Defeat for Waterford in All-Ireland Quarter Final but Expect This Side to Be Back Better Than Ever In 2019

There was no joy for Waterford in the first of this year’s All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Quarter Finals on Saturday afternoon when Tipperary proved that little bit stronger at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

While Waterford will be somewhat disappointed with the final result, it is important that each and every one of the players and management team hold their heads very high as they had a year that few would have expected this time last year, reaching the quarter finals of the championship for the very first time and earlier this year missing out on the knockout stages of the National League on score difference over Limerick who drew with Donal O’Rourke’s side in the last game in the round robin section of the competition.

With many of the panel still in their mid to late teens and early twenties, should this panel remain in place to compete again in 2019 and maybe add some of the best minors who helped Waterford win a first ever Munster ‘A’ Minor Title last Wednesday night over All-Ireland Champions Cork in Fermoy, then nobody will be taking this group of players lightly going forward and if they were to get the better of the girls in white and blue, they will really have to be at their very best.

All year round and more over in the championship some strange decisions by the match officials on a given day have gone against Waterford and it could be argued that the same happened in this game.

Waterford’s first score of the game for example came from a twenty metre free for a foul committed on a brilliant Niamh Rockett inside the large box. While Beth Carton made no mistake in putting the sliotar over the Tipperary crossbar had the free puck being a penalty you would have to fancy the De La Salle sharpshooter to bellow the Tipperary net against a three woman wall on the goal line but with extra bodies able to guard the net for a conventional free she took the saver option and took the minor score that was available to her.

With five minutes of the hour remaining Waterford won a free at distance from the Tipperary goal, which Áine Lyng the most experienced member of this panel having won an Under 16 All-Ireland medal back in 2003 against Armagh at Port Laoise, dropped in around the danger zone for Tipperary. The ball was batten down to an area where there was a number of Waterford forwards lurking, but before they could do anything with the ball, the Antrim referee blew his whistle awarding the defending team at the time a free out for what seemed to be a dubious infringement within the square.

At the time there was only three points between the sides and had maybe a goal being registered it surly would have spurred Waterford onto a victory and a place in the semi finals for the first time.

Tipperary were quickest out of the traps in this game. Twice in the first half there was seven points between the sides on the scoreboard, but at the break only four were between the sides after the eventual winners twice pointed in added time at the end of the thirty.

Grace O’Brien and Ciardha Maher hit scores in the opening three minutes before Waterford opened their account with a Beth Carton free on six minutes, a free that could just as easily be a penalty for Waterford as Niamh Rockett was knocked to the ground inside the large box.

Laura Loughnane, Cáit Devane from a free, Orla O’Dwyer, a brace of scores from Cáit Devane and one from Caoimhe Maher put Tipperary 0-8 to 0-1 in front with twenty minutes showing on the clock.

Beth Carton hit her and Waterford’s second score of the game, again from a placed ball this time a ’45 to cut Tipperary’s margin on 21 minutes but it was followed with a point from Ciardha Maher.

Waterford’s best period score-wise came in a seven minute spell just short of the half hour mark.

The brilliant Niamh Rockett put over a brilliant score from under the stand playing into the city end of the ground before Beth Carton put over a free to leave five between the sides.

On the half hour mark Waterford won a sideline on the northern side of the ground which was struck by Aoife Landers. Orla Hickey and Deirdre Fahey got touches before the ball fell to Beth Carton who hit a high dropping ball in around the Tipperary square which caught out Caoimhe Burke and fell into the back of the net.

In added time Tipperary landed scores from Grace O’Brien and Orla O’Dwyer which gave them a 0-11 to 1-4 advantage showing on the scoreboard as the sides headed to the dressing rooms.

Waterford began the second half brightly as Lorraine Bray and Niamh Rockett put over points to cut the Tipperary lead once more to two points.

Orla O’Dwyer who impressed throughout for the winners made it a three point game on35 minutes, which was back down to two four minutes later when Beth Carton again split the posts.

Sadly for Waterford despite creating chances Donal O’Rourke’s side failed to score in the last twenty one minutes of this game.

While Waterford failed to score after Carton’s fifth score of the game at the other end of the field a more experienced Tipperary side did not have things all their own way as the likes of Ciara Jackman, Áine Lyng and Sibheal Harney were having excellent games in the white and blue shirt, with the other players also playing a part.

Ciardha Maher pointed for Tipperary on 48 minutes but they were not able to break free of Waterford.

Two minutes later Beth Carton tried to lob Caoimhe Burke in the Tipperary goal but narrowly failed to pull off the shot.

Two minutes into stoppage time Tipperary secured their win when they won a free on the half way line out by the stand on the Southern Stand which looked to be sailing over the Waterford crossbar but dipped and went just over the hurley of Ciara Jackman and fell into the Waterford net. And seconds later the same player made no mistake in a much more central position again shooting from a free on the Waterford 65 metre line.

TIPPERARY: Caoimhe Burke; Julie Anne Burke, Gemma Grace, Clodagh Quirke; Caroline Mullaney, Karen Kennedy, Mary Ryan; Laura Loughnane, Ereena Fryday; Ciardha Maher, Caoimhe Maher, Orla O’Dwyer; Grace O’Brien, Cáit Deane, Róisín Cahill.

            Subs: Sarah Fryday for Róisín Cahill (ht), Miriam Camption for Caoimhe Maher (39), Casey Hennessey for Laura Loughnane (48), Eibhlis McDonnell for Grace O’Brien (60+2)

Scorers: Cáit Devane 1-4(1-3fs); Ciardha Maher, Orla O’Dwyer 0-3 each; Grace O’Brien 0-2; Caoimhe Maher, Laura Loughnane 0-1 each

WATERFORD: Ciara Jackman; Kate Lynch, Iona Heffernan, Sibheal Harney; Aoife Landers, Áine Lyng, Shona Kiernan; Lorraine Bray, Deirdre Fahey; Niamh Rockett, Annie Fitzgerald, Fiona Morrissey; Kaeisha Tobin, Beth Carton, Orla Hickey.

 Subs: Aisling Power for Fiona Morrissey (30) Claire Whyte for Aoife Landers (ht), Mairead Power for Shauna Kiernan (ht), Kate McMahon for Orla Hickey (44)

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-4(3fs, 1 45); Niamh Rockett 0-2; Lorraine Bray 0-1

Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim)