Waterford begin National Football League campaign with a win

Tom McGlinchey’s Waterford Senior Football side have made it five wins from five competitive games in 2015 as they followed last weeks McGrath Cup Final win over UCC at Fraher Field with a victory over Wicklow at the same venue in the opening round of games in this years National Football League.

Waterford knew going into last weekends McGrath Cup that they had to follow their semi final win over Cork up with win in the final, and going into this weekends game with Wicklow they knew it was important to follow that win up with another win at Fraher Field.

Five wins from five games means that confidence at this point is high within the camp. But the side knows that tougher games lie in store, and none more so than next weekends game with Offaly, which is Waterford’s first away game of the years.

Despite Wicklow coming into this game on a poor run of results, winning just one of their three O’Byrne Cup games, and needed two own goals to be scored for them in that game to get past the challenge of Carlow IT, Waterford always knew that they faced a tough battle against Wicklow.

At the break, just two points separated the sides, in Waterford’s favour, late in the second half the home side held a seven point advantage on the score board, but Wicklow finished the game the stronger of the sides, kicking three points in a row, but the goal they needed failed to come their way.

Playing with the wind in the first half, playing a direct style of game into Conor McGraynor who was playing on the edge of the Waterford square, the visitors started well with points from John McGrath and Thomas Kelly inside the first five minutes of the game to open up an advantage on the score board.

Waterford however soon settled and kicked the next three points through Liam Lawlor, Michael O’Halloran and Patrick Hurney to take the lead with eleven minutes played.

The first half proved to be an even affair and in a game where the sides were tied five times in the opening half it was no surprise to see Wicklow hit back with a score from Dean Odlum.

As the half progressed Waterford proved to be marginally the better of the two sides, retiring at the break with a 0-9 to 0-7 advantage on the score board with points from the Ballinacourty Club pair of Michael O’Halloran and Patrick Hurney, with Shane Ahearne and Gavin Nugent also hitting scores for the home side, while John McGrath landed three further points for the visitors with Dean Odlum kicking the final score of the first half in stoppage time for visitors.

Waterford were dealt a blow eight minutes from the break when Liam Lawlor retired with an injury and with big games coming up, in the coming weeks, Tom McGlinchey and his selectors will be hoping that the injury will not keep the Nire man out of the side.

After the restart Tadhg Ó hUallacháin stretched Waterford’s lead to three and that could well have gone to six soon afterwards but Rathgormack’s Michael Curry saw his effort hit the frame.

Waterford hit the next four points through Michael O’Halloran, Mark Ferncombe who had come on for Liam Lawlor in the first half, Shane Ahearne with his fourth on the evening from a free and Michael O’Halloran who has established himself in the team rounded off a good evenings work with his fourth of the evening to give Waterford a 0-14 to 0-7 lead with seven minutes to play.

Wicklow hit their first score of the second half five minutes from time when Conor McGraynor hit his first of the evening from a free and followed it up with another again from a free two minutes later to cut Waterford’s lead to five.

Dean Odlum hit his third of the game late in the game for Wicklow, but it proved to be but a mere consolation score for the visitors, as it was a goal that his side needed.

Wicklow in added time did put pressure on the Waterford defence, but they could not break down a resolute Waterford defence that held out for a 0-14 to 0-10 win.

Next up for Waterford is a tough away game against Offaly in Tullamore followed with a home game in Fraher Field against Carlow, while for Wicklow it is Leitrim at home next weekend in Aughrim followed by a game against Offaly again in Aughrim.

Waterford: Stephen Enright; Dean Crowley, Ray Ó Ceallaigh, Thomas O'Gorman; Tadhg Ó hUallacháin, Maurice O'Gorman, Conor Phelan; Shane Ahearne, Tommy Prendergast; Michael Curry, Michael O'Halloran, Patrick Hurney; Liam Lawlor, Joey Veale, Gavin Nugent. Subs: Mark Ferncombe for Liam Lawlor (27), Lorcan Ó Corraoin for Joey Veale (43), Paul Whyte for Gavin Nugent (50), Stephen Prendergast for Conor Phelan (58), Oran Keevers for Michael Curry (62), David Grey for Thomas O'Gorman (73).

Scorers: Michael O'Halloran, Shane Ahearne (4fs) 0-4 each, Patrick Hurney 0-2, Tadhg Ó hUallacháin, Mark Ferncombe, Liam Lawlor, Gavin Nugent 0-1 each.

Wicklow: Robert Lambert; Aaron Murphy, Paul Cunningham, Alan Byrne; Dean Healy, Stephen Kelly, Ross O'Brien; Paul McLoughlin, Anthony McLoughlin; Daniel Woods, John McGrath, Darren Hayden; Dean Odlum, Conor McGraynor, Tommy Kelly. Subs: Seanie Furlong for Tommy Kelly (H-T); Michael McLoughlin for Daniel Woods (43); Mark Kenny for John McGrath (48); Chris Murphy for Alan Byrne (52), Pat McWalter for Ross O'Brien (58).

Scorers: John McGrath 0-4 (3f), Dean Odlum 0-3, Conor McGraynor 0-2 (2f), Tommy Kelly 0-1.

Referee: Michael Collins (Cork)