Waterford got their Tesco Homegrown National
Ladies Football League Campaign off to a good start on Sunday afternoon last
when they accounted for Wexford at Fraher Field.
When the sides clashed in the league in 2014,
Waterford ran out easy winners at Grantstown, but this game was always going to
be different.
Waterford under new management in 2015 showed a
number of changes to the team which lined out in previous years, and while some
games have been played since the new management team was put in place, it is
going to take a little time for the new faces to settle into the team and to
get used to playing at a higher level that they are accustomed to.
Wexford since last years game won the
All-Ireland Junior final beating New York at Croke Park last September. This was
their first big game since that win. The side that beat New York showed a
number of Personal and positional changes to the team that played Waterford
last year, and they were anxious to show from the off that as a team they are
more like the team that won in Croke Park than the team that lost at
Grantstown.
From the off Wexford made it very difficult for
Waterford in this game, proving to be a match for Waterford in all sections of
the field in the opening half.
Both defences were on top in the opening thirty
minutes, meaning that scoring was going to be difficult for the direct
opponents.
Waterford took the lead on eleven minutes when Michelle
Ryan split the posts with a wonderfully taken score after she was picked out by
Maria Delahunty. Strangely there would be just one further score in the first
half, again going Waterford’s way just past the mid way point in the opening
half, again coming for the experienced Michelle Ryan after she collected a
quick free taken by Waterford’s new captain Linda Wall.
Both sides will have felt that should have added
to the only scores in the first half. Waterford missed three chances in a four
minute spell inside the opening seven minutes of the game starting.
Wexford will consider themselves unlucky not to
have hit the Waterford net. Katie Redmond spilt the Waterford defence with a
good ball, but her shot hit off full forward Maria Byrne’s upper body area awkwardly
and new Waterford goalkeeper Katie Hannon was able to alieve the danger.
In another move involving Niamh Moore, Danielle
Chin, Roisin Murphy, and Ellen O’Brien ended with Clara Donnelly shooting
across the face of the Waterford goal.
After Waterford went two points up, Maria
Delahunty missed two close in frees to stretch Waterford’s lead, while at the opposite
end of the field experienced players Michelle McGrath and Elaine Power were
marshalling the Waterford defence cutting out some of the chances Wexford had
to get off the mark.
Waterford began the second half doubling their
half time advantage with points from Maria Delahunty two minutes after the
restart and four minutes later Michelle Ryan got her third score of the game.
Wexford got on the score sheet just before the
end of the third quarter. A speculative shot from 30 metres by Roisin Murphy
having being set up by Niamh Moore caught out Katie Hannon in the Waterford
goal and ended up in the top right hand corner of the net to leave just one
between the sides.
On forty-five minutes, the sides were all square
when Marcella Cullen set up by Katie Redmond hit a wonderful point for Wexford.
Katie Redmond missed two chances to send Wexford
into the lead and with Ellen O’Brien sin binned Waterford added five late
points in a eight minute spell to win the game.
Going level on the score board Pat Sullivan made
changes bringing in Ciara Hurley who was part of the under 16 panel last year
for her league debut and also brought in the experienced Aileen Wall. Within minutes,
Aileen Wall was causing problems for the Wexford backs and soon afterwards Maria
Delahunty split the Wexford posts to put Waterford back in front.
Michelle Ryan having being set up by Megan
Dunford and Aileen Wall increased Waterford’s lead but Maria Byrne with eight
minutes to go cut that lead by one. Mairead Wall after coming on as a sub with
the help of Sinead Ryan set up Michelle Ryan for another Waterford score.
Maria
Byrne pulled a point back for Wexford and a minute later after which Aileen
Wall extended Waterford’s lead with a point with four minutes to go. With three
minutes to play Maria Delahunty extended Waterford’s lead to four, but there
was a tense last few moments for Waterford after Wexford won a penalty in
stoppage time after a foul on Maria Byrne who dispatched to the net to leave
just one between the sides.
Next up is a another home game for Waterford
against Fermanagh this weekend, while for Wexford, they make the long journey
to the North West to play Sligo
Waterford: Katie Hannon; Megan Dunford, Karen McGrath, Emma Murray; Michelle
McGrath, Elaine Power, Caoimhe McGrath; Mary Kate Morrissey, Hannah Landers; Linda
Wall, Margaret Revins, Shauna Dunphy; Maria Delahunty, Sinead Ryan, Michelle
Ryan. Subs: Ciara Hurley for Shauna Dunphy (43); Aileen Wall for Margaret
Revins (45); Mairead Wall for Mary Kate Morrissey (52); Eimer Scanlon for Hannah
Landers (58); Aoife Dunne for Linda Wall (60).
Rest of the Panel: Mary Foley, Nora Dunphy,
Nicola Fennell, Liz Devine, Kate McGrath, Lauren McGregor, Dede Fahey, Mairead
Power, Louise Ryan, Aoife Landers, Aoife Murray, Eimear Fennell, Grainne
Kenneally.
Scorers: Michelle Ryan 0-5; Maria Delahunty 0-3 (1f); Aileen Wall 0-1.
Wexford: Mary Rose Kelly; Meave Quill, Marcia Cullen, Ciara Neville; Beth
Cardiff, Sharon Kehoe, Danielle Chin; Roisin Murphy, Clara Donnelly; Eileen
O’Brien, Kate Redmond, Kellie Kearney; Marcella Cullen, Maria Byrne, Niamh
Moore. Subs: Niamh Butler for Kellie Kearney (39); Roisin Fitzgerald for
Maeve Quill; Leanne Brennan for Marcella Cullen.
Rest of the
Panel: Aoife McAuliffe, Chantelle Martin, Niamh Clarke-Rochford, Georgina
Hearne, Hannah Murphy, Lesley Bates, Aoife Ryan, Rachel Bridges, Niamh Mernagh,
Johanna Cousins.
Scorers: M Byrne 1-1 (1-0 pen); Roisin Murphy 1-0, Marcella Cullen 0-1.
Referee: Niall McCormack (Laois).
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