Tough Task Ahead For Waterford Footballers

Waterford’s senior footballers go in search of a first Munster Championship win since 2010 on Saturday evening when they take on Clare at Cusack Park in Ennis.

Since beating Clare at Fraher Field back in 2010 on a 1-10 to 0-9 score line Waterford’s best result came five years ago when they drew 0-12 to 2-6 score line and more recently although while tasting defeat losing out to Cork by one point at Fraher Field two years ago.

Nobody that has an interest in Football that Benji Whelan’s side will face a difficult task if they are to reverse Waterford’s run of results in the Munster Championship this weekend.

While the Kilmacthomas man and his management team will have left no stone unturned in preparing their charges for this game, it really is hard to see anything other than a Clare win happen, but in saying that, it is when nobody give a Waterford football side any hope that they are at their best, and we could well see this happen on Saturday evening.

When it comes to Gaelic Football this year getting out of Division Four in the National League was Waterford’s main aim, but a poor start to this year’s campaign, losing their first three games meant that Waterford’s interest in the competition was over before the competition reached it’s midway point.

Waterford’s result’s did improve in the second half of the competition, even if they were to lose their last game in the group stages against a Leitrim side that had secured promotion to Division Three before the game and this will give the side in white and blue confidence going into the game in Ennis on Saturday evening.

What side Waterford will field on Saturday evening remains to be seen. We do know that the side will show a number of changes to that which we would have seen in previous years.

Aaron Beresford had taken over the number one shirt from his Ballinacourty club made Stephen Enright this year but the Ballinacourty man dislocated his knee in the run up to the first round of the club championship ruling him out of contention for his sides two games, and while we are told that he has returned to training with the county, it remains to be seen if the game has come too soon for him.

If he is deemed fit to play then expect him to start, but if he isn’t, then Gaultier’s David Whitty would be expected to start with Kilrossanty’s 46 year old goal keeper Darren Mulhearne called up to the panel in recent weeks providing cover on the bench.

Modeligo’s Sean O’Donovan, Ray Ó Ceallaigh from An Rinn and James McGrath from county champions The Nire would be expected to start in front of him with Tadhg Ó hUallachain, Brian Looby and Shane Ryan expected to form the half back line but in what order from left to right would remain to be seen.

The middle of the field could see Waterford’s twin towers – Kilrossanty’s Tommy Prendergast and Stradbally’s Shane Ahearne link up, a pairing that no centre of the field pairing would like to come up against with their combined aerial ability.

In attack the line out could well see plenty of roving between the six position but the positions are likely to be filled by JJ and Dessie Hutchinson from Gaultier, Conor Murray and Michael Curry from Rathgormack as well as Feargal Ó Cuirrín from An Rinn and possibly Dylan Guiry, with the likes of Jason Curry, Donie Fitzgerald and Sean Whelan-Barrett also likely to come into contention.

Clare played two divisions above Waterford in the National League and did well to retain their place in Division Two for 2020, no mean achievement considering some of the teams that were in that division this year. The finished level on points with Cork (along with Tipperary) but the rebels were relegated after the pair drew and Clare finished with a better scoring difference.  

David Tubridy is one of Clare’s best players now with a long number of years and he could well if given the chance prove to be a thorn in the Waterford defence on Saturday evening making few mistakes.

But they are by no means a one man team an in the likes of Jamie Malone, Gary Brennan, Gordon Kelly and Piece DeLoughrey they have some quality players that will cause problems for most sides.

I for one would love to say that Waterford will win this game and would love to be reading about a Waterford win in next week’s City and Dungarvan local papers, but hand on heart as much as I would love to say it, i can’t.

But as I have said already when Waterford are wrote off my many this is when they can produce the goods and if they were to produce the goods here I would not be surprised. I would really love to be proven wrong here, but it is hard to see anything other than a home win in this one.