Brave effort by Waterford, but Cork prove too strong

Two years ago, Waterford and Cork clashed in the Under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland Final at Mallow. Along the way the two sides proved too strong for all they met and it was no surprise to see both promoted to play in the Minor ‘A’ Championship this year.

Both of the sides get their All-Ireland campaign under way in the coming weeks.

Waterford plays their first game on February 22 when they are away to Offaly. A week later Cork plays their first game when they have home advantage against Wexford. The same weekend Waterford will be on the road again, this time crossing the Shannon to play Galway.

On the weekend of March 21 both teams have home games. Waterford play Limerick while Cork play Tipperary and a week later, Waterford have a bye while Cork are away to Clare and in the last round of games on April 4, Waterford are at home to Dublin and Cork are away to Kilkenny. After this round of games, the top two teams in both groups advance to the semi finals where the top team in both group play the second placed team in the opposite group.

To help both sides prepare for the All-Ireland Championship, the Munster Council played the first round of their Minor Championship last weekend.

Cork made the journey to Fraher Field for the game and while they won the game 2-15 to 2-6, the Waterford players and management team will see the game against the Rebels as a very worth while exercise.

Cork got off to a flying start in the game racing into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead after just eighteen minutes.

Top scorer for Cork on the day Kate O’Keeffe hit 1-3 in those opening 18 minutes. She and Keeva McCarthy shared the first four scores equally in the game before Beth Carton landed Waterford’s first score of the game from a free. However, almost straight away Kate O’Keeffe from a Hollie Herlihy pass beat Brianna O’Regan for the first goal of the game, giving the visitors a six point lead, a lead that was extended on eighteen minutes when Kate O’Keeffe hit her four score of the game.

Despite Cork’s start, Waterford refused to give up and on twenty minutes they were extremely unlucky not to have beaten Chloe Casey in the Cork goal as a long ball out of defence by Iona Heffernan was latched onto by Molly Curran and the Brickey Rangers player was unlucky to see her effort cleared off the line by the Cork defence.

A brace of points from De La Salle’s Beth Carton followed for Waterford to leave five between the sides, but Sinead Mills but six between the sides when she hit her first of the game.

Beth Carton landed another free for Waterford, but the home side were not finished yet as from the puck out, the brilliant De La Salle player won the ball and laid it off across the Cork goal and when Chloe Casey was not able to deal with the cross properly, Kate McMahon was in the right place to stroke to the net, leaving her side trailing 1-6 to 1-4 at the break.

The second half began with Brianna O’Regan one of a number of brilliant camogie goalkeepers in Waterford right now, making a brilliant save from Kate O’Keeffe who attempted her luck for a second goal for the visitors. The De La Salle player showed her worth in the follow up as the sliotar spilled loose and in a bid to keep the ball out of the net O’Regan but her body in the line of the Sliotar to again keep it out.

The first score of the second half went in the way of Cork, Sinead Mills putting over to give her side a three point lead, but it was a short lived advantage on the scoreboard as Aisling Power and Dawn Power linked up finding Beth Carton who dispatched to the net to level matters on the score board – 1-7 to 2-4.

However the goal failed to ignite Waterford as such a score often would. It was Cork that finished the game the stronger of the two sides.

Cork cancelled out the De La Salle’s players goal soon afterwards when the impressive Sinead Mills beat Brianna O’Regan to give her side a 2-7 to 2-4 lead.

Cork after this enjoyed a period of dominance as Keeva McCarthy, Lisa Lynch with three frees, Hayley Ryan,  Lisa Lynch again, Anne Marie Ryan and Keeva McCarthy all hit points with Waterford’s solitary response’s coming from Beth Carton with a brace of scores. 

Waterford: B O’Reagan; O Flynn, R Cahillane, L Murray; C Healy, I Heffernan, S Bonner; M Dunford, C McGrath; D Power, K McMahon, M Curran; N Ahearne, B Carton, A Power. Subs used: S Harney, E McGrath, A Shanahan, R Uniacke, C Hahessy.

Scorers: B Carton 1-6 (4fs); K McMahon 1-0.

Cork: C Casey; K Falvey, N O’Farrell, E Casey; E Twomey, R Walsh, R Sheehan; H Herlihy, L McEvoy; K McCarthy, L Lynch, H Looney; S Mills, K O’Keefe, H Ryan. Subs used: L Kelly, AR Ryan, A O’Callaghan.

Scorers: K O’Keefe 1-3; S Mills 1-2; L Lynch (4fs); K McCarthy 0-4 each; H Ryan, AR Ryan 0-1 each.

Referee: Ger Browne (Tipperary).