All-Ireland Title number Twenty-Three for Waterford Ladies Footballers

A twenty-third All-Ireland Final in twenty nine years was won in Ladies Football for Waterford on Wednesday evening when the Counties under 16 team captured the ‘B’ Championship, beating Roscommon on McDonagh Park in Nenagh with one point to spare at the end.

Waterford’s first title in the ladies game was an historic one, when the side won the first ever Ladies Football All-Ireland Final played at Croke Park in 1986 when the side beat Wexford, with Marie Crotty writing herself into the history books registering the first score in a ladies football All-Ireland Final at G.A.A. Headquarters.

Since then five senior All-Ireland Finals have been won, five minor ‘A’, one minor shield, five under 16 ‘A’ titles, two under 16 ‘B’ titles, one minor ‘B’ Shield, one under 14 ‘A’, one under 14 ‘B’, one under 14 Shield and one under 14 All-Ireland Blitz titles have been won.

Waterford went into this game knowing that if they were to win they would have to be at their very best, as this Roscommon side was a good one.

In the last few years little was known of this group of players coming through from the west, but in the past few months they proved to be an excellent side and were in Wednesday evenings final on merit.

In the Connacht Championship they won three of their four games in the league section of the competition, finishing level on points with both Galway and Mayo, all only one game each, but lost out on a place in the Connacht ‘A’ final on score difference over the two bigger counties.

In the ‘B’ Connacht final they beat Leitrim and two weeks before Wednesday’s game had a win over a strong Cavan side in the All-Ireland semi finals.

Waterford’s passage to last Wednesday’s All-Ireland Final was equally as impressive as Roscommon’s.

Clare and Limerick were both defeated in the group stages of the Munster Championship. The side lost to Kerry in the Munster ‘A’ semi final and then beat Tipperary in the Munster ‘B’ final. And two weeks before this game the side had a very hard work out against Kildare in the All-Ireland semi final at Freshford.

The old Irish saying of “tuas maith leath na hoibre” proved to be a very true one in this game, as Waterford good off to a dream start.

There was less than sixty seconds on the clock when Old Parish’s Hannah Power had the ball over the Roscommon crossbar.

Within seconds Waterford extended their lead. The Deise ladies brought the ball out of their own defence and when Maeve Ryan found player of the game Kaeisha Tobin, the Dungarvan player had just one thing on her mind, as she beat Rebecca Cox in the Roscommon goal to give Waterford a four point lead with just two minutes on the clock.

Two minutes later, Waterford were even further in front Abbey Dunphy became the third member of the full forward line to get her name on the score sheet.

On five minutes team captain Chloe Fennell put Waterford six up and on ten minutes Waterford were seven up when player of the match Kaiesha Tobin hit her second score of the game.

Waterford were exerting a lot of pressure on the Roscommon goal and it was now important for the Westerns that if they were not going to be on the wrong end of a possible heavy defeat that they would hit a score.

This they did on the quarter of an hour mark when Sinead Farrell put the ball over the crossbar of Rosie Landers to cut Waterford’s lead to six.

However, Waterford’s result to this score was clinical as again working the ball out of their own half starting with Emma Gildea and the ball was worked up to Katie Duggan Sullivan who was fouled. Her Dungarvan club mate Kaiesha Tobin took the resulting free found Hannah Power and she finished by fisting to the net to give Waterford a 2-4 to 0-1 lead which they were full value for.

Six minutes from the break Waterford’s lead was extended to double digits when Chloe Fennell landed her second of the game and it was further extended shortly afterwards when Kaiesha Tobin kicked another point, but the brilliant Dungarvan club player was unlucky not to have put the ball under the crossbar, something that would have happened but for the brilliance of Rebecca Cox in the Roscommon goal.

Roscommon enjoyed a purple period patch before the break. Niamh Fleming drew an excellent save from an alert Rosie Landers in the Waterford goal who put the ball out for a 45. From the resulting kick from the ’45 the ball was worked into Sarah Scally and who beat Rosie Landers for a Roscommon goal.

Three minutes later the same player finished to the net for a second Roscommon goal to leave just five between the lead, but Waterford will know that the Connacht side could have been closer to then or even in front as in between both of Roscommon’s goals Waterford corner backs Becky Hogan and Edwina Curran made vital interceptions to deny Roscommon further scores.

Waterford however would turn around six points to the good as they kicked the last score of the half, a score that would prove crucial at the end of the hour.

Wing back Abbie Dalton won a kick out and along with fellow Na Déise player Mary Kate Curran and Saint Patrick’s Hannah Power work the ball to Abbey Dunphy and the Tramore player made no mistake in splitting the posts to give Waterford a 2-7 to 2-1 lead at the break.

Waterford started the second half as they did in the first hitting the first score of the half within a minute of the restart.

When the majority of this panel helped Waterford win the Under 14 ‘B’ All-Ireland final two years ago against Westmeath the Gaultier Club was not even formed. The Barony ladies since forming have made remarkable progress and it was no surprise that they had a number of representatives on this panel.

Two of them Shauna Fitzgerald and Kate Lynch played an instrumental roll in the first score of the half as they linked up to set up Katie Duggan Sullivan who put Waterford seven in front.

After this Roscommon enjoyed another purple patch in which they put a lot of pressure on the Waterford goal.

Aoife Galvin put over a free won by Heather Payne to cut Waterford’s lead. Further points from Sinead Farrell and Louise Brady followed for Roscommon which cut Waterford’s lead to four as Roscommon began to control proceedings.

Roscommon could well have been in front in the middle of their purple patch as Rosie Landers made another great save. The Rossie’s hit the Waterford crossbar and Emma Gildea took the ball off the goal line.

Roscommon hit a third goal through Niamh Shanagher to leave one between the sides making things very difficult for a Waterford side who in the first half looked as though they would win this game by as big as margin as they wanted to.

Waterford broke up Roscommon’s run of scores with a point from Kaiesha Tobin but it was followed by another Sinead Farrell point to again leave just one between the sides.

With Waterford leading 2-9 to 3-5, the final minutes of the game proved to be a very tense affair.

The side that wanted the game most was going to win. Experience by Waterford in winning the Under 14 All-Ireland two years earlier would also play a part.

Waterford began another attack started by Abbey Dalton and the ball as worked into the danger zone for Roscommon in front of their own goal and when Kaiesha Tobin was fouled, referee James Flood from Wexford had no option by to extend his arms outwards blow on his whistle and award Waterford a penalty.

The Dungarvan club player dusted herself down and took the penalty herself sending the Roscommon net minder the wrong way, but her shot came back off the base of the upright.

Both sides in added time at the end of the hour had chances. The Waterford defence closed down Roscommon’s forwards at every opportunity while Hanna Power saw an effort go just wide with the last attack of the game.

Waterford: Rosie Landers (Ballyduff Upper); Becky Hogan (Ballymacarbry), Emma Gildea (Dungarvan), Edwina Curran (Tramore); Abbie Dalton (Na Déise), Mary Kate Curran (Na Déise), Maeve Ryan (Ballymacarbry); Hannah Power (Saint Patrick’s), Shauna Fitzgerald (Gaultier); Chloe Fennell (Stradbally), Katie Duggan Sullivan (Dungarvan), Kate Lynch (Gaultier); Hannah Power (Old Parish), Kaiesha Tobin (Dungarvan), Abbey Dunphy (Tramore). Rest of panel: Shiona O’Regan (Ballysaggart), Meadhbh Curran (Stradbally), Lauren Galvin (Comeragh Rangers), Hallanah White (Comeragh Rangers), Annie Fitzgerald (Gaultier), Keeley Corbett Barry (Comeragh Rangers), Lauren Dunford (Abbeyside), Kate Cliffe (Clashmore), Clodagh Curran (Dungarvan), Jess Fitzgerald (Clashmore), Shauna Ryan (Clashmore), Maura Gallagher (Dungarvan), Leah Maher (Gaultier), Meadhbh  Curran (Old Parish), Clíona Murphy (Ballymacarbry) and Lia Nic Craith.

Roscommon: Rebecca Cox (Saint Barry’s); Rachel Gallagher (Saint Brigid’s), Shannon Dowd (Western Gaels), Amy Curley (Saint Faithleach’s); Caoimhe O'Dowd (Shannon Gaels), Roisin Wynne (Boyle), Eimear McNally (Saint Dominic’s); Mikaela McHugh (Kilglass Gaels), Heather Payne (Padraig Pearses); Aoife Gavin (Saint Dominic’s), Sinead Farrell (Clann na nGael), Ciara Corcoran (Saint Dominic’s); Sarah Scally (Saint Faithleach’s), Niamh Shanagher (Kilbride), Niamh Fleming (Michael Glavey’s). Rest of the Panel: Claire Keagan (Saint Croan’s), Shauna Fleming (Michael Glavey’s), Louise Murray (Saint Mary’s), Sarah Hoare (Saint Faithleach’s), Áine Mullins (Boyle), Elaine McDermott (Shannon Gaels), Amy Malone (Saint Croan’s), Jillian Banahan (Saint Faithleach’s), Aoibheann Reilly (Padraig Pearses), Shannon Caulfield (Saint Croan’s), Sinead Glennon (Boyle), Aoife McLaughlin (Saint Barry’s), Louise Brady (Saint Mary’s), Casey Keane (Kilbride), Clodagh Raferty (Castlerea Saint Kevin’s).

Referee: James Flood (Wexford).

Many thanks to Sophie Troy for the use of some of her photos.