Waterford Ladies Prove Too Strong For Armagh

Waterford Senior Ladies Footballers caused a major shock on Saturday afternoon when they recorded a six point win over a fancied Armagh side in the preliminary round of games in this year’s TG4 All Ireland Championship at Clane in County Kildare.

The Ulster side went into this game on the back of a few great years. An All-Ireland Intermediate title and successive league promotions, made the Orchard County side favourites for this game.

Waterford did not go into this game without hope however, as since 2010 the Déise County have reached three Intermediate All-Ireland Finals, loosing out in two of them before winning last year against Kildare and also reached the last three division three league finals, winning the most recent one against Tipperary after a replay and also Waterford manager Pat Sullivan has not been afraid to introduce into the set up some of the best young players that he would have worked with on different underage teams with success prior to taking over the managers position of the Intermediate team last year.

The two sides in recent years have had plenty of history between the sides.

The two clashed in the 2012 Intermediate All-Ireland at Croke Park where Armagh won out on the day and two years later the sides again met in a big game, this time in the League final at Parnell Park in Dublin where the Ulster side again won out.

There are some old sayings such as third time lucky and perseverance counts, and for Waterford both proved to be true on Saturday afternoon.

Waterford travelled to the County Kildare venue confident that this could be their chance to beat the Orchard County side.

Armagh were one of a number sides in Division one of the league that finished on 12 points but failed to make the semi finals. They lost out to Monaghan in the Ulster Semi Final some weeks back in a game which some described as a surprise result as when the two met in the league it was Armagh that won the clash of the two sides.

For this game they were without the injured Sinead Kernan and Lauren McConville who was unavailable for selection but still had plenty of experience available to them in the likes of Mairead Tennyson, Fionnuala McKenna, Caroline O’Hanlon and Kelly Mallon.

Waterford started the game without team captain Sinead Ryan but the Ballymacarbry player who has made a huge impact to the team since she returned to the set up did come on for the final quarter of this game replacing Lauren McGregor.

Like Armagh, Waterford came into this game on the back of a sting off good results in 2016 which saw the side win nine of the ten games they played in the league, drawing the game which they did not win, and in the Munster Championship played in recent weeks, while Waterford lost out to strong Cork and Kerry outfits both of whom have played in Senior All-Ireland’s in recent years, Pat Sullivan’s charges in both games gave very good accounts of themselves.

Aileen Wall not for the first time produced a Player of the Match performance in this game bagging 2-4 all from play to help Waterford to a richly deserved six point win.

At the break Waterford held a double score (3-5 to 0-7) lead and in truth could have been further ahead as they ran at every chance at an Armagh defence who found the going tough against a Waterford team with a nice mix of youth and experience.

Waterford had 1-2 on the scoreboard before Armagh hit their first score of the game through Aimee Mackin, the Waterford goal coming from the sides longest serving player Michelle Ryan who palmed home a Maria Delahunty free which unusually dropped short of its intended target.

Waterford’s second goal came on ten minutes as Caoimhe McGrath one of the most exciting young versatile players within the game intercepted a poor kick out and when through on goal she shot low and hard against Anna Carr.

Waterford could have added a third goal seconds later but Lauren McGregor saw her shot well saved by Anna Carr in the Armagh goal.

Armagh came back into contention with a succession of white flags but they were rocked once more eight minutes short of the break as Lauren McGregor and Aileen Wall played a brilliant one-two for the latter to shoot her first major score of the game.

Not even the sin binning of Karen McGrath two minutes after Waterford scored a third goal upset the side, as they defended with a player less for final minutes of the half and the opening minutes of the second half with a player less.

Just before the break Waterford had a let off when Kelly Mallon smashed the Déise crossbar and they know it could also have been a much different game had the Ulster side not kicked nine first half wides.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Waterford kicked four unanswered points and were unlucky not to have hit another goal as Maria Delahunty saw an effort come crashing off the Armagh crossbar.

The Ulster side hit back with 1-4 without replay the goal coming at the start of the third quarter from Aimee Mackin, but once Player of the Match Aileen Wall hit her second goal of the game in added time, even though Caroline O’Hanlon scored a late goal for the Ulster side there was going to be no disputing the final outcome of this game.

Armagh are the first side to crash out off this years Senior Championship and could be one of a number of sides that will drop out of the senior grade if a proposal to cut the numbers playing senior to twelve in the coming weeks is successful.

For Waterford they now go on to play Kerry in the first round of the All-Ireland Championship. The sides have met already in the Munster Championship and while the Kingdom won that game, Waterford gave a very good account of themselves on the day and this win will give the side even more confidence for that game.

The price for the winners of the Waterford and Kerry game will be another tricky encounter against Monaghan.

WATERFORD: Katie Hannon; Mairead Wall, Michelle McGrath, Linda Wall; Louise Ryan, Megan Dunford, Hannah Power, Karen McGrath, Emma Murray; Grainne Kenneally, Maria Delahunty, Caoimhe McGrath; Aileen Wall, Michelle Ryan, Lauren McGregor. Subs: Katie Murray for Caoimhe McGrath (44), Sinead Ryan for Lauren McGregor (48), Aisling Mullaney for Louise Ryan (49), Nicola Fennell for Grainne Kenneally (56), Roisin Tobin for Michelle Ryan (60).

Scorers: Aileen Wall 2-4, Maria Delahunty 0-6 (4f), Michelle Ryan 1-2, Caoimhe McGrath 1-0, Sinead Ryan 0-1.

ARMAGH: Anna Carr; Caoimhe Morgan, Clodagh McCambridge, Mairead Tennyson; Sharon Reel, Finnuala McKenna, Megan Sheridan; Niamh Marley, Caroline O’Hanlon; Blaithin Mackin, Kelly Mallon, Niamh Coleman; Caoimhe Marley, Sinead Finnegan, Aimee Mackin. Subs: Sarah Marley for Caoimhe Morgan (36), Aoibhinn Henderson for Blaithin Mackin (39).

Scorers: Aimee Mackin 1-6 (0-2f), Caroline O’Hanlon 1-2, Sharon Reel, Blaithin Mackin, Kelly Mallon (f), Aoibhinn Henderson & Caoimhe Marley 0-1 each.

Referee: Niall McCormack (Laois)