Waterford Ladies qualify for League Semi Finals.

Waterford’s Intermediate Ladies Footballers have made it to the semi final stages of the Tesco Homegrown National Ladies Football League (Division 3) semi finals for the second year in a row after they beat Roscommon on Sunday afternoon.

Played at Fraher Field, both sides in the opening minutes had chances to score, but on a pitch that is already showing signs of over use even at this early stage of the year, both sides found it hard to score.

Roscommon came to Fraher Field in a confident mood. While they had lost their first game to a strong Leitrim outfit, they had put three back to back wins together and after Waterford only pulled away near the end in their last game against Tipperary to win at Ardfinnan, Kieran Kilkenny’s charges travelled to the Old Boro confident that they could pull off a shock result.

Waterford manager Pat Sullivan and his selectors made a host of changes to the team that started against Tipperary with just three players starting in the same position and four players Nora Dunphy, Mairead Power, Dede Fahey and Aoife Dunne were given their first starts in this year’s league.

It was Roscommon that had the best start to this game. The visitors kicked the first four points all from the boot of Jenny Downey, between the sixth and eighteen minutes, three of which came from frees.

Waterford however were unlucky to be trailing by four at this stage as Grainne Kennelly played through by Sinead Ryan, the Ballyduff Upper player smashed the ball off the crossbar with Richael Timothy beaten in the Roscommon goals.

On nineteen minutes, the visitors increased their lead to seven when Sheila Brady smashed the ball to the net when Jenny Downey picked her out with a pass from the stand side of the field.

Waterford’s first score of the game followed soon afterwards courtesy of Comeragh Rangers Aoife Dunne but it was the visitors that scored next, Siobhan Tully finishing to the net, a minute from the end of normal time in the first half to extend her sides lead to nine.

Waterford however, with the last kick of the half cut the visitors lead to one after Sinead Ryan who impressed throughout for Waterford landed a free to send the visitors to the dressing room at the break with a 2-4 to 0-2 lead.

Whatever was said in the Waterford dressing room at the break worked as the side came out a much different side.

Seven changes were made at the interval. Mary Foley, Kate McGrath, Caoimhe McGrath, Mairead Power, Dede Fahey, Ciara Hurley and Aoife Dunne all made way with Emma Murray, Elaine Power, Megan Dunford, Mairead Wall, Aileen Wall, Michelle Ryan and Aoife Murray all coming in.

From the restart, Waterford made a lot of the running and by the end of the third quarter had gone from eight down at the break to be leading by six.

Sinead Ryan played a huge roll in this turn around after she was moved from full forward to corner forward.

The Ballymacarbry player who returned to the panel this year opened the scoring three minutes after the re-start and the same player fired a quick fire brace of goals on thirty-six and thirty-seven minutes to leave Waterford trailing by one.

The younger of the Ryan sisters who are all accomplished footballers was not finished yet and on thirty-nine minutes she levelled matters on the score board when she put over a free.

Five minutes later, Waterford took a lead which her side never gave up as Aileen Wall, often the terroriser of many a defence, having come on at the break hit a third Waterford goal and within a minute of the Ballymacarbry Club player hitting the net, Waterford had a fourth goal, this time it was Aoife Murray another half time sub that got her name on the score sheet.

Jenny Downey broke Waterford’s flow of scores on forty-seven minutes but points from Aoife Murray and Maria Delahunty from a free hit points to give Waterford a 4-6 to 2-5 lead with nine minutes still on the clock.

Waterford’s fifth goal came on fifty-four minutes, Comeragh Rangers Aoife Murray kicking her second of the game.

However, this was to be Waterford’s last score of the game.

The visitors finished the game strong kicking points from Jenny Downey with a brace, Laura McLoone and Rachael Ryan, but they proved to be mere consolation scores. It was goals that the visitors needed and playing against a defence that was much tighter in the second half than they were in the first, getting any further green flags waved for the visitors was going to be a hard task.

Both of these sides are next out on March 29 and have home games. Waterford will be in action against bottom of the table Longford while Roscommon are up against Fermanagh who are also pushing for a place in the semi finals.

Both sides then round off their league programme two weeks later when Waterford travel to play Leitrim at Ballinamore while Wexford also make the trip to Connacht the same weekend to play Roscommon.

Waterford: Katie Hannon; Nora Dunphy, Michelle McGrath, Mary Foley; Kate McGrath, Karen McGrath, Caoimhe McGrath; Mairead Power, Nicola Fennell; Dede Fahey, Maria Delahunty, Grainne Kenneally; Ciara Hurley, Sinead Ryan, Aoife Dunne. Subs: Emma Murray for Mary Foley, Elaine Power for Kate McGrath, Megan Dunford for Caoimhe McGrath, Mairead Wall for Mairead Power, Aileen Wall for Dede Fahey, Michelle Ryan for Ciara Hurley, Aoife Murray for Aoife Dunne (all half time), Linda Wall for Nicola Fennell (44), Lauren McGregor for Maria Delahunty (53), Liz Devine for Sinead Ryan (54), Shauna Dunphy for Grainne Kenneally (57), Emer Scanlon for Nora Dunphy (58).

Scorers:  Sinead Ryan 2-3 (0-2f), Aoife Murray 2-1, Aileen Wall 1-0, Aoife Dunne, Maria Delahunty (f) 0-1 each.

Roscommon: Richael Timothy; Caroline Gunning, Joanne Cregg, Ruth Finlass; Aisling McAuliffe, Louise Tully, Feena Beirne; Caitriona Regan, Jenny Higgins; Laura Fleming, Rachael Ryan, Deirdre Regan; Siobhán Jenny Downey, Sheila Brady. Subs: Aisling Hanley for Sheila Brady (41), Laura McLoone for Deidre Regan (46).

Scorers: Jenny Downey 0-7 (3f), Sheila Brady, Siobhán Tully 1-0 each, Laura McLoone, Rachael Ryan 0-1 each.

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Laois).

Tesco Homegrown NFL Division 3  

	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Points For	Points Against	Points Diff	Points
Waterford	5	5	0	0	103	46	57	15
Leitrim	5	4	1	0	96	63	33	12
Roscommon	5	3	2	0	83	67	16	9
Sligo	5	3	2	0	69	62	7	9
Fermanagh	5	2	2	1	78	84	-6	7
Wexford	5	1	3	1	54	68	-14	4
Tipperary	5	1	4	0	57	77	-20	3
Longford	5	0	5	0	37	110	-73	0