Déise Ladies Seek Semi Final Spot

            The biggest game of Camogie that Waterford have played in a long number of years, maybe the biggest game ever will take place this Saturday evening at Pairc Ui Chaoimh when Donal O’Rourke’s side take on Tipperary in the first of this year’s All-Ireland Senior Quarter Finals.

            Regardless of what happens in this game, Waterford have achieved at the start of the year in reaching the knockout stages of the championship, and whatever happens from here on in is a bonus.

            With both Cork and Kilkenny already in the semi finals and with Galway expected to come through in the second of the double header at the new look headquarters of the G.A.A. in Cork when they face Dublin, this fixture would give the Déise Ladies a chance to be in the top four sides for the year.

            Few outside of Waterford would have expected Donal O’Rourke’s side to be involved in the championship this weekend. I expect that if we are honest there would be even some within the Déise County who would not expect Waterford to be involved, and sadly I would expect that there is a sizeable amount of people in the county who do not know that Waterford are involved in an All-Ireland Quarter Final this weekend.

Great progress has been made in Waterford in the last number of years when it comes to Camogie.

It’s only a few short years that Waterford was playing in the Junior Championship. There is some that will argue that a side have to lose a final to win one. Well to get out of the Junior grade Waterford had to play in four finals, losing two, drawing one and winning at the third time of asking in 2011.

Heading into the 2011 final I am sure that there would be some that might be asking themselves will it ever happen. But the players involved in 2011 believed that they could move up to the Intermediate grade and they did, and this present group of players if they believe that big things can happen, they will.

It might be a big ask for Waterford to win the O’Duffy Cup this year, but if Waterford get over this weekend’s game who knows what will happen.

In 2015 when Waterford won the Division Two National League and the Intermediate All-Ireland there was a belief there and since coming up the players that were involved then and who are still involved have improved year on year, and now rightly are where they deserve to be.

Since coming up to play the top teams Waterford under different managers and different management team have made steady progress slowly getting up to the speed that the top sides play the game and they are showing this year that they can hold their own with the best sides.

The bookies will be making Tipperary the favourites to advance to the next phase of the competition (and I assume a game with Kilkenny).

It would be hard for neutrals to go against the bookies. They after all are the more experienced sides, playing at this grade of Camogie much longer than what Waterford are. They have within their ranks some experienced players and are also able to draw from players who have impressed with their second string side in recent years playing in the Intermediate grade.

But Waterford have produced some exceptional young players in the last few years who bring a great deal of experience into the senior team having played and won underage All-Ireland Final’s in recent years and also some excellent club sides have been produced in the last number of years and there is several players from these clubs involved within the Waterford set up.

 Donal O’Rourke’s side while they will respect the challenge that Tipperary will put up on Saturday they should not fear this Tipperary side and some of the big name players that they can call on.

The Premier Ladies needed to call on all their experience to see them through their last two games.

Their second last game was against neighbour Offaly who put it up to the Premier Ladies. The Faithful County went up Intermediate and Senior before Waterford did. In fact Waterford lost the 2009 All-Ireland Junior Final to Offaly but it could be argued that since coming up to the senior grade, Waterford have made the better progress.

Against Offaly at The Ragg Offaly lead 2-3 to 0-8 at the break and with nine minutes to go they lead 2-10 to 0-11, but in those closing minutes the home side found the scores that saw them win 1-14 to 2-10, the goal coming from Grace O’Brien while Cáit Devane would nail a late free to earn the points on offer.

Last time out, Tipperary were once more again pushed to the limit and once more they needed a late score from Devane to earn a share of the spoils against Dublin at Parnell Park.

 Had these result’s gone against Tipperary, and more over the game with Dublin it would be Dublin that Waterford would be playing this weekend, a side that Waterford would know more about as they have played in the League, Championship and Challenge games in the last few years.

The last meeting between Waterford and Tipperary in a competitive game came just over twelve months ago when the sides clashed in the Munster Championship a game that Tipperary won 4-14 to 2-10, but Waterford this weekend will be a much tougher side.

 The year has been very good to Waterford so far. In the National League Waterford only lost out on a place in the semi finals on score difference after they drew with Limerick in their last game, a result that was good enough to send their opponents through to the last four.

In the Munster Championship at Modeligo, Waterford really put it up to the All-Ireland Champions, losing out by four points. I’m not one for talking about the performance of the match officials on here or anywhere when I write about what I see, but did that day as the performance of the referee was deplorable and maybe with a different official on the day Waterford could have advanced.

The All-Ireland Championship draw was very good to Waterford this year in that Donal O’Rourke’s side got to play the toughest two teams first and all involved knew that if they lost these two games (which they did) a place in the knockout stages of the competition could be won if they won their last two games against Limerick and Clare, and could have got away with a draw in their last game with Clare after the two sides either side of the Shannon drew their game in the first round of the championship and subsequently like Waterford lost out to both Kilkenny and Galway.

There can be no disputing that for both sides the performances of Beth Carton and Cáit Devane are going to be crucial.

So far Waterford have relied on the De La Salle Club player for the bulk of their scores in the four games played to date, but if they can get two or three other players to chip in with three or four points each and maybe a goal or two, then Waterford stand an excellent chance of winning this game.

The only real comparing that can be done between the sides is on how both sides did in the Munster Championship when both played All-Ireland Champions – Cork.

Waterford as pointed out already lost out by four points. I have already stated that in different circumstances things could well have been different that day and I stand over that.

Cork went on to contest the Munster Final where they played Tipperary and the All-Ireland Champions that day proved considerably better than Bill Mullaney’s side winning 1-27 to 1-12.  

After Waterford lost their Munster Championship game with Cork I said that this is a Waterford side if they believe and keep believing then anything is possible for them.

Waterford team secretary Majella Pollard that day told me that she keeps telling the players to keep thinking that the next team that they are playing is just another team.

If the players can put to the back of their minds what opposing players might or might not have won, thinking them to be any other player or side, they can be a match for most.

We have seen twice this year that Waterford proved more than a match for Kilkenny in the League and Championship. The same is true of Cork in the Munster Championship, and while the final score might suggest otherwise when Waterford played Galway in the Championship a few weeks back they put it up to the home side that day, even playing most of the match with a player less on the field.

In previewing this game for this week’s ‘Munster Express’ I finished by asking the question, can Waterford win on Saturday.

I sign off here asking the same question and I give the same answer here as I did for my piece for the Munster Express, asking another question and answering it. What was that slogan that former President of the United States Barack Obama used a few years back? Yes we can.

 

Waterford's game with Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday evening next has a 5-30pm throw in. It would be good to think that a bumber support would travel to Cork to support the Ladies in the same way that numbers would travel to an All-Ireland Quarter Final if our Senior Hurlers were playing at the same venue. For those however that can't for what ever reason get to Cork, the game is live on RTE2.

Big Test for Déise County at Fermoy

A big week for Camogie in Waterford gets underway on Wednesday evening when they Counties Minor team take on Cork in the Munster ‘A’ Final at Fermoy.

Waterford qualified for this final with good wins over fancied Tipperary and Limerick sides in recent weeks and will make the journey to North Cork in confident mood.

But they will need no telling that this Cork side which they face is an exceptionally good side who earlier this year won the All-Ireland Minor ‘A’ Championship beating Galway at Nenagh.

 That win was the Rebel’s first success at this level. The county had won Minor Championship’s in the past but that was when the Minor grade was played at Under 16, moving up to under 18 in the middle years of the last decade.

To win the Rebels showed to be a very resilient side on the day and in the end were worthy four point winners over the then defending champions.

Waterford played in an opposite group to Cork in the All-Ireland Championship and narrowly missed out on reaching the semi final stages of the contest, which would be a first for Waterford.

Since then, Waterford has worked hard improving all the time and their reward for all that hard work in reaching this final.

The Rebels have a very dangerous forward line and it’s not just the forward’s that Waterford will have to keep a close eye on as this particular side have hit a number of scores this year already from the middle of the field and even their own half back line.

On player that Waterford cannot allow have opportunities to shoot at the posts is Saoirse McCarthy in the middle of the field.

The Courcey Rovers Club player is the side’s main free taker and with the chances that she will be presented with won’t make many mistakes.

Cork would be expected to start with Sarah Ahearn in goal with a full back line consisting of Orla Keating, Miriam Cotter and Emily Buckley with Laura Doyle, Laura Hayes and Ellen O’Regan playing just in front of them.

Saoirse McCarthy would be expected to partner Hannah O’Leary in the middle of the field while Moira Barrett and Emma Murphy would be expected to fill the central positions in attack. Elsewhere in attack Ciara O’Sullivan and Aoife Hurley would be expected to play on the left hand side of the rebels attack with Fiona Keating and Ciara Healy on the right.

Waterford would be expected to line out along the same as they did in the sides recent 4-20 to 2-5 win over Limerick at Ballyagran.

If this was to happen then Waterford would be fielding a very strong side which has gained some valuable experience in the last number of months, as some of the panel are part of Donal O’Rourke’s senior panel which will be taking on Tipperary in the All-Ireland Quarter Final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday afternoon next, while a number of other this year helped Saint Angela’s Ursuline School team to win All-Ireland’s at Junior and Senior level.

Abbey Flynn one of many rising stars of the game within the Déise County last time scored 3-5 and if she was to again rattle the Cork net on more than one occasion Waterford would stand a great chance of winning this game.

But there is more to this Waterford side and in particular their attack than just the one player. Kaeisha Tobin the side’s main free taker and Annie Fitzgerald are key member of Donal O’Rourke’s side, while Sarah Lacey, Aoife Fitzgerald and Clodagh Carroll are all vital to the success of this team.

While Waterford will have to be at their best in attack to win this game, they have to be very vigilant at the other end of the field as well.

Megan Foran would be expected to start in goal, with a full back line of Izabella Markiewiz, Shauna Fitzgerald and Hannah Flynn in front of her. The half back line is often the winning and losing of any side and Waterford have a very strong half back line with Mary Kate Curran flanked by Kate Lynch and Róisín Dunphy, while in the middle of the field Clara Griffin who has played for the county senior side this year and Keeley Corbett-Barry who also is well used to playing in the big games could once more be the preferred pairing in the centre of the field.

As always no team is complete without back up and Waterford are lucky to have some fine players in reserve who have come in at different times this year and who can if called upon will do a job again.

Amongst those that Waterford could have ready for a call up if needed in Fermoy will be the likes of Sally Kelly, Aoife Fitzgerald, Abi Dunphy, Charlotte Connors, Emma Flynn, Lorna Foley, Lucey Hogan, Aoife Hahessy, Maggie Boylan, Leah Sheridan and Róisín Kirwan.

Can Waterford win here and cause what some might call a shock against the All-Ireland Champions? Well I have a feeling that the side in white and blue are not going to make the journey to the North Cork venue just to make up numbers and to fulfil a fixture.

Waterford seal spot in All-Ireland Camogie Championship Quarter-Finals

Sunday July 22, 2018 is a day that will live long in the history of Waterford Camogie and Waterford Sport, because this is the day that Waterford under the guidance of Cappoquin Club man Donal O’Rourke qualified for the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship quarter finals for the very first time.

In that quarter final Waterford will come up against neighbours Tipperary in Cork and whatever will happen in that game will be seen as progress for Waterford.

Waterford reaching an All-Ireland Quarter Finals for the first time is something that has not happened over night.

All year long a great deal of work has gone in with this team under the guidance of the Cappoquin man and the players have really bought into what he has done, but Waterford qualifying for the All-Ireland quarter finals for the first time is not just about the work put in over the past few weeks and months.

This win and Waterford qualifying for the last six of the championship goes back many years. It all started with Waterford qualifying for a Junior All-Ireland back in 2009 and how Waterford had to play four finals including replays before the Déise Ladies got out of the junior grade when they won in Croke Park in 2011.

It’s about four years playing in the intermediate grade and the progress made each year before the White and Blue flags flew highest in Croke Park in 2015 when Waterford beat Kildare in the Intermediate All-Ireland Final.

It’s about the experience gained in picked up in winning the National Division two league final back in 2015.

It’s about the experience gained since 2016 when Waterford began playing the bigger and stronger counties in the world of Camogie playing in the League and Championship and the progress made in the years in between.

It’s about the very good underage teams that Waterford have put together in recent years and bringing the best players on these sides into the Waterford Senior set up.

It’s about the progress made by the likes of Lismore and Gailltir in the Club Championships in recent years.

It’s about the successful underage sides and the progress made by in competitions like Féile na nGael where Waterford clubs have more than held their own.

It’s about the progress made on the colleges scene when the like of Saint Angela’s Ursuline winning two All-Ireland titles this year, and the work put in by other college sides in the Déise County in the last few years.

It’s all about the tremendous work put in by the clubs from the likes of Tallow and Lismore in the far west of the county to the likes of Ferrybank, De La Salle and Gailltir in the most easterly parts of the county, and all the work put in by the clubs in between, and the newer clubs who while playing catch up on the bigger and more established clubs but who are making great progress, something borne out by the fact that someone like Mary Kate Curran who plays with one of these younger clubs (Modeligo) is a valued member of this panel.

            Waterford will now go into that quarter final with Tipperary in a few weeks time as the underdog, but that will not worry this group of players or the management team.

            Only a few short weeks back on the Sunday game this Waterford side after losing to Galway and Kilkenny were wrote off. We were told that the third spot in group one was between Limerick and Clare, the two sides that this brilliant Waterford sides have beaten in the last week.

            Earlier in the year Waterford drew with both of these counties in the National League and with both of these counties (as with Waterford) having done a lot of work with their players in the weeks and months in between would have been confident of beating Waterford in the championship.

            That early season draw with Limerick cost Waterford a place in the knockout stages of the league, when the two sides finished level on points but the Treaty County side advanced to a meeting with Cork by virtue of having a better score difference over Waterford.

            Waterford began very brightly in this game as Beth Carton Waterford’s top scorer in this year’s championship opened the scoring on two minutes when she put over a ’45.

Kaiesha Tobin one of a number of young players to impress for the Déise County this year followed up with a point and Waterford extended their lead when Beth Carton put over a free.

And things got even better for Waterford on six minutes when the ball was played over the heads of the Clare full back line and once Beth Carton got inside them and onto the ball it was only going to end in one place and she made no mistake in dispatching the only goal of the game.

The De La Salle sharp shooter followed up with another point from a placed ball before the home side enjoyed their best period of this game, as Chloe Morey put over four frees in a row to eat into the Waterford lead.

Beth Carton extended Waterford’s lead once more three minutes from time but just before the short whistle Chloe Morey pointed again for the home side, again from a free to leave her side her side trailing 1-5 to 0-5 at the break.

The home side started the second half brightly as Ciara Grogan with her sides first score from play and Chloe Morey from another free made it a one point game but Carton again stepped up for Waterford to riffle over another free on forty two minutes.

Clare had Orlaith Duggan sent off on a straight red card as the game ended its final quarter and for a few moments it looked like making little difference to the home side who levelled matters with another Chloe Morey free.

Both sides began to bring fresh legs into the game after this, and it was Waterford who first benefitted as Beth Carton gave the lead once more (1-6 to 0-8).

Chloe Morey with a brace of scores and Beth Carton swapped frees to keep the sides level with eight minutes remaining as the game was either sides to get what they wanted from it.

Beth Carton with another brace of scores and one from Niamh Rockett gave Waterford a three point cushion (1-10 to 0-10) with time running down, but Clare were not going to give up.

Substitute Doireann Murphy and Chloe Morey found the range to leave the minimum between the sides with the sixty minutes played. A mistake now by either side was going to be costly.

In the second minute of two added minutes Clare conceded a scoreable free and when Beth Carton stood over it, she made no mistake, putting Waterford two in front.

The full time whistle was sounded on the restart, job done for Waterford as Donal O’Rourke’s side reached the All-Ireland senior quarter finals for the first time.

Waterford: Ciara Jackman; Kate Lynch, Iona Heffernan, Sibheal Harney; Claire Whyte, Áine Lyng, Shauna Kiernan; Lorraine Bray, Deirdre Fahey; Niamh Rockett, Annie Fitzgerald, Fiona Morrissey; Kaiesha Tobin, Beth Carton, Orla Hickey.

Subs: Aoife Landers for Orla Hickey, Caithriona McGlone for Fiona Morrissey, Mairead Power for Shauna Kiernan.

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-9 (0-7F, 0-1 ’45), Kaeisha Tobin, Niamh Rockett 0-1 each.

Clare: Lauren Solon; Carol O’Leary, Marie McGrath, Ciara Grogan; Laura McMahon, Claire Hehir, Róisín McMahon; Orlaith Duggan, Ciara Doyle; Áine O’Loughlin, Niamh O’Dea, Andrea O’Keeffe; Róisín Begley, Chloe Morey, Orla Devitt.

Subs: Sinead Conlon for Áine O’Loughlin, Doireann Murphy for Orla Devitt.

Scorers: Chloe Morey 0-10 (10f), Ciara Grogan, Doireann Murphy 0-1 each.

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)

Galway Prove Too Strong At Birr

Waterford Senior Ladies suffered a second defeat in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship this afternoon at Birr where Connacht Champions Galway proved too strong for Pat Sullivan’s Waterford side.

As a result of this defeat Waterford are now out of the championship for this year, but still have some important business to deal with as they are one of four sides that will be battling relegation to the intermediate ranks in the coming weeks.

There is still one round of games to be played in the round robin section of the competition, but it is already known that Waterford will be joined by Tipperary and Cavan in the battle to retain senior status for 2019, and will be joined by one from Monaghan or Armagh depending on how the table in group two finishes next week when Armagh take on Cork who have booked their place in the quarter final stages of the competition after they easily accounted for Monaghan in the curtain raiser to Waterford’s game against Galway.

In the relegation play off Waterford will come up against Tipperary who Waterford have beaten already this year, winning when the two sides clashed in the last round of games in the National League (Division Two) in the spring, but Waterford will read nothing from this result as they will know that the Premier Ladies were presented with their All-Ireland Intermediate medals from last year the night before the game, and will also know that the Premier County side went on to win the division two final beating a Cavan side who beat Waterford in the semi finals.

Galway always proved to be the better of the two sides in this clash, but great credit must go to the Waterford ladies who battled right to the hooter to signal the end of the game.

Three first half goals in this game proved to be main difference in this game.

The Connacht champions opened this game brightly with three scores off the boot of team captain Tracey Leonard.

Waterford pulled a point back from Katie Murray but the next score proved decisive and it went against Waterford.

Galway won the ball inside their own sixty five metre line and worked the ball up the field and when Aibhne Davoren found Leanne Coen she shot low into Kelly Moroney’s net.

The same played added a point before the industrious Michelle Ryan pulled a point back. Tracey Leonard and Michelle Ryan swapped scored before Galway struck for a second goal.

A short restart after Galway had shot a white was win by Róisín Leonard on the edge of the ‘D’ and with Kelly Moroney racing back to her line the Galway attacker lobbed the size four over her head and into an empty net.

And to compound Waterford’s misery on the day in relation to the result, with the next attack Louise Ward found Aibhne Davoren who shot to the net for a third Galway goal to give her side a 3-5 to 0-3 advantage.

Maria Delahunty pulled a point back with seven minutes of the first half remaining, but the side in white and blue would not score again for another twenty nine minutes.

Galway managed one more score from Olivia Divilly to give her side a 3-6 to 0-4 lead at the break.

Score’s were hard won in the second half for both sides as both managers emptied their bench as the game went on.

Mairead Seoighe and Eimear Flaherty pointed before Seoighe pointed again which was followed with a brace from substitute Sarah Conneally who did her chances no end of good of winning a place in the team from the off for her sides next game with Westmeath next weekend.

Waterford sub Eimear Fennell ended a long drought without a score with eight minutes remaining, but it was the Tribes Ladies that brought the scoring to a close with a fifth point from team captain and Player of the Match Tracey Leonard.

Galway did have a chance for a fourth goal late on in this game but Kelly Moroney in the Waterford goal did brilliant to close down Mairead Seoighe forcing her to kick across the goal and putting the ball just wide at the far post.

Galway: Lisa Murphy; Fabienne Cooney, Sarah Lynch, Sinead Burke; Charlotte Cooney, Nicola Ward, Eimear Flaherty; Louise Ward, Aibhne Davoren; Olivia Divilly, Tracey Leonard, Áine McDonagh; Mairead Seoighe, Róisín Leonard, Leanne Coen.  

Subs: Sarah Conneally for Róisín Leonard (39), Noelle Connolly for Fabienne Cooney (40), Deirdre Brennan for Áine McDonagh (47), Siobhan Divilly for Aibhne Davoren (47), Emma Reaney for Olivia Divilly (51). 

Scorers: Tracey Leonard 0-5 (0-3f), Leanne Coen 1-1, Róisín Leonard, Áine Davoren 1-0 each, Mairead Seoighe, Sarah Conneally 0-2each , Olivia Divilly, Eimear Flaherty 0-1each 

Waterford: Kelly Moroney; Rebecca Casey, Caoimhe McGrath, Aisling Mullaney; Michelle McGrath, Megan Dunford, Kate McGrath; Emma Murray, Karen McGrath; Kate Hahessy, Katie Murray, Mairead Wall; Aileen Wall, Maria Delahunty, Michelle Ryan. 

Subs: Keely Corbett Barry for Mairead Wall (40), Eimear Fennell for Katie Murray (44), Sinead Ryan for Aileen Wall (47), Laura Cusack for Kate Hahessy (47), Caragh McCarthy for Aisling Mullaney (51). 

Scorers: Michelle Ryan 0-2, Katie Murray, Maria Delahunty (f), Eimear Fennell 0-1 each. 

Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).

Big Weekend For Déise Ladies

            A drive across County Waterford a few weeks back would have resulted in a driver or even a passenger seen the white and blue flag of Waterford flying high on most roads in the county outside houses and places of business. And rightly so, it has become a bit of the norm in recent years as the counties senior hurling team try and end a long famine and become the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions for the first time since 1959.

            Take a similar journey today, starting at the most northerly point and driving to the most southern tip of the county and from the furthest west part of the county to the most easterly point of the county and you are likely to find few if any flags flying.

            Each year once the county senior hurling exit the championship it seems to have become the norm to take down the flags and bunting, putting them away in safe keeping in the home that the following year will end better than the one we are currently in. But we often seem to forget that there is more than one team in Waterford that deserve our support in any way we can offer it.

            For many years come the Munster and All-Ireland Championship we hear caller after caller taking to the airwaves of WLR each claiming to be Waterford’s greatest supporter and complain how they might not be able to get tickets for a game, the All-Ireland Final last year a prime example.

            We have seen the same happen on people’s social media pages. Post after post coming up on our own pages each stakes claim that the author of the posting is a terrific Waterford supporter and claiming that they can’t tickets for a game, or complain about someone who may not go to as many hurling games as they do have got tickets and how they are finding it difficult to source tickets. The author of many postings that we often see often bitch about people jumping on the bandwagon when a team is doing well, or we read about how a player might be best suited to such a position without seeing them playing outside of the county team, and would be a natural in a position that they do not play in for the county.

            While there is little white and blue to be seen across the county this year as we head to the end of July, it might come as a surprise to some that this is a massive G.A.A. weekend in Waterford.

            Within 24 hours of each other this coming weekend, two of Waterford’s inter county teams could find themselves either in or out of the championship in which they are competing.

            On Saturday afternoon the Waterford Senior Ladies Football team make the trip to Birr to take on Galway in the second round of games in this year’s All-Ireland Football Championship, and a win is a must after they lost out to Westmeath at Nenagh last weekend.

            Anything other than a win for Pat Sullivan’s side will mean that they are as good as out of the championship. A draw would keep them in the championship for another week at least, but then they would need Westmeath to beat the newly crowned Connacht champions by more than two points when they clash.

            On Sunday afternoon the attention turns to Cusack Park in Ennis when Donal O’Rourke’s Senior Camogie Championship take on Clare in what is arguably the biggest game of Camogie any Waterford side has played in.

            This might seem a little harsh on some players who in the past would have helped Waterford win Junior or Intermediate All-Ireland Finals in recent years, but it is not intended this way. While it is always nice to win an All-Ireland in any grade or age group, all players want to compete against the top sides in the top division, and Waterford go into Sunday’s game in third place in the league table with three teams advancing to the knockout stages of the competition and Donal O’Rourke’s side will do this if they avoid defeat at Clare G.A.A. Headquarters.

            Westmeath in ways caused a shock last Saturday when they beat Waterford in Nenagh.

            The two sides had very contrasting league campaigns. The midlander’s only retained their Division one status for 2019 by beating a Kerry side who were in all sorts of problems in the first part of 2018 and who as a result found themselves relegated to Division two for next year’s        competition.

            The midlander’s went into last week’s game on the back of a heavy defeat to Dublin in the Leinster Final two weeks earlier, and would have wanted to get that loss out of their system as quickly as possible, something that they achieved.

            For much of that game the sides were even, but both sides did enjoy purple patch’s and in the Midlander’s purple patch they hit 1-3 in a row which helped them to a two point cushion at the break, and while Waterford would have a purple patch of their own in the second half, the Leinster side kicked the last score of the game to win the game by the minimum.

            Now it is Waterford’s turn to get that defeat out of their system. In fact Waterford have lost their last three competitive games, the division two league semi final against Cavan, the Munster Semi Final against Kerry and last week’s All-Ireland qualifier opener against Westmeath and another defeat this year would see the side crashing out of the championship for another year.

            Prior to last weekend’s game Waterford were nearly six weeks without a competitive outing, and sometimes a player like to play in competitive games as often as they can. It’s a well known fact that you can play as many in-house or challenge games as you like but there is nothing like a competitive game, and playing last weekend will stand to Waterford.

            The Westerners recently contested and won the Connacht Final beating a fancied Mayo side 0-17 to 1-15, and will know that a win here would see them advance to the All-Ireland Quarter finals for the second year in a row, where they would be hoping to go one step further than they did twelve months ago when they were heavily beaten by a Cork side who many were writing off after they lost to both Waterford and Kerry in the Round Robin section of the Munster Championship.

            This is a Galway side that Waterford will not be under estimating and will have to be at their very best to beat.

            Galway played in Division one of the National League where they reached the semi finals where they narrowly lost out to All-Ireland Champions Dublin (2-8 to 2-7) despite beating the side from the capital in the league section of the competition.

            The Galway management team have named a strong team to play Waterford and there is some fine player’s right throughout the side that Waterford will have to keep quiet.

            Captain Tracey Leonard has hit eleven points in her side’s last two competitive outings, six of which came from frees. Róisín Leonard, Mairead Seoighe, Olivia Divilly and Leanne Coen are other players that Waterford will have to keep an eye on over the course of this game.

            Waterford too have named a strong line up, and a look at the team would show that there is players missing who you would expect that would normally be in the starting line up. But keeping strong players in reserve and springing them into action is something that Pat Sullivan has done in his tenure as manager of this side and is likely to do the same here again, meaning that Waterford could well finish the game with a stronger side than which they started with. The trick might be however to bring the right player in at the right time.

            Nobody in the Waterford camp will need telling that this is going to be a huge game. The side from West of the Shannon will possibly go into the game as the clear favourites to pick up the three points on offer, but as we have seen time and time again, when this Waterford side is not expected to get a result they are more than capable of doing so.

            On Sunday in Ennis Waterford under the guidance of Donal O’Rourke will be hoping that an excellent year under the guidance of the Cappoquin Club man will go on for another while when they take on Clare in the last round of games in the round robin section of the championship.

            Waterford put up good showings against both Galway and Kilkenny in their opening games in this year’s championship but finished empty handed on both occasions, but last weekend on a scorched surface at Walsh Park they got the better of a Limerick side who had to win to keep their interest in the championship alive.

            That win will give Waterford a huge amount of confidence heading into this game, and they will know that if they avoid defeat they will reach the knockout stages of the senior championship for the first time. However if Clare were to win, they would advance to the knockout stages of the competition, while a share of the spoils would knockout the Banner ladies from the competition.

            Confidence in the home side will be somewhat down going into this game after they suffered a very heavy loss to Kilkenny last weekend. When Waterford played the same opposition a few weeks back at Walsh Park despite losing, Waterford really put it up to the League Champions, even finishing the game with fourteen players.   

            This is a Waterford side that are making progress each year since they won the Intermediate championship back in 2015, beating Kildare at Croke Park.

            A number of the players that helped Waterford win that day have since left the panel, but in their place has come some brilliant young players.

            This year under the guidance of Donal O’Rourke the side narrowly lost out on a place in the league semi finals when they drew with Limerick in their last game, a result which saw both sides finish level on points and it was the Treaty County side that advanced to a meeting with Cork by virtue of having a better score difference after the two sides finished with equal points on the league table.

            The side no doubt will be hoping not to lose out on a place in the knockout stages of a major competition in the one year and will be hoping that a large Waterford support will make their way to Ennis for this game and become Waterford’s sixteenth player.

            Clare has a very settled look to their team this year and should line out along familiar lines in this game.

            That will mean Lauren Solan starting in goal with Ciara Doyle, Clare Heir and Carol O’Leary in front of her, while the outside line of their defence could see Emma Kennedy, Orlaith Duggan and Laura McMahon link up.

            In the middle of the field Marie McGrath and Andrea O’Keeffe would be expected to link up, while the half forward line is expected to be Róisín Begley, Róisín McMahon and Chloe Morey with an inside forward line of Orla Devitt, Niamh O’Dea and Doireann Murphy.

            Waterford’s team is slightly harder to predict. Ciara Jackman will once more be between the posts, while the full back line could well be Kate Lynch, Iona Heffernan and Sibeal Harney, but Mairead Power could also come into contention.

            The half back line could see team captain Shauna Kiernan link up with Áine Lyng and Claire Whyte once more but another option in this line could well be Aoife Landers who came on as a sub in the win over Limerick.

            In the middle of the field Lorraine Bray and Niamh Rockett are a formidable outfit all year and there would appear to be little reason to split that pairing up at this stage.

            In attack, any of the six players that would be expected to start can play in most positions in the forward line, but it would be expected that Deirdre Fahy, Kaiesha Tobin Caithriona McGlone, Beth Carton, Fiona Morrissey and Annie Fitzgerald expected to start. Donal O’Rourke has the option of playing Niamh Rockett in attack and playing Aoife Landers in the middle of the field, while there are also options like Clara Griffin and Aisling Power available to him to play in attack to make up the starting fifteen.

            The two sides have already met this year when the two sides met at the WIT Arena in the league where the two sides finished all square. This time the Déise Ladies will be hoping for a much more favourable result in this game.

            A double win for Waterford is something that Waterford supporters would love to see happen this weekend. Will it happen? Let’s see.

Waterford Edge Closer To Finish Line

Waterford Senior Camogie team are within touching distance of the finish line in their bid to reach the knockout stages of this year’s All-Ireland Championship after they recorded a brilliant 2-11 to 0-15 win over Limerick at a scorched Walsh Park on Saturday last.

Beth Carton once more made all the headlines when it comes to scoring in this game as she finished with 1-10 behind her name on the score sheet, but the De La Salle Club sharp shooter will be possibly be the first to admit that this was more about a team performance than it was an individual performance.

The De La Salle player was at the peak of her game in this game and the side needed each and every one of her scores as the home side were pushed all the way to finish by a Limerick side that knew anything other than a win in this game would mean that their interest in this year’s championship was as good as over.

When the two sides met in the league earlier this year at Ballyagran, the sides shared the spoils, a result that ended Waterford’s interest in this year’s competition and from both would have seen in that game they knew they were in for a tough battle in this one.

However in the previous meeting between the two sides Waterford were not picking from a full strength sides as Lismore’s interest in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship had only come to an end and some of their players were taking a short break from the game, recharging the batteries after a tough campaign, meaning that Donal O’Rourke that day was not picking from a full strength squad.

There might be some that will argue that the draw for this year’s championship was kind to Waterford and really it would be hard to argue against such people.

Getting a bye in round one and playing the two strongest sides in the group in the second and third rounds of games, Waterford were pitted with the third strongest side in the third round of games, but Donal O’Rourke and his group of players and mentors would always have felt that they could get something from this game, and more over so playing on home soil with a home support shouting them on over the course of the game.

Two first half goals in a four minute spell just short of the end of the first quarter proved vital for Waterford.

The home side’s first goal came on ten minutes. Annie Fitzgerald one of a number of young players who has not looked out of place playing at this level was twice blocked down as she attempted to get her name on the score sheet but she proved perseverance counts and at the third time of asking fed Beth Carton who finished to the net.

The Gailltir player was also involved in the second goal. Fellow Gailltir Club player Áine Lyng picked out Annie Fitzgerald who found Beth Carton. Noticing that Kaiesha Tobin was better placed, the De La Salle club player picked who finished pasted Laura O’Neill in the Limerick goal.

Moments later Beth Carton put over her third free of the afternoon which gave Waterford a 2-4 to 0-3 lead.

 It was the visitors however that finished the half the stronger of the two sides as they hit three Niamh Mulcahy points and one each from Dearbhla Egan and Karen O’Leary which meant at the short whistle they were only three points behind (2-5 to 0-8) at the break.

Aisling Scanlon and Beth Carton started the second half exchanging scores for their respective sides.

Beth Carton’s second point from play was a beauty hit over her shoulder after she was picked out by Niamh Rockett, but the De La Salle player missed the chance to extend her sides lead when she saw a free go side of the uprights.

Indiscipline in Waterford defence was keeping Limerick in this game as Niamh Mulcahy was not making too many mistakes from placed balls. Over the course of the game she nailed eight frees, the same tally as Beth Carton at the other end of the field.

Waterford missed another chance to extend their lead when Niamh Rockett a player who is playing out of her skin this year saw an effort go just wide when Waterford were leading 2-8 to 0-11. Up at the other end of the field Caoimhe Costelloe made no mistake in making it a two point game.

Carton and Mulcahy swapped scores before Waterford were dealt a potential blow when Sibeal Harney was sent to the stand on a second yellow card by referee Liz Dempsey for a foul which looked as if it was in her favour.

The Saint Anne’s Club player in going to the stand became the third Waterford player to be sent off in this year’s championship. Going to National School in the 1980’s we always said faith would tell when an opposing player was given what could be described a soft free, meaning it would be missed and so it proved here as Niamh Mulcahy put her placed ball, and if ever justice was done it was Waterford who got the next score of the game, again courtesy of Beth Carton.

Limerick mounted pressure on the Waterford defence with their numerical advantage, but with the first attack of note the visitors created Sarah Carey shot wide.

Niamh Mulcahy and Rebecca Delee fired over points to make it a single score game with time ticking down.

Deep in stoppage time Kaiesha Tobin drew a foul from Limerick full back Muireann Creamer who already had being booked which left referee Liz Dempsey with no option but to issue her with a second yellow card which was followed with a red to even up the numbers on the field.

Beth Carton held her nerve as she stood over the free and she made no mistake in putting it between the uprights, giving Waterford a two point lead and when the full time whistle soon followed there was nothing but joy to be seen on the faces of the Waterford team and mentors.

Waterford now plays Clare in the last game in the Round Robin section of the competition this Sunday at Cusack Park in Ennis.

Donal O’Rourke’s side need only to avoid defeat to secure their place into the knockout stages of the competition for the very first time, while the home side will need to win if they are to advance. A win for Clare would mean that both Waterford and Clare would end on four points each but the Banner Ladies would win on the head to head rule.

Waterford: Ciara Jackman; Kate Lynch, Sibeal Harney, Iona Heffernan; Shauna Kiernan, Aine Lyng, Claire Whyte; Lorraine Bray, Aoife Landers; Annie Fitzgerald, Niamh Rockett, Deirdre Fahy; Kaiesha Tobin, Beth Carton, Caithriona McGlone.

Subs: Fiona Morrissey for Aoife Landers, Jenny McCarthy for Claire Whyte, Aisling Power for Caithriona McGlone, Orla Hickey for Annie Fitzgerald, Clara Griffin for Fiona Morrissey.

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-10 (8fs), Kaiesha Tobin 1-0, Niamh Rockett 0-1.

Limerick: Laura O’Neill; Megan O’Mara, Muireann Creamer, Mairead Ryan; Neamh Curtin, Sarah Carey, Caoimhe Costelloe; Karen O’Leary, Rebecca Delee; Aisling Scanlon, Niamh Mulcahy, Deborah Murphy; Caoimhe Lyons, Dearbhla Egan, Kate Hennessy.

Sub: Laura Stack for Kate Hennessy.

Scorers: Niamh Mulcahy 0-10 (8fs), Caoimhe Costelloe, Karen O’Leary, Rebecca Delee, Aisling Scanlon, Dearbhla Egan 0-1 each.

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)