2015 My Highlight

2015 was a good year when it came to the G.A.A. in Waterford.

For many of us there were different highlights.

For some the winning of the McGrath Cup by the Senior Footballers for the first time since 1981 in January suggested that for football in the county 2015 might be a year of promise but sadly come the business end of the year, it was a case of the same old for Waterford.

In hurling, the winning of the National League was a definite highlight. Hands up here, I will admit at the start of the campaign I did not see Waterford winning the league. I did not even see Derek McGrath’s young side win the Division 1B competition, but was very confident that they would be one of the four sides that would advance to the quarter finals of the league from the group.

Once Waterford were paired with Galway in the quarter finals I was always confident that Waterford would emerge winners and advance to the next phase of the competition.

Against Tipperary, maybe Waterford were a bit lucky and have to thank the placing of a flag on the white lines that surrounds the playing surface at Nowlan Park for securing a win. Had the flags been placed a few inches behind the line as happens at Croke Park then I believe the game would have gone to extra time. Had this happened we will never know what would have happened. Sometimes you need luck to win games and Waterford in my view got it here.

In the league final Waterford were worthy winners against what was a poor Cork Team.

For Waterford to beat its greatest rival is always something to behold, but I doubt many could have foretold the margin of victory in advance of the game that Waterford did beat Cork.

Beating Cork again in the Munster Semi Final was again a joy and while defeat was Waterford’s lot in the Munster Final with such a young team that are learning all the way, playing in such a game can only be of a benefit to the side going into the future.

And while defeat was Waterford’s lot again in the All-Ireland semi final, again playing in such games can only help Waterford in the future.

For me however the highlight of the year was none of the above. For me there were two highlights and to put one above the other would be wrong.

If you know me or follow this site with the last number of years, then you will not be surprised to learn that the highlight or highlights of the year for me involve our top ladies sides.

With the past few years I am trying to promote Ladies Football and Camogie as much as possible on here and indeed in my work with the Munster Express newspaper and I hope what I am doing does help to promote the games.

For both the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football and Camogie teams 2015 will be long remembered as it was to be the year when both sides reached the Promised Land that they wanted to reach and play at in 2016.

Waterford don’t get to play at Croke Park as much as many would like during the month of September and to be at G.A.A. head quarters and to sit in the upper deck of the Hogan Stand on the second and fourth Sundays of the month and to see the county playing in an unusual Blue and White shirt as opposed to the White and Blue was a joy, especially as on my last visit to Croke Park Waterford were beaten but this time around, the journey on Bus back to Clonmel afterwards was a very happy one.

For both sides there was an indication from a very early stage that 2015 could be their year.

Both sides had excellent league sections to the league section of their National leagues.

The Ladies Footballers in their seven games won six of the games and got a walkover in the other game.

For the Camogie team it was much the same as they won four of the five games in the group and also got a walkover in one game.

In the semi finals both sides were given difficult assignments.

In Camogie Waterford played Kildare who had caused problems for Waterford in the past but this time around, Waterford got the better of the Lilly Whites winning 1-15 to 1-7.

In Ladies Football Waterford were paired with Roscommon. When the sides met in the group section of the league Waterford ran out 5-6 to 2-9 winners at Fraher Field but this time around, Waterford were more clear cut winners winning 4-15 to 0-9 at Nenagh.

The respective league finals threw up mixed results for Waterford.

For the second year in a row, Parnell Park in Dublin proved to be an unhappy hunting ground for the Lady Footballers as they went under to Sligo 2-12 to 2-8.

Its seldom that I question the judgement of match day officials. I believe no one goes out to wrong a side and mistakes will be made, but they usually balance themselves out. However on the day decisions time and time again over the hour went against Waterford. Had Waterford got the rub of the green at times, its my view that on the day Waterford would have ended the year with an extra piece of silverware.

In Camogie Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow was the venue for this years division two league final.

The final was played on the same weekend of the National Hurling League between Waterford and Cork.

Cork were in the Division One Camogie League final and got to play their final as the curtain raiser to the Waterford and Cork hurling game. With Waterford involved it would have been great to see Waterford’s camogie team also take to the field in Thurles on the same day. Could the two Camogie Games be played before the hurling game, or could a camogie game be played either side of the hurling game.

I believe that an arrangement could have been found and sometimes am left wondering are those charged with running the different G.A.A. Competitions anyway interested in promoting their sister games or do they pay lip service to their sister games at times. We can all have a view on this but only it is those with responsibility for planning games that can answer the question honestly.

In the final Waterford played a strong Laois side who put it up to Waterford in the first half on a very wet day, but for the second half with many of the Waterford side having changed into dry playing gear for the second half came out a much stronger side and ran out worthy 3-10 to 2-5 winners.

While the leagues are important to all sides, at the end of the day how a team fairs is often only remembered by those who support the game within a particular county.

It’s the championship that matters and how teams are remembered.

For both the Waterford Intermediate Ladies Football and Camogie teams the championship was memorable in 2015.

For both sides, the championship was different.

In Ladies Football a provincial championship was played with how you got on in it dictating at what stage you enter the All-Ireland Championship.

In Camogie, the Championship was run on a league basis and there was a separate championship which Waterford played in the senior grade and narrowly lost out to a strong Clare side.

In Ladies Football Waterford played a round robin league along with Clare, Tipperary and Limerick, with the top two teams advancing to the Munster Final.

Waterford started the competition with a 3-16 to 4-7 win over Limerick and followed it up with a 6-18 to 1-4 win over Tipperary. Clare beat the same sides which meant that the final league game at Fraher Field was a bit of a dead rubber game as both sides had reached the final.

Waterford won the game 2-12 to 0-11 and when the sides met again in the final at Mallow a few weeks later the outcome was the same but this time was a little tighter as Waterford ran out 1-14 to 2-7 winners as many of the side won a seventh successive Munster Intermediate Championship medal.

The Munster Final win gave Waterford a place in the All-Ireland quarter finals where they were pitted with Sligo and gained revenge for the defeat earlier in the year winning 1-15 to 0-8.

In the semi finals it was Connacht opposition for Waterford again and at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, Waterford again ran up an excellent 2-17 to 2-6 win.

In Camogie Waterford began the championship with two games at Walsh Park against Antrim and Kilkenny.

In the first game against Antrim Waterford had an easy 6-8 to 1-3 win and against the defeated All-Ireland Champions from 2014 Waterford had to work hard before winning 3-5 to 0-12.

Two wins from two games meant that Waterford were now in the All-Ireland semi finals for the fourth year in a row in the Intermediate grade but unlike in the previous years the side ensured that they would go into the semi finals as a group winner as they beat Kildare 4-11 to 1-10 in the final league game at Newbridge.

And in the semi final at Nowlan Park things did not look good for Waterford at the end of the first half as they trailed a strong Meath side, but having made changes to the side for the second half, Waterford put in a magnificent second half performance to win the game 3-10 to 3-9.

Waterford were now in two All-Ireland Finals during September where Kildare would provide the opposition in both games.

The Camogie Final was first up on a wet day at Croke Park.

Kildare had a good start to the game, racing into an early five point lead.

The first goal of the game came on three minutes.

Susie O’Carroll picked out Noelle Earley with a good pass and having lost her hurley just seconds earlier in an attempt to clear her goal area, Deirdre Brennan raced back to her goal line but was powerless to keep the Clane hand passed effort from hitting the net.

Melissa Lyons and Emer Reilly followed up with points for Kildare it was looking that Waterford’s afternoon’s work in G.A.A. headquarters could be a difficult one.

But the sign of a good side is one that refuses to panic and Waterford never panicked even if chances that they had did go wide of the uprights.

Beth Carton got Waterford off the mark with a pointed free and the brilliant De La Salle player followed it up with another effort from a placed ball to cut Kildare’s early lead to three.

That lead was further cut when Player of the Match Lorraine Bray split the posts and when Jennie Simpson followed up with a fine effort to cut Kildare’s lead to one heading to half time having played against a strong wind it was beginning to look good for Waterford.

The turning of the game for Waterford in their semi final win over Meath was bringing on Shona Curran at the break.

In this game the Waterford management team did not wait till the break to bring on the powerful Lismore player. She came on with two minutes showing to be played on the giant screens at either end of the ground and she made an immediate impact.

She played in a ball towards the Kildare goal which at the time she appeared to not be happy with but her effort fell to one of the smallest members of the panel Aisling Power who collected and got inside the Kildare defence and shot past Róisín O’Connell in the Kildare goal to give Waterford a 1-4 to 1-2 lead heading into the break, a lead that Waterford would never give up.

It’s often claimed that the most important time to score a goal could be at the end of the first half as it gives a side confidence heading into the second half.

But you could also claim that the most important time to find the net in a game is very early in the second half. Just look at what Kilkenny have done time and time again down the years. How many times have they come out for the second half after a close first half and blitzed a side with a number of important scores and go on to win a game.

Which ever is true is up to each person to decide, but for Waterford in this game it did not matter which is the best time to score.

If Aisling Power’s goal at the end of the first half was important so too was Beth Carton’s at the start of the second half.

Referee Jenny Byrne awarded an early 20 metre free on the Hogan Stand side of the field as Waterford attacked The Hill, and with Beth Carton standing over the ball only she knew that she would go for a goal and she kept the ball low and hard along a very skiddy surface as a result of the heavy rain that fell before the game which deceived everyone and went to the back of Róisín O’Connell’s net.

Having gone so near yet so far in the last few years since Waterford’s last Camogie win at Croke Park when the Mark Cooney managed side beat Down to win the Junior Final back in 2011, Waterford were now in a good place and were not miss out on this occasion.

Emer Reilly pulled a point back for Kildare shortly after Waterford netted their second goal Waterford hit the next three scores to extend the lead.

Nicola Morrissey hit the first of the three scores in a row. Niamh Rockett hit the second. The Saint Anne’s player was withdrawn on forty-six minutes to be replaced by Valerie O’Brien and before the Saint Anne’s player had a chance to join the rest of the subs sitting in the Canal End of the centre of the Hogan Stand she was sent straight back on to replace Nicola Morrissey and within seconds she split the posts.

And when Lorraine Bray hit her second of the game to give Waterford a 2-7 to 1-3 lead heading into the final ten minutes of the game, it was looking good for Waterford.

Susie O’Carroll pulled a brace of points back for Kildare, but Waterford would finish as they were for much of the game the stronger of the two sides as Trish Jackman from a free and then Lorraine Bray late on landed further points for Waterford to give Waterford a 2-9 to 1-5 victory and more importantly a first ever All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie title.

Two weeks later Waterford supporters again returned to Croke Park, this time to shout on the Ladies Footballers.

It was anticipated by most that a close encounter would happen in the middle game of the day’s programme of games but as things transpired those expecting a close game could not be more wrong as Waterford ran out winners with 13 points to spare.

Waterford had lost the 2010 decider at this grade to Donegal and to Armagh two years later but Pat Sullivan’s charges travelled to the Jones Road venue intent on making sure it was going to be third time lucky for Waterford.

From the off Pat Sullivan’s charges attacked the Kildare goal at every opportunity. In Waterford’s end of the ground, Kildare found the Waterford attack very difficult to break down and with the only chance they did have late in the game, they still could not beat Katie Hannon in the Waterford goal who made an outstanding save putting Róisín Byrne’s effort out for a ’45.

Kildare got off to a very good start in this game. Aisling Holton and Joanna Timmins won the throw in and quickly worked the ball towards the Canal end of the ground and when Maria Moolick got the ball in her hands she made no mistake in splitting the posts.

After their semi final win over Leitrim star forward Aileen Wall revealed that when Waterford concede a score the aim is to get it back as quickly as follows. And this is what Waterford did as Aileen herself ran at the Kildare defence and slotted over to draw the sides level.

Sinead Ryan slotted over a free from the Cusack Stand side of the field as Waterford attacked the Hill with the wind at their backs soon afterwards to take the lead, one that the side all in Blue did not give up.

The impressive Maria Delahunty slotted over another free before Ellen Dowling pointed after eleven minutes to leave her side trailing 0-3 to 0-2.

Aileen Wall smashed her and Waterford’s first goal of the fame on twelve minutes and once it went in there was going to be no doubting as to how this game would finish.

Ellen Dowling pulled a point back for Kildare but Maria Delahunty registered another brace of points in the very early stages of the second quarter which gave Waterford a 1-4 to 0-3 lead.

Grace Clifford pulled another point back for Kildare with 11 minutes remaining, but Waterford would end the half as strong as they were for much of the game as Maria Delahunty and Aileen Wall hit further scores for Waterford inside a minute of each other before the brilliant Abbeyside player struck another two points on twenty-three and twenty seven minutes to give Waterford a 1-9 to 0-4 lead.

Kildare knew that they were in trouble and did not wait till the break to replace Grace Clifford with Mikaela McKenna and while they did hit the last score of the half through Róisín Byrne even though they were going to be playing with the wind in the second half you could not but wonder as Kildare went to the dressing rooms trailing 1-9 to 0-5 that they had left themselves with too much to do.

Waterford introduced the experienced Michelle Ryan for Mary Foley early in the second half and she made a massive impact causing the Kildare defence all sorts of problems with her height and experience.

Having come on at the end of the first half, Mikaela McKenna made an immediate impression at the start of the second half kicking the first point.

Michelle Ryan then made her presence felt with the first of her four scores of the game before Maria Moolick pointed with 18 minutes still to play.

Michelle Ryan and Róisín Byrne traded scores on thirteen minutes before the Sarsfields player slotted between the posts again four minutes later.

Sinead Ryan hit her second of the game with 12 minutes remaining showing on the giant score boards at either end of the ground before Maria Moolick pointed again for the Leinster side with ten minutes remaining to leave her side trailing 1-12 to 0-10.

The Leinster Champions would not hit any further scores in this game and would have had team captain Aisling Holton sin binned in the last ten minutes of the game meaning that they would finish the game with just 14 on the field.

Waterford as they had all along continued to dominate in those closing minutes.

Michelle Ryan hit 1-1 in quick succession to extend Waterford’s lead and it was only fitting that another fantastic servant Elaine Power broke forward and hit Waterford’s last point of the game.

Waterford however were not finished scoring yet and late on in the game Aileen Wall crashed her second and Waterford’s third goal to give Waterford a 3-14 to 0-10 victory.

Waterford now will compete in the senior grades in the Ladies Football and Camogie Championship in 2016. Few would expect Waterford to be back in Croke Park next September as both sides will need a little time to find their feet playing in the higher grade.

Both the Camogie and Intermediate sides in 2015 had young teams with experience mixed in. Hopefully the experienced players in both sides will stay around for a while yet as they try and help the younger players gain experience at this level.

There is also some good players coming through in both codes. Both sides in 2015 won Under 16 All-Ireland ‘B’ Finals and many of the players on these sides have the capability to win a place in the senior panels in the coming year or two and prove to be valuable additions to what is already there.

There is also some good work being done in the schools. The Mercy Secondary School in Waterford City and St. Augustine’s College in Abbeyside had good years during 2015 in Camogie and Ladies Football respectfully, and a number of players from the Waterford are involved with sides in South Tipperary that are proving to be successful in the last few years and many of these players will also be expected to be involved with Waterford at a higher level in the years to come.

2015 was a good year for Ladies Football and Camogie in Waterford but looking to the future Waterford could be set for even bigger days in the not too distant future.