Waterford Ladies make it third time lucky

Waterford made it third time lucky in National Ladies Football League Finals on Sunday afternoon when they beat near neighbours Tipperary in a replayed final at Semple Stadium.

Just over a week earlier the two sides had fought out an exciting drawn game at Clane in County Kildare where Waterford needed a late pointed free from Maria Delahunty to secure another go at the Premier Ladies and this time around they needed another late free from the same player to secure the laurels.

Originally this game had been pencilled in for twenty four hours earlier at Parnell Park in Dublin, a ground that saw Waterford suffering defeat at the same stage in the competition in 2014 against Armagh and in 2015 against Sligo.

To send both sides to the capital this past weekend having sent them to Kildare a week earlier would not have made much sense. It would have been hard to see numbers from both counties travel in numbers, but after Waterford and Clare drew in the National Hurling final at Thurles last Sunday and with the game fixed for the same venue yesterday the Thurles venue was always going to be the ideal venue for the game even if it meant that Waterford were going to give their opponents home advantage for the final. It also made sense in so far that TG4 were going to be showing the replayed ladies football final and the replayed hurling game and to have the two at the same venue made sense.

In the run up to the replayed hurling final last week there was a lot of talk about the cost of the tickets and how the G.A.A. had not taken anything off the cost of the ticket as happens in the championship.

Despite the fact that there was nothing taken off the tickets there was still a sizable Waterford support that travelled to Thurles for the game. however what a pity that a large amount of this support for what ever reason opted not to go inside the ground for the first game on the programme. Had they did they would have got full value for parting with their cash to gain entry for the afternoon’s games as both Waterford and Tipperary served up another very entertaining game.

Waterford in the early stages of this game proved to be the better of the two sides and it looked early on as if they were going to win the game with some ease.

Sinead Ryan opened the scoring with a pointed free and moments later Aileen Wall tore the Tipperary defence apart and played the ball across the goal to the onrushing Katie Murray who took the right option in trying to shoot by sticking her leg out but she saw her effort go to the right of the post.

Maria Delahunty followed up with a brace of points to give Waterford a three point lead before Mairead hit her sides first score of the game crashing home a goal to level matters on the score board.

Sinead Ryan and Aisling Moloney swapped scores to keep the sides deadlocked before Linda Wall burst forward to kick a delightful point after some good work by Róisín Tobin in the build up.

Aileen Wall and Katie Murray kicked points to give Waterford a 0-7 to 1-1 lead as Waterford were beginning to look as if they were going to pull away.

However this is a good team. They had contested the 2013 All-Ireland Intermediate Final loosing to Cavan after which they had two below standard years as some of the counties better players for what ever reason were not part of the Tipperary set up under the guidance of former Tipperary hurler John Leahy.

But they look this year as if they are back to where they were at in 2013 and with Waterford out of the way they will be serious contenders for this year’s Munster Intermediate Championship and for the follow up All-Ireland competition.

A week earlier Aisling Moloney was Tipperary’s standout player but for this game she was well marshalled by the Waterford defence. This in a way led to Mairead Morrissey being their most crucial player in Thurles and was involved in a lot of what her side were doing.

Team captain Edel Hanley made it a two point game when she put the ball between the uprights after which Mairead Morrissey and Aisling Moloney hit points to bring the sides level, something the Tipperary side were full value for such was the effort and pressure they were now putting on Waterford.

The Premier ladies went in front when Mairead Morrissey brought her tally for the afternoon to 1-3 but it was a short lived lead as Comeragh Rangers Katie Murray who has impressed immensely in this years league smashed the ball past Patricia Hickey for the second time in a week to give Waterford a 1-7 to 1-5 lead as the sides headed to the dressing rooms under the Old Stand.

Tipperary proved to be the slightly better of the two sides early in the second half as Gillian O’Brien made it a one point game and moments later Mairead Morrissey shot just wide of the uprights following some good work by Lorraine O’Shea.

Aileen Wall and Aisling Moloney swapped points before Waterford had another attempt to have a green flag waved. Aileen Wall who again impressed in the white and blue saw her effort well saved by Patricia Hickey in the Tipperary goal.

Katie Murray and Michelle Ryan hit points to give Waterford a 1-10 to 1-7 lead before points from Edith Carroll and Gillian O’Brien made it a one point game once more.

Sinead Ryan and Lorraine O’Shea swapped scores as time ticked down and with the ground starting to fill for the hurling replay that was to follow many were wondering if the game would require extra time to find a winner.

Maria Delahunty made it a two point game once more before Aileen Wall shot wide for Waterford to keep just two between the sides.

That lead however was soon wiped out Mairead Morrissey landed a brace of points for Tipperary to level matters 1-12 a piece on the scoreboard. Gillian O’Brien had a chance to sent Tipperary back in front but she shot just wide and with just seconds remaining on the clock Waterford won a free. Both Maria Delahunty and Sinead Ryan debated as to who should take it before deciding it should be the Abbeyside player to kick off the ground from metres out. She cleverly allowed time to tick down and to allow the hooter to sound before starting her run up and brilliantly kicking over the crossbar to give Waterford a one point win.  

Waterford: Katie Hannon; Linda Wall, Michelle McGrath, Megan Dunford; Aisling Mullaney, Louise Ryan, Mairead Wall; Emma Murphy, Grainne Kenneally; Roisin Tobin, Katie Murray, Caoimhe McGrath; Sinead Ryan, Maria Delahunty, Aileen Wall. Subs: Liz Devine for Caoimhe McGrath (27), Michelle Ryan for Roisin Tobin (39), Ciara Hurley for Liz Devine (46), Nicola Fennell for Louise Ryan (50), Lauren McGregor for Aisling Mullaney (59).

Scorers: Katie Murray (1-2), Maria Delahunty (0-4, 0-3f), Sinead Ryan (0-3, 0-2f), Aileen Wall (0-2), Linda Wall and Michelle Ryan (0-1 each).

Tipperary: Patricia Hickey; Brid Condon, Samantha Lambert, Sinead Delahunty; Anne O’Dwyer, Jennifer Grant, Claire Mullins; Lorraine O’Shea, Sheelagh Carew; Eimear Myles, Gillian O’Brien, Caithriona Walsh; Aisling Moloney, Mairead Morrissey, Edel Hanley. Subs: Edith Carroll for Caithriona Walsh (30), Aisling McCarthy for Edel Hanley (41), Cliona O’Dwyer for Claire Mullins (59), Aoibhe O’Shea for Edith Carroll (62).

Scorers: Mairead Morrissey (1-4), Aisling Moloney (0-3, 0-1f), Gillian O’Brien (0-2), Edel Hanley, Edith Carroll and Lorraine O’Shea (0-1 each).

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow)