Bray of the Cappoquin Club soon cancelled out the score, but the dangerous Ahane club player quickly registered her second of the afternoon to leave three between the sides, a lead the same player cut to two on twenty-one minutes when she pointed once more.

Waterford however playing with the wind at their backs would go in at the break with a three point advantage after Karen Kelly struck her third score of the game when she converted a long range free.

Trailing 0-6 to 0-3 at the break, Limerick came out for the second half with the wind at their backs a much stronger outfit and for the first twenty minutes of the second half inflicted a lot of pressure on the Waterford team which had changes made to it at the break.

Limerick moved to within two of Waterford four minutes into the second half when Niamh Mulcahy put over another free.

The Ahane club player would add another three points and Aoife Shanahan and Caoimhe Costello also got in on the act to bring Limerick from three points down at the break to three points in front with eight minutes of the game remaining.

Lorraine Bray closed the gap to two with Waterford’s first score of the second half with time ticking down on the clock.

Waterford refused to wave the white towel and continued to attack the Limerick defence at every opportunity.

A free won by Waterford, struck by Patricia Jackman fell just short of the target and was cleared by the Limerick defence, but again Waterford refused to surrender.

In added time another free was won, this time twenty metres from goal and the Gailltir sharp shooter shot over the bar to leave just one between the sides.

Waterford continued to search for the score that would have got the side a result they deserved, but time ran out.

It was heartbreak for Waterford once more. But the side can as already pointed out, can take something from the fact as a group and the game in the county are moving in the right direction and it’s only a matter of time before what the team are setting out to achieve at the start of each year is achieved.

Waterford: Deirdre Brennan; Mairead Murphy, Pauline Cunningham, Claire Whyte; Charlotte Raher, Patricia Jackman, Shauna Prendergast; Sinead Cummins, Emma Hannon; Shona Curran, Karen Kelly, Lorraine Bray; Ruth Geoghegan, Caitriona McGlone, Niamh Rockett. Subs: Nicola Morrissey for Karen Kelly, Jennie Simpson for Mairead Murphy, Shauna Kiernan for Sinead Cummins, Fiona Morrissey for Jennie Simpson. Rest of the panel: Zoe O’Donoghue, Deirdre Nugent, Iona Heffernan, Valerie O’Brien.  

Scorers: Karen Kelly 0-3 (3 frees), Caitriona McGlone, Lorraine Bray 0-2 each, Patricia Jackman 0-1 (free).

Limerick: Sile Moynihan; Fiona Hickey, Michelle Casey, Judith Mulcahy; Karen O’Leary, Sarah Carey, Claire Mulcahy; Rebecca Delee, Mary O’Callaghan; Deborah Murphy, Niamh Mulcahy, Caoimhe Costello; Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Aoife Sheehan, Mairead Fitzgerald. Subs: Sinead McNamara for Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Dymphna O’Brien for Mairead Fitzgerald. Rest of the Panel:  Lorraine McCarthy, Laura O'Neill, Katie Campbell, Niamh Ryan, Sarah Collins, Aoife Wilson, Leanne Browne, Donna Mulcahy, Noreen Barry, Marguerita McCarthy, Katie Hennessey, Jane Wilson, Tara Fitzgibbon.

Scorers: Niamh Mulcahy 0-7 (5 frees), Caoimhe Costello, Aoife Shanahan 0-1 each.

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)