Magnificent Waterford Ladies Win League Title

The May Bank Holiday weekend of 2015 will long be remembered in Waterford.

Most people will not need to be told that Waterford’s Senior Hurlers won what was only a third National League Final beating Cork in Thurles on Sunday afternoon It’s expected that when people get to pick up their favourite local papers thus week that they will have many pages of reading about the game.

What people may not be so well aware of is that twenty-four yours earlier at Netwatch Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow another of our teams won a league title last weekend.

It’s often the case that ladies team in any county don’t get the same recognition as their male counterparts. Why this happens is sometimes hard to explain, but things are on the up and now Ladies Football and Camogie teams are getting to get the recognition that they deserve. Thankfully here in Waterford with some time we are well ahead of the posy when it comes to promoting women’s sports.

On Saturday afternoon last the counties Intermediate Camogie team made the journey up the M9 out of Waterford as far as Carlow to take on Laois in this years Irish Daily Star National Camogie Division Two league final.

Waterford made the journey with the mantle of favourites around their necks, but all with an interest in game knew that Waterford’s task was not going to be as easy as some were saying it would be.

Laois going into the game were a very experienced side and were capable of making life very difficult for Waterford.

The Midlanders had appeared in the last two Junior All-Ireland Finals loosing out to good Kildare and Down sides.

Backboned by members of the Camross Club who have dominated the Senior set up in Laois for the last few years and who appeared in the last couple of Leinster Intermediate Club finals, they also had Sarah Anne Fitzgerald and Niamh Dollard in their side, two players who share 6 Soaring Star Awards between then and who would be expected to add to that tally this year, and with the former having four Ashbourne Cup winners medal in her collection of Medals, Laois were always going to provide stiff opposition for Waterford.

The Midlanders won the toss and opted to play into the elements at the venue and at the break it looked like a gamble worth taking as they trailed Waterford by just a single point.

However, playing against the elements in the second half, Sean Fleming’s charges played some of the best Camogie they have played all year, hitting three goals and running out eight point winners.

Beth Carton was voted Player of the Game here. The brilliant De La Salle Club player in the last couple of years set the Inter County Underage Scene alive, helping Waterford reach two under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland Final appearances, winning one and as a 16 year old helped Waterford to win a Minor ‘B’ All-Ireland Final last year and this year playing at a higher grade, while Waterford did not win any game, she was one of a number of players to stand out and it was no surprise to see her stand out at an even higher level again and none more so than in this game.

She hit 2-1 for Waterford on the day and played an instrumental roll in many of her side’s other scores including the side’s third goal which came early in the final quarter of the game.

Waterford lined out as selected for this game, but made two changes to the side that won in the semi finals.

Beth Carton missed the game with Kildare as she was assisting Presentation Secondary School in an International Basketball Competition on the Continent. She came in for Sibeal Harney with Nicola Morrissey moving to the place vacated by the Saint Anne’s Club player with the De La Salle player starting in her usual left half forward position, and Jenny McCarthy came in at left half back for Iona Heffernan.

Laois made three changes to the side printed in the programme as Noreen Kirwan came in for Claire Walsh at left half back, Eimear Delaney replaced Sarah Creagh in the middle of the field and their goal scoring hero in their extra time win over Kilkenny Aoife Burke started at right corner forward for Aisling O’Dea.

It was Waterford that made the early running and were first on the score board with a brace of points from the ever dependable Trish Jackman inside three points.

Waterford however would soon fall behind as the Waterford defence failed to deal with an effort in and around their own goal and wing back Noreen Kirwan was in the right place to blast high into Deirdre Brennan’s goal.

Waterford however refused to panic and quickly began to attack the Laois goal. Teenager Dawn Power was unlucky when here effort came back off the post but the sides were level soon afterwards when Lorraine Bray got onto the end of a Jennie Simpson (who was brilliant throughout) pass and once the Cappoquin player had the ball she made no mistake in splitting the posts.

Laois when back in front when regular free taker Louise Mahony split the posts from a placed ball, but Trish Jackman showed that what the Laois player could do, she also could do, levelling the scores for the second time and Waterford went to the dressing rooms with the most slender of leads when Beth Carton registered her first score of the game in first half added time.

Waterford came out for the second half determined that the day would the Déise’s Day in Carlow as well as in Punchestown.

In a terrific start to the second half, Waterford went 1-5 to 1-1 in front on thirty-two minutes as half time sub Iona Heffernan linked up with Beth Carton and the De La Salle sharp shooter made no mistake in beating  Laura Dunne in the Laois goal.

Moments later Waterford stretched their lead moments later when Trish Jackman put over her fourth free of the afternoon to give her side a 1-6 to 1-1 lead.

But moments later Waterford’s lead was pegged back as a Sarah Ann Fitzgerald free from 60 metres skidded to the Waterford net in the testing conditions.

Niamh Dollard made it a one point game soon afterwards when she pointed but Waterford quickly too charge of the game once more as Lorraine Bray and Niamh Rockett linked up to play through Beth Carton who finished to the net for the second time in this game eleven minutes after the restart.

Waterford could have had a third goal registered on the score board on forty-four minutes but lady luck evaded Niamh Rockett. A point from Michelle Holmes made it a three point game but this was to be as good as it for the Midlanders as Waterford in the final quarter proved as they did for much of the game to be the better of the two sides.

Having missed a chance to have a green flag waved three minutes earlier, Niamh Rockett made no mistake on forty-seven minutes as Dawn Power and Beth Carton linked up with the Saint Anne’s Club player who struck for a crucial third goal.

Dawn Power having being set up by Beth Carton put Waterford 3-7 to 2-3 in front with ten minutes remaining. Sarah Anne Fitzgerald put over a point from a free with five minutes to go which was followed by another Dawn Power effort.

Waterford rounded off a good afternoon’s work with a brace of Trish Jackman points, the first from a free with three minutes of the hour remaining and the latter from a ’45 on the hour mark which gave Waterford a nine point advantage on the score board.

The Midlander’s in added time through sub Aisling O’Dea did pull a point back but it was to be Waterford’s day.

Waterford winning the league was not luck. It was a deserved title for a side that have impressed since they returned to training.

The new management team put together built on youth and experience, from the off when they played Tipperary at the WIT Sports Campus in Carriganore, there was that something special look about the side in the way they were playing and in the way the team was lined out.

Wins against Cork and Meath followed on the sides travel before they had an important fourth win in the league, one that booked a semi final spot and the groups top spot, when they beat a Kilkenny side that were in last years Intermediate All-Ireland Final, again at the WIT Sports Campus.

Waterford were spared a long trip north when Down who could not improve their placing in the league gave the Déise Ladies a walk over in the final round of games in the league section of the competition.

In the semi finals Waterford were pitted with Kildare who had beaten Waterford at the same stage of the competition two years ago.

This time however there was to be no mistake by Waterford who ran out 1-15 to 1-7 winners.

Waterford also played Clare in the Munster Senior Championship in the run up to the league final and while Waterford lost out 0-16 to 1-10 at The Ragg, the work out against a senior team was worthwhile as the team were without a competitive outing going into the league since their win over Kilkenny.

Waterford will be delighted with this win and will have celebrated it over the course of the weekend. But they will also know that there is more to be done.

The All-Ireland Championship will begin after the leaving cert is over. Having reached the last three All-Ireland Intermediate Semi Finals, the Waterford panel will be looking to go that one step or two further this year.

The win over Laois will have given the side plenty of confidence. They will know that they are capable of winning silverware and having won some now the hunger will be their to add more.

Waterford will also know that the last time the county won a Division Two League Final back in 2011 an All-Ireland Final followed that September.

The say that History does not repeat itself, but we know it can. Will Waterford will another All-Ireland this year after winning a league title just as was the case in 2011? Don’t rule it out happening. The talent and the hunger is certainly there for it to happen.

Waterford: Deirdre Brennan; Vikki Falconer, Claire Whyte, Emma Hannon; Kate McMahon, Jennie Simpson, Jenny McCarthy; Nicola Morrissey, Trish Jackman; Lorraine Bray, Valerie O’Brien, Beth Carton; Molly Curran, Catriona McGlone, Dawn Power. Subs: Niamh Rockett for Molly Curran, Iona Heffernan for Nicola Morrissey, Claire Murphy for Kate McMahon. Rest of the Panel: Brianna O’Regan, Shauna Prendergast, Becky Kavanagh, Sibeal Harney, Aisling Power, Saoirse Bonner, Orla Flynn, Saoirse Bonner.

Scorers: Beth Carton 2-1, Trish Jackman 0-6 (5 frees, 1 ’45), Niamh Rockett 1-0, Dawn Power 0-2, Lorraine Bray 0-1.

Laois: Laura Dunne; Mairead Burke, Rosemary Bermingham, Aisling Burke; Elizabeth Ryan, Sarah Anne Fitzgerald, Noreen Kirwan; Eimear Delaney, Louise Mahony; Laura Marie Maher, Elaine Mahony, Michelle Holmes; Aoife Burke, Niamh Dollard, Olga Parkinson. Subs: Aisling O’Dea for Aoife Burke, Claire Walsh for Elizabeth Ryan, Sharon Moylan for Eimear Delaney. Rest of the Panel: Sarah Creagh, Niamh Cass, Ciara Cuddy, Dawn Mortimer, Rebecca Treacy, Rebecca Williams, Catriona Downey, Margaret Hogan, Any Loughman.

Scorers: Sarah Anne Fitzgerald 1-1 (frees), Noreen Kirwan 1-0, Louise Mahony (free), Aisling O’Dea, Niamh Dollard, Michelle Holmes 0-1 each.

Referee: Eamon Cassidy (Derry).