Waterford and Tipperary Must Do It All Again As Game Is Abandoned Due To Serious Injury

Waterford’s opening fixture in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship was abandoned three minutes from the end of normal time on Saturday evening with Waterford leading by four points at The Ragg following a serious head injury picked up by Tipperary Corner forward Nicole Walsh.

Within minutes of the Borris-Ileigh player falling to the ground as she challenged for a dropping ball it quickly became apparent that professional medical advice would be needed and an ambulance was called for to attend the ground.

When after 25 minutes no ambulance had arrived at the ground, something that has angered many with an interest in player welfare a call was made to summon an air ambulance to the ground and transfer the player to hospital for the treatment that she needed.

Thankfully, the players injuries were not as serious as first feared and she was released from Hospital on Sunday afternoon and is recovering at home and hopefully will be back playing in the maroon and white of Borris-Ileigh and the Blue and Gold of Tipperary sooner rather than later.

Waterford were leading by four points at the time and looking good to begin this year’s competition with a win at the time of the Borris-Ileigh club player was injured needing the arrival of professional medical personnel to be summoned to the ground to treat the injured player who fell heavily while challenging for a dropping ball, resulting in her picking up a neck injury.

With no ambulance present at the ground and it taking some time to get one to the Mid-Tipperary venue and with a significant period of time elapsed before the injured player was able to be removed from the play, referee Andrew Larkin quite wisely opted to bring the game to a premature end, meaning the game will have to be replayed at a later date.

Waterford had made two changes to the published team ahead of this game as Brianna O’Regan started in goal in place of Ciara Jackman, while the Gailltir Club players older sister Trish made her first start for the county in three years, partnering Shona Curran another player who has returned to the Waterford set up this year again after a number of years away from the panel in the middle of the field.

Beth Carton had hit 11 points for Waterford up to the time the game was prematurely ended by the Cork referee, while Orla Hickey had hit 1-2.

When the sides clashed at the same venue at the same venue a few weeks previously in the Munster Championship the home side had a comfortable win, but this game proved to be a much different affair with Waterford proving to be the better of the two sides on the evening.

It was the home side that started this game the brighter of the two side and raced into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with just nine minutes played.

Those expected Waterford to roll over and allow the home side to control proceedings however would be left disappointed.

Points from Beth Carton and Orla Hickey followed to give Waterford a 0-4 to 0-3 lead while playing against the breeze. The home side however responded with three efforts from Orla O’Dwyer with Beth Carton pulling two back for Waterford to level matters (0-6 each) with three minutes of the first half remaining.

There was time however for both sides to land further scores before the half time whistle. Orla O’Dwyer put one over for the home side with Beth Carton landing a brace of scores for Waterford to give Waterford a slender 0-8 to 0-7 at the break.

Waterford however were unlucky not to turn around even further in front as Donal O’Rourke’s side created two goal scoring chances late on, both falling to corner forward Annie Fitzgerald who saw her first effort on 27 minutes blocked by Aoife McGrath and three minutes later she saw an effort smothered by Tipperary goalkeeper Caoimhe Bourke.

The home side marginally enjoyed the better of the third quarter and turned a one point defecate at the break into a one point lead with 47 minutes of the game played.

Cáit Devane, Nicole Walsh and Orla O’Dwyer fired over points for the Premier Ladies inside the opening five minutes of the restart, only for Sarah Lacey and Beth Carton to land points for Waterford to tie the scoring at 10 points each, and by the 47 minutes they found themselves 0-12 to 0-11 in front.

Waterford however in the next ten minutes were outstanding. Orla Hickey levelled the matters with 12 minutes remaining on the clock, before Beth Carton took on the Tipperary defence and picking off a fine score from her left side.

The De La Salle sharp shooter converted a free to extend Waterford’s lead before Waterford struck the only goal of the game with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, Dungarvan’s Orla Hickey the player to scramble the ball over the line.

Beth Carton put Waterford six in front on 52 minutes when she split the posts from a free, but Tipperary over the next five minutes put over two frees from the stick of Cáit Devane to leave four between the sides.

Next up for Waterford is a game against Dublin at Walsh Park this Saturday evening.

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Iona Heffernan, Áine Lyng, Sibheal Harney; Kate Lynch, Lorraine Bray, Caoimhe McGrath; Shona Curran, Trish Jackman; Keeley Corbett-Barry, Orla Hickey, Niamh Rockett; Beth Carton, Sarah Lacey, Annie Fitzgerald.

Subs: Emma Hannon for Shona Curran (22), Mairéad Power for Áine Lyng (35), Aoife Landers for Keeley Corbett-Barry (42).

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-11 (0-5f, 0-1 ’45), Orla Hickey 1-2, Niamh Rockett, Sarah Lacey 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Caoimhe Bourke; Julie Anne Bourke, Caroline Mullaney, Eimear Loughman; Clodagh Quirke, Karen Kennedy, Gemma Grace; Aoife McGrath, Megan Ryan; Orla O'Dwyer, Cáit Devane, Ereena Fryday;  Nicole Walsh, Miriam Campion, Grace O’Brien.

Subs: Niamh Treacy for Ereena Fryday (48), Mary Ryan for Aoife McGrath (53), Laura Loughnane for Megan Ryan (56.

Scorers: Cáit Devane 0-6 (5f), Orla O’Dwyer 0-5, Ereena Fryday, Nicole Walsh, Grace O’Brien 0-1 each.

Referee: Andrew Larkin (Cork).