Waterford V Kerry Part 2

Last Sunday was a memorable day for Ladies Football in Waterford when Ciaran Curran’s side beat Kerry to claim the Division Two National League title against a fancied Kerry side at Parnell Park in Dublin.

Goals that day made a difference with Waterford hitting four in a brilliant first half performance as Michelle Ryan, Kelly Ann Hogan, Maria Delahunty and Róisín Tobin all had the umpires at the northern side of the North Dublin venue reaching for the green flag.

For Waterford to keep up the way they were performing in that first half for the full sixty minutes was always going to be a big ask for Ciaran Curran’s side and while the ladies from the kingdom did come more into contention in the second half much of the damage was done as far as they were concerned and Waterford were full value for their 5-13 to 1-17 victory, staking a place in Division One in next years league where they will be up against the likes of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Mayo, Donegal and Tipperary.

The two sides meet again this Saturday evening in Ennis, the curtain raiser to the Munster Championship (mens) quarter final between Waterford and Clare.

The outcome of last Sunday’s game will bear no impact in the result of this game. After Waterford’s win last Sunday and the manner in which they played will get some suggesting that they will win again this weekend, but that loss for Kerry will only spur them on and they will be going out all guns blazing to gain revenge as quickly as possible.

It remains to be seen as of now what changes if any will be made for this game.

Last weekend Kerry were forced into changing their goalkeeper Robyn White in the first half. The Kerry mentors indicated at the break that she had picked up a hamstring injury and was replaced soon after Waterford had netted their third goal. Kayleigh Cronin came on for her after 26 minutes could well retain her place for this game. On the day I felt that Robyn White had lost some confidence between the posts after the start that Waterford made and she could well have been replaced maybe for the start of the second half and if she had not Waterford could have scored more than just the one goal in the second thirty minutes.

Having played each other last weekend for the second time this year, both sides will know each other fairly well and know each other’s strength’s and weaknesses.

Players like Aislinn Desmond, Aisling O’Connell, Lorraine Scanlon, Amanda Brosnan, Hannah O’Donoghue and Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh down the spine of the Kerry team last Sunday are very talented players while the likes of Miriam O’Keeffe and Sarah Houlihan in the corner forward positions as well as Niamh Carmody in the half forward line are also talented players.

This present Waterford side is a talented one and it is one that could well go on to achieve a great deal in the years to come.

Within the set up there is some very experience players in the likes of Caoimhe McGrath, Róisín Tobin, Karen McGrath, Michelle Ryan, the Murray sisters, Maria Delahunty, Eimear Fennell and Aileen Wall which is a benefit to any side, but there is also some excellent young players in the likes of Rosie Landers, Rebecca Casey, Kelly Ann Hogan and Aisling Mullaney amongst but a few who have a bright future ahead of them in the game.

In Ladies Football as well as in Camogie when sides meet twice in a short space of time it is often the side that lose the first day learns the most and come out on top on the second occasion.

Will it happen like this on Saturday evening in Ennis? It really is impossible to say. One thing is for sure the game is going to be much closer than it was last Sunday, and regardless of the outcome both sides will be involved in the All-Ireland Championship which begins in a few weeks time.