Waterford Ladies also seek wins this weekend

Waterford’s Intermediate Ladies Football and Camogie teams have both made excellent starts to this years National Leagues.

The Ladies Footballers have a four wins from four games record after wins over Wexford, Fermanagh, Sligo and Tipperary, while the Camogie team have also a 100% win record to this years league after beating the second string sides of Tipperary and Cork in recent weeks.

Both sides are out again this Sunday and will be looking to keep their winning start to their respective leagues in tact.

Both however will know that while they have had some stern tests this years, this weekends games could well prove to be the toughest yet.

The Ladies Footballers welcome last years Division Four Champions to Fraher Field for a 2pm start on Sunday.

The Rossies since coming up have impressed immensely.

The lost their first game of the league away to Leitrim 4-11 to 3-8, but since then they have put three wins in a row together, beating Longford, Tipperary and Sligo which should mean that they travel to the South-East a very confident side.

While not many of the Roscommon names will be very familiar to Waterford supporters, there is no doubt that Waterford manager Pat Sullivan will have his work done on their latest opponents.

Jenny Downey is a player that clearly knows where the posts are.

In her last four games she has hit twenty points, kicking four points each in the sides first two games of the year before upping that tally to five and seven respectively in the last two games.

Others that Waterford will have to keep an eye on are Rachel Ryan, Martina Freyne who has hit five goals in the games against Leitrim, Longford and Sligo, while Jenny Higgins, Deirdre Regan, Laura McLone and Joanne Gregg also are players that could punish Waterford if given time and space on the ball.

Waterford in the league received scares in beating both Wexford and Tipperary, while comfortable wins were achieved against Fermanagh and Sligo, two sides that would have been expected to severely test Waterford.

Pat Sullivan after coming in as manager for this year made changes to the panel from recent years, bringing in some of the exciting young players coming through in the last few years within the county and also getting the likes of Maria Delahunty to re-join the panel.

The Abbeyside player since returning to the set up has proven to be a revelation, hitting some good and vital scores for the Déise Ladies, while Michelle Ryan as always continues to be a treat in front of goal.

The hugely successful centre field partnership in recent years Michelle McGrath and Elaine Power has moved to positions in the half back line, the very versatile Karen McGrath has moved to full back and has settled into the new position like a duck to water, while you some of the emerging talent within the county like Shauna Dunphy, Liz Devine, Caoimhe McGrath and Megan Dunford have all impressed in the rolls that they have played.

What side Camogie Manager Sean Fleming and his selectors will put out this week will be interesting.

It was reported that the Lismore players involved in this years panel were returning to the set up this week after a short break after helping their club to an All-Ireland Final appearance in Croke Park on March 1.

Waterford and Meath met twice last year. In the league, Waterford went under to the Royal County in Walsh Park on the same day Lismore were winning an All-Ireland Club Final in Clonmel exactly one year ago this weekend, and when they met at Rathmoylan in the Championship the rolls were reversed.

In the league game despite Waterford playing with the wind in the first half they found the going tough against the visiting side and only turned around with a slender 0-5 to 0-4 advantage.

Meath put 3-4 past Waterford without replay in ten minute spell in the second half with the likes of Sinead Hackett Jane Dolan, Áine Keogh and Fia O’Brien playing a major roll with many of their scores, but Waterford recovered well and finished the stronger of the sides but in the end it was a case that goal do win games as Meath ran out 3-8 to 0-10 winners.

The Championship game between the two a few months later also proved to be a tight affair with Waterford winning 1-9 to 1-7 at Rathmoylan.

That game proved to be a game of two halves as Waterford turned around with a 1-7 to 0-2 lead, the goal coming from Karen Kelly while the Saint Anne’s players as well as Niamh Rockett, Nicola Morrissey and Patricia Jackman shared the Waterford points, while Jane Dolan registered both of Meath’s scores.

Meath started the second half as they had in Walsh Park earlier in the year. Jane Dolan hit 1-2 at the start of the second half to cut Waterford’s lead to three before Aoife McGuire cut it further.

Meath were not finished yet and another Jane Dolan point made it very difficult for Waterford. Patricia Jackman broke Meath’s run of scores with a converted ’45 but Dolan again responded with another score and it was up to the Gailltir long hitter, Patricia Jackman to put over a free near the end to ensure Waterford won.

Waterford will know from last years games that Meath will be no push over. Waterford will know that what might be perceived as their two easiest games in the league are now behind them.

A win for Waterford would go a long way in securing a place in the semi finals of the league in a few weeks time if they were to get two points from their last two games against Down and Kilkenny.

If Waterford however were not to win, then the advantage would be with Meath as they would go above Waterford on the head to head rule which comes into Camogie this year and most would be expecting them to easily account for Tipperary and also to severely test Cork.