Waterford Look for All-Ireland Final Spot by beating Meath at Nolan Park

The Waterford Intermediate Camogie Team will take to the field at Nolan Park on Saturday afternoon next in the first of this years All-Ireland Semi Finals against Meath and they will be hoping that the outcome will be the same as what the Under 16’s achieved last Sunday when they accounted for the Royal’s at Athy at the same stage of their competition.

Both Counties have made great progress in the past few years and are clearly heading in the right direction which can only be good for the game, and a model for those that are trying to achieve what both of these sides have in the last few years on the Inter County front.

Meath reached the Junior ‘A’ All-Ireland Final in 2007 where they lost out to Laois on a 1-15 to 1-9 score line but made up for that defeat 12 months later when they beat Roscommon 0-10 to 1-5 and in 2012 they won the Junior Premier final beating Down 1-11 to 1-9, the second year in a row that the Ulster side were beaten in the final.

Success has also come the way of the Royal’s on the underage front.

in 2011, 2014 and this year Minor titles have been won and they will be hoping that the players in these success will be able to transfer the form they showed in winning these titles to the adult scene in the next few years.

Success has also been achieved at Under 16 level, reaching the All-Ireland Final in 2010 where they lost out to Carlow and in 2013 when they beat Laois in the final of the ‘C’ Competition.

In the National Leagues Meath have also proven successful winning the Division four title in 2008 when they beat Roscommon in the decider. Laois proved a little too strong fro them in the 2010 Division three final, but it would be their day 12 months later as they overcame the challenge of Kildare in the final and a further 12 months on they reached the Division two final where they lost out to Derry.

Regular readers here will know that I have often put Waterford’s revival in Camogie down to the day in 2003 when Lismore’s Laura Buckley captained the under 16’s to win the All-Ireland Final against Armagh at Portlaoise, as from that day it has proven to be onwards and upwards for the game in Waterford.

Even if there were some disappointments for Waterford along the way, the players have always come out the other side and have gone on to achieve other things.

When Waterford ran out on the Croke Park Sod for the 2009 All-Ireland Junior Premier Final some of the players who were involved six years earlier were involved. Defeat was Waterford’s lot that day against Offaly but the side were back in Croke Park again 12 months later to face Antrim in the final, a game that ended in a 1-9 to 1-9 draw but defeat would be Waterford’s lot in the replay.

However, Waterford did make it third time lucky in 2011 when they beat Down 2-11 to 1-13 with again some of the victorious under 16 panel from 2016 involved, and some of that panel will be involved again this Saturday.

Like Meath, Waterford has had some great days on the underage scene.

Waterford lost out in the Minor finals of 2008 and 2009 against Offaly and Limerick respectfully but a first minor (under 18) title was won last year when the side had a 4-6 to 0-2 win over Derry in the final.

As already mentioned above, Waterford’s Camogie revival began the day they beat Armagh in 2003. Since then Waterford have appeared in four other finals at under 16 level.

In 2007 the final ended on a score of Derry 2-7 Waterford 3-4 but in the replay the Ulster side proved too strong winning the game comfortably.

Waterford were back in the final in 2009 where they lost out in a South East derby against Wexford on a 2-11 to 1-12 score line and in 2013 it was defeat again for Waterford in a derby game loosing 4-8 to 2-10 against Cork at Mallow.

However, Waterford made up for that defeat last year when they won a second title at this age level beating Derry in the final.

And for good measure, Waterford will next weekend appear in a third final in a row when they take on Dublin in what will be a very difficult game.

This is the fourth year in a row that Waterford has reached this stage of the competition, having lost to Galway in 2012 and 2013 and last year they lost out to Limerick. In the last two years Waterford has lost out to the side that have gone on to win the All-Ireland Final.

The sides have already met once this year in the League back in March.

Waterford travelled to Rathoath for that game and emerged victors on a 2-14 to 1-13 score line.

The Royal’s that day had a number of players in fine scoring form.

The ever dangerous Aoife Maguire finished as their top scorer with 1-3 while Jane Dolan another player that could cause Waterford heartache hit four points and Sinead Hackett hit three. Kristina Troy, Cheyanne O’Brien and Megan Thynne also got on the score sheet that day.

For Waterford in that game Trish Jackman finished as top scorer, hitting 1-9, 1-7 of which came from placed balls, while Beth Carton, Nicola Morrissey and Dawn Power shared the remainder of the scores.

Meath come into this Saturday’s final in fine form.

They won three of their four games in the group section of the competition, their only loss coming in the game against Cork in the opening round of fixtures. They also reached this years Leinster Intermediate Final where they lost out 1-13 to 1-9 against Kilkenny, a side that Waterford have beaten twice this year in League and Championship.

Meath, like Waterford have a settled look to their team this year.

Barring some unforeseen or unreported circumstances, Emily Mangan will start between the posts with Claire Coffey at full back with Grace Coleman in one corner and Emma McGill and Emma Coffey fighting it out for a start in the other corner.

Kristina Troy will be at centre back whole Áine and Marie Keogh could well be either side of her.

In the middle of the field, Jane Dolan and Katie Hackett have built up a formidable formation and if the Royals were to win, it could be from here that a lot of the spade work could be done.

Another potentially danger to Waterford Aoife Maguire will start in the centre forward position and will have Aoife Minogue and Megan Thynne either side of her, while the inside forward line could well consist of Edel Guy in the middle with Sinead Hackett and Cheyenne O’Brien in the corners.

Meath’s big hitters on the scoreboard could well prove to be Jane Dolan and Aoife Minogue but it could prove costly for Waterford to put all their eggs in the one basket and put all their focus on stopping them as it could allow the likes of Katie and Sinead Hackett, Megan Thynne, Kristina Troy, Fia O’Brien and Edel Guy to have big games when it comes to scoring.

Waterford are having a great number of years when it comes to Camogie and surly its only a matter of time before they win what their target it. The League final win over Laois earlier this year will have shown the side that they can win on the big day and will have given the side a taste for more success.

Like Meath, Waterford has a very settled side.

Deirdre Brennan will be between the posts. Kate McMahon and Vikki Falconer could well start in the corners with the full back position a arm wrestle between Claire Whyte and Jennie Simpson.

Trish Jackman could well be selected at centre back with Charlotte Raher and Jenny Simpson flanking her.

Iona Heffernan and Lorraine Bray could well start in the middle of the field. The pair have built up a great partnership and could fight out a great battle in that sector of the field with Jane Dolan and Katie Hackett with the winning pair likely to be on the winning team.

Team captain Catriona McGlone could well start in front of the Meath goal and could have teenagers Aisling and Dawn Power on the corners.

Nicola Morrissey will start at centre forward and Beth Carton will be at number 12, leaving just the number 10 shirt to fill.

Sibeal Harney, Niamh Rockett, Molly Curran, Claire Murphy, Elizabeth McGrath and Becky Kavanagh will all be fighting it out for the shirt, but another option could be to place Lorraine Bray there, moving Trish Jackman to the middle of the field, placing Claire Whyte at Full back and Jennie Simpson at centre back.

But maybe Waterford manager Sean Fleming and his management team have something else up there sleeves for this game.

Both Shona Curran and Valerie O’Brien having spent some time in America lately will come into the equation for a place in the team.

Shona Curran could come in at full forward with maybe Catriona McGlone filling a place on the wing, or even in the middle of the field, while Valerie O’Brien who was part of the league final winning team will also be considered maybe at Centre Forward with Nicola Morrissey moving to the number ten position or even coming directly into the number ten shirt. And even if the pair were not to start, what subs they would be to bring in if the game was tight.

Camogie in Waterford is on the up with great work being carried out on the club scene and again within the inter county scene by a small group of dedicated troopers.

All year long, I have had a gut feeling that it will be Waterford’s year and am not going to change now.  

Its Waterford for me on Saturday at Nolan Park, but it has to be said that in the recent past, Meath have caused Waterford heartache and are capable of doing so again.