Waterford and Clare end all square at Carron

Waterford and Clare had to settle for a point each of the three available in the opening round of games in this year’s Lidl Ladies National Football League Division Two campaign when the two sides met at Carron on the North Clare coast on Sunday afternoon.

Both sides played with a number of changes to the sides that achieved success for the two counties in 2016.

For the home side, Niamh Keane, Emma O’Driscoll, Eva O’Dea, Laura Egan and Caoimhe Harvey have all opted out of the intercounty scene in 2017, while they have brought 11 new panel players into their set up.

Waterford were without a number of the side which helped win the Division Three league final back in May, as Linda Wall has retired from the inter county scene, Grainne Kenneally is on United National Duty while a number of players including the Ryan Sisters and Maria Delahunty were not in the starting line-up.

Despite all the changes on both sides, it’s a testimony to both counties and the work they are doing to promote the game of Ladies Football that they were able to still field strong teams.

To say this was a game of two halves would be a major understatement.

Waterford had first use of the very strong wind and made full use of it, racing into a six point lead with just 12 minutes showing on the clock.

The first score of the game was a Waterford goal coming from Lauren McGregor with just two minutes of the game played.

This was quickly followed with points from Aileen Wall soon after McGregor’s opener and further points from Nicola Fennell and Róisín Tobin in a two minute spell.

The home side opened their account on the quarter of an hour mark when Niamh O’Dea put over a free and the same player slotted over again two minutes later, again from a free, but Waterford hit back with points from Emma Murray and Lauren McGregor.

Niamh O’Dea and Ailish Considine kicked further points for Clare who were coming more into the game as the first half went on to draw within four of Waterford, but Lauren McGregor hit the last score of the half to give Waterford a 1-6 to 0-4 lead as the sides changed ends.

With the home side playing with the wind in the second half, they dominated the remainder of the game.

Ailish Considine hit an early second half score and Niamh O’Dea hit a brace to bring the sides to within a single score on the scoreboard, with nine minutes of the second half played.

Waterford struck a second goal on forty minutes, Lauren McGregor getting her second of the game, but it was quickly cancelled out when Grainne Harvey set up Niamh O’Dea for a similar score at the other end of the field just seconds later, to leave just two between the sides.

While Clare with the wind at their backs were dominating, they hit just two further scores.

Becky Mahon pointed to leave one between the sides in the forty second minute of the game and they had to wait till five minutes from time to have another flag waved by the umpires, another point from the impressive Niamh O’Dea, to get her side a share of the spoils.

Both sides are out again next weekend and have tough encounters.

Clare are away to Cavan who lost out to Westmeath (1-9 to 2-4) who were in last year’s Division two final, while Waterford are at home to a Laois side who beat Kildare 2-11 to 2-9 in the first series of games.

Waterford: Katie Hannon; Mairéad Wall, Michelle McGrath, Kate McGrath; Deirbhile Nic Aodha, Caoimhe McGrath, Megan Dunford; Karen McGrath, Hannah Power; Róisín Tobin, Nicola Fennell, Emma Murray; Lauren Mc Gregor, Aileen Wall, Lauren Guiry. Subs: Rebecca Casey for Lauren Guiry, Eimear Fennell for Lauren Mc Gregor and Geraldine Power for Róisín Tobin.

Scores: Lauren McGregor 2-2 (0-1f), Aileen Wall 0-1, Emma Murray 0-1), Roisin Tobin 0-1), Nicola Fennell 0-1.

Clare: Ciara Harvey; Nicole O’Doherty, Laurie Ryan, Grainne Harvey; Róisín Considine, Ellie O’Gorman, Amanda Mulcair; Kayleigh McCormack, Becky Mahon; Lizzy Roche, Ailish Considine, Sarah Bohannon; Ciara Hickey, Niamh O’Dea, Grainne Nolan. Subs: Roisin Looney for Sarah Bohannon, Tara Kelly for Róisín Considine (55)

Scorers: Niamh O’Dea 1-5 (0-3F), Ailish Considine 0-2, Becky Mahon 0-1.

Referee: S. Mulvihill (Kerry)