Can Déise ladies secure first win of 2016 against Limerick, or can Déise lady keep Waterford pointless

This weekend is a big one for sport in Waterford.

While the Waterford Senior Hurlers will be looking to extend a league winning steak that now spans two seasons at Walsh Park against Dublin, the side that was the last to beat Waterford in the league in 2014, at the same venue in a game that relegated Waterford from top tier of league hurling for 2015, just down the road the county have another team in action.

History will be made at the WIT Sports Campus at Carriganore sometime between 1-30pm and 2pm on Sunday afternoon when a Waterford team take to the field for the very first time in a top flight Camogie game in the National League with Limerick providing the opposition.

Waterford in 2015 had a great year when it came to camogie first winning the Division Two National League Final against Laois in Carlow and then to beat Kildare in the Intermediate All-Ireland Final at Croke Park.

Waterford went through both campaigns unbeaten, and while that long winning streak has since come to an end with a defeat to Kilkenny in the first round of games at Piltown two weeks ago, all involved would have known that the game against ‘the cats’ was always going to be a tough ask to get something from as they attempt to settle in playing at a higher lever that they were used to in recent years, when the fixtures for 2016 were released now some time back, this was a game that the side would have targeted as won which is very winnable.

This is the first meeting of the two sides in a competitive game since they clashed in the All-Ireland Intermediate Semi Final back in 2014, a game Limerick won 0-9 to 0-8 and went on to win the All-Ireland Final a few weeks later.

That game was the third year in a row that Waterford had reached the penultimate round of games in the championship, having contested the All-Ireland Junior Final three years running before this, which shows the progress made in the promotion and development of Camogie within the county in recent years.

Both sides this Sunday even though that game was played less than two years ago are likely to have a much different look to them.

For Limerick that day Niamh Mulcahy finished as top scorer with seven points behind her name and she is likely to play a key roll again this weekend, while Caoimhe Costello and Aoife Shanahan got their name on the score sheet.

Two years ago, Karen Kelly was Waterford’s top scorer with three points. Karen has since retired from the inter county scene, but Caithriona McGlone and Lorraine Bray who chipped in with two points each and Trish Jackman with one are all expected to play a part in this weekends game.

Limerick in round one of the league had a 1-11 to 0-9 win over Cork and on the day seven players that started against Waterford two years ago started against the All-Ireland Champions.

Judith Mulcahy was the only player to start in the same position in both games at left corner back. Karen O’Leary moved from right half back to the middle of the field, Sarah Carey moved from centre back to centre field, Rebecca Delee swapped with Karen O’Leary, Mary O’Callaghan who was in the middle of the field two years ago played against Cork starting at corner forward, Niamh Mulcahy moved from centre forward to left half forward and Caoimhe Costello moved from left half forward to full forward.

Sile Moynihan who started in goal against Waterford was replaced between the posts for the Cork game by Claire Keating, while others to start against Waterford two years ago, Fiona Hickey, Michelle Casey, Claire Mulcahy, Deborah Murphy, Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Aoife Sheehan and Mairead Fitzgerald did not start against Cork to be replaced by Noreen Barry, Lorraine McCarthy, Fiona Hickey, Niamh Richardson, Siobhan Enright, Cliona Lane, Niamh Mulcahy, Mary O’Callaghan and Sinead McNamara.

Waterford too showed numerous changes from that loss against Limerick two years ago for their recent 3-16 to 3-7 loss against Kilkenny.

Tracey Kiely replaced Deirdre Brennan between the posts. Mairead Murphy, Pauline Cunningham, Shauna Prendergast, Sinead Cummins, Emma Hannon, Shona Curran, Karen Kelly and Ruth Geoghegan who also started against Limerick in the 2014 All-Ireland Intermediate Semi Final did not start against Kilkenny two weeks ago.

Waterford last year introduced some new faces to the in the likes of Kate McMahon, Beth Carton, Aisling Power, Saoirse Bonner, Sibeal Harney and Brianna O’Regan and when given their chances they have not disappointed.

This year some new players have been added to the panel in the likes of Mairead Power, Ciara Jackman, Aoife Shanahan, Caoimhe Drohan, Niamh Murphy and Niamh Ahearne and when it comes to them getting their chance it is envisaged that they will not disappoint just like those introduced last year.

And while new players have been introduced some that have been away from the intercounty scene with a little while have come back in 2016 and it will be interesting to see will the likes of Tracey Kiely, Fiona Morrissey and Zoe O’Donoghue win for themselves a regular place in the side for the year ahead and then to see who from last year who will miss out.

As already pointed out this is a game that Waterford will have target as one where the points on offer are very achievable.

Just one point separated the sides when they last played in a competitive game. Both sides as already stated are going to be very different sides this time around.

Limerick will have benefitted a great deal from playing in the senior grade last year from the last meeting between the sides, but so too will Waterford be a much more experienced side as not just will winning the League and Championship double stand to Waterford, so too will the successes recorded in the under 16 and minor grade in recent years, as will the experience picked up by players playing in the third level education competitions.

Limerick are going to be serious opposition to Waterford. They had a first round game in the league where they beat Cork and had a bye in the second series of games. Beating Cork is not mean achievement and the win will give the side plenty of confidence travelling to Waterford on Sunday.

Waterford playing their first game on home soil as a senior side are good enough to win here. The only pity is that the county senior hurlers are playing up the road at Walsh Park and this is likely to take from the attendance at Carriganore.

Isn’t it a pity that we could not have both games on the same programme of games. It happens in other counties but for what ever reason it seldom happens in Waterford and when it does the game that would be regarded the curtain raiser in other counties is pushed back to become the second game and the crowd does not stay inside the crowd to support a second inter county side.

Something that might be of interest to some in this game is that a Waterford lady will be lining out in the green and white shirt on the day hoping to deny her home county a hat-trick of points on the league table.

Modeligo woman Marguerite McCarthy is based in Limerick with the last few years and plays club camogie with the Ahane Club. Her performances on the club scene in recent years has caught the eye of the Limerick senior selectors and they have called her up to their panel and has caught the eye with a number of impressive performances.

Last time out against Cork, she came on as a sub for Noreen  Barry and will be hoping to have done enough to win a place in the team from the start against Waterford this weekend.

Marguerite is also a footballer of note and ply’s her trade with the Na Déise Club here in Waterford which picks from players in the Touraneena, Modeligo, Affane and Cappoquin areas.