Déise Ladies Surprise Kerry at Rain and Wind Lashed Fraher Field

With the numbers competing in the All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship set to be cut in 2018, Waterford took a giant step towards ensuring that they will be involved at wind and rain lashed Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon when they overcame the challenge of a fancied Kerry side.

It could be argued that the great team of the 90’s which won five All-Ireland finals and appeared in three others, saw it all begin when they brought an end to the dominance of a great Kerry side at Listowel in the Munster Final, and while this current side right now might not be ready to replicate what was achieved in the 1990’s, it is fair to say that we saw on Saturday afternoon that this side is more than equipped to hold their own against most sides that will be competing for the Brendan Martin Cup in the years ahead.

With the exception of regular goalkeeper Katie Hannon who was not available for selection in this game, the Waterford Management team had a full strength team out in this game.

Grainne Kenneally was welcomed back into the side after missing the league owing to her involvement in peace keeping duties with the Irish Army, and she played a big part in this win as she put in her usual workmanlike performance until she was taken off late in the game.

The inside starting forward line for Waterford also caused the visiting side many problems especially when they rotated positions and the vising full back line seemed to be at odds as to who they should be picking up.

The Murray sisters also caused the Kerry defence lots of problems with their many runs at them, while in defence Waterford were very solid, with Jessica Fitzgerald on her championship debut impressing, making a good save from Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh seven minutes into the second half, while she could do nothing to keep Laura Roger’s late goal from reaching the top corner of her net deep in stoppage time in the second half.

While Waterford will be happy with the win in this game, they will know that they could have won by an even greater margin as they missed chances at either end of the opening half when playing against the strong wind to register goals in this game.

It was the home side that had the first meaningful attack in this game on two minutes as Grainne Kenneally laid siege on the Country Goal coming in from the stand side of the field, she shot across the face of the Kerry goal and the ball went just wide from a very tight angle.

Kerry opened the scoring a minute later when the dangerous Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh tapped the size four over the Waterford crossbar.

Maria Delahunty levelled matters on seven minutes and she edged her side in front for the first time two minutes later when she put over one of her trademark free kicks.

Kerry hit back with points from Anna Galvin and Amanda Brosnan to go back in front by the tenth minute but another brace by the talented Abbeyside lady had Waterford back in front by the end of the first quarter.

Aileen Wall put Waterford two in front with a point on seventeen minutes, but you right off any Kerry football side at your pearl and back came the visiting side with points from Sarah Houlihan and Miriam O’Keeffe to level matters with nine minutes of the half remaining.

But as we all know this is a talented Waterford side and the forwards on the day kept creating plenty of chances and two more Maria Delahunty efforts within a minute of each other had the home side 0-7 to 0-5 in front with three minutes plus stoppage time still to play.

In the second minute of first half added times Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh again split the Waterford up-rights.

Many inside the ground expected the half time whistle to follow, but Cork referee AJ Cronin found more time to play and with the last attack of the half the Murray sisters combined well and when it looked that Emma was going to rattle the Kerry net, she saw her effort go just wide.

The first goal in this game was going to prove important and we did not have to wait long more for it.

Waterford came out for the second half with the scoreboard showing they were 0-7 to 0-6 in front and two minutes into the half they added to that lead as Maria Delahunty and Katie Murray attacked down the stand side of the field and the Comeragh Rangers player found Michelle Ryan in front of the Kerry goal and while she saw her initial effort saved by Laura Fitzgerald she used every inch of her height to stretch and beat the Na Gaeil player at the second attempt.

The weather conditions as this game went on made it very difficult for both sides to score, but this could well be counter argued that both defences were on top, with the Waterford defence in particular very strong.

Lorraine Scanlon and Katie Murray both pointed for their respective sides before Sarah Houlihan made it a three point game on thirty six minutes.

A minute later Jessica Fitzgerald made a very good save from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh putting the ball out for a ’45 which failed to yield anything for the visitors.

Maria Delahunty for her seventh score of the game on forty two minutes, and nine minutes later Waterford went 2-9 to 0-8 in front when Róisín Tobin was in the right place to finish an Aileen Wall delivery to the net.

The Abbeyside players goal is unlikely to win any goal of the year award but it does not always matter at times how they go in and go in this one did which was met with a tremendous roar from the Waterford bench and from the home support in the stand.

Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh pointed again with four minutes remaining and while Waterford tried to kill time late on sending on a few late subs, Kerry continued to battle hard but could not get past a watertight like Waterford defence, that was until the last meaningful attack when Laura Rogers sent a dipping ball high into the top corner of the Waterford net, giving the home side no chance of keeping it out.

Next up for both sides is a clash with Cork. If as many expect Cork will beat Kerry, it will mean that Waterford will back in a Munster Senior Ladies Football Final for the first time in over a decade, against the Al-conquering Rebelettes and then it will be the All-Ireland series, and going on what we have seen in this game, Waterford should have no worries about being one of the sides to be relegated this year, but in saying that, Pat Sullivan and his side will not need telling that the next game they play is the most important one and for now won’t look beyond that next game.   

Waterford: Jessica Fitzgerald; Kate McGrath, Caoimhe McGrath, Megan Dunford; Dearbhaile Ní hAodha, Karen McGrath, Michelle McGrath; Mairead Wall, Emma Murray; Katie Murray, Grainne Kenneally, Róisín Tobin; Michelle Ryan, Maria Delahunty, Aileen Wall. Subs: Nicola Fennell for Róisín Tobin, Eimear Fennell for Aileen Wall, Aoife Murray for Katie Murray, Caragh McCarthy for Grainne Kenneally.

Scorers: Maria Delahunty 0-7 (2f), Michelle Ryan, Róisín Tobin 1-0 each, Aileen Wall, Katie Murray 0-1 each.

Kerry: Laura Fitzgerald; Eilish Lynch, Caroline Kelly, Aisling Leonard; Denise Hallissey, Ciara Murphy, Sarah Murphy; Lorraine Scanlon, Emma Sherwood; Miriam O’Keeffe, Anna Galvin, Amanda Brosnan; Sarah Houlihan, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, Laura Rogers. Subs: Eilish O’Leary for Sarah Murphy, Sarah Leahy for Ciara Murphy, Niamh Carmody for Miriam O’Keeffe, Fiadhna Tangney for Amanda Brosnan, Andrea Murphy for Sarah Houlihan.

Scorers: Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-3 (1f), Laura Rogers 1-0, Sarah Houlihan 0-2 (2f), Anna Galvin, Amanda Brosnan, Miriam O’Keeffe, Lorraine Scanlon 0-1 each.

Referee: AJ Cronin (Cork).