Two Camogie Sides In Championship Action This Saturday

Great credit must go to those that line out for our Camogie and Ladies Football Inter County teams. We are all aware of the commitment given by our hurlers and men’s football teams when it comes to the Inter County team and indeed by those that are over the team and those that work in the back room team, but I think most of us are not aware that our Ladies are putting in the exact same effort and even at times put in an even bigger effort.

To run the men’s county board each year is not an easy task as money has to be found each year to pay the bills and it would appear that with each passing year these bills are getting bigger and bigger, and credit must go to the supporters of the G.A.A. in the county who help in their own way to generate funds, supporting different fund raising events each year.

The Camogie and Ladies Football County Boards each year have their own fund raisers which while would be supported they would not be supported the same way as a fund raiser the way one for our men’s team would be, because maybe they don’t get the same exposure.

These fund raisers are often a joint effort by the players and the relevant county boards, who deserve huge amount of praise for what they do.

The officers of the county boards try and look after the players as best as they can with the limited resources they have available to them and the players in return appreciate what is done for them.

One former county player a few years ago was telling me how the players knew the county board were working off limited money did not make demands of the board. She told me how for one away game played in Limerick the players car pooled to travel to the game rather than ask for a bus, as they knew there was games further away that year to be played and hoped that by driving to Limerick the money would be available for a bus for longer journey.

This weekend while the most with an interest in the G.A.A. in Waterford will have their attention on the big game in Tullamore on Saturday, it would be interesting to know how many others within the county are aware that two more of our inter county sides are in action on the same day around the same time.

The two teams are our Senior and Junior Camogie teams who have games against Galway in Athenry and against Dublin in Walsh Park at the same time.

The Camogie County Board under the guidance of Chairperson Ita Murphy deserve great credit for the way they are promoting the game in the county and to get as many players as is possible into a county jersey.

For the senior team it will be their third game in the All-Ireland Championship and are heading West in search of a first win in the championship, having lost out to All-Ireland Champions Kilkenny in their first game and two weeks ago they lost out to Clare in Ennis on a very warm day.

Waterford will not need telling that they face a difficult task playing against Galway. They have played just one game in the championship to date having got a bye in the first round of game and last time out against Dublin they recorded a 3-18 to 1-12 win over Dublin in Coolock.

That day the winners had good performances from the likes of Ailish O’Reilly and Aoife Donohue who shared 2-14 of their sides tally on the day, and Waterford will know that if they allow them time on the ball they will again put up good tallies this weekend.

While Waterford has lost their two games to date, they are in fact playing some good Camogie. This is only Waterford’s second year playing in this grade and the side are still learning. It is going to take them a little time to get up to the speed of the game that the likes of Kilkenny, Cork, Wexford and Galway play but when they do, they too will be a match for any side, as the talent is available to the management team.

Waterford are without the likes of Jennie Simpson, Charlotte Raher, Trish Jackman and Aisling Power this year, players that two years ago won League and All-Ireland medals just two years ago, but there is still plenty of talent available.

In the likes of Brianna O’Regan, Fiona Morrissey, Claire Whyte, Aoife Landers, Shauna Kiernan, Áine Lyng, Beth Carton, Lorraine Bray, Aoife Landers, Niamh Rockett, Caitriona McGlone and Valerie O’Brien Waterford have a nice blend of youth and experience.

Galway will go into the game as favourites this Saturday, but you can expect this ever improving Waterford side to push the home side all the way.

The senior side however may well be travelling under the Shannon with a smaller than usual panel as some of the fringe players could well be lining out at Walsh Park with the juniors.

Their game against Dublin will be only their second competitive game of the year together, having lost out to Kerry at the same venue in the Munster Semi Final back in early May.

They did not take part in the National League, unlike their opponents this weekend who won all four of their games in the third division of the league, including against Kerry, and went on to beat Roscommon in the final in Kinnegad on a 0-12 to 0-7 score line.

Caragh Dawson and Laoise Quinn in attack are two players that Waterford will have to keep a close eye on, but they are likely to be strong straight down the middle of the field if they have the likes of Aisling Spillane in goal, Laura Walsh at full back, Deirdre Johnston at centre back, Eimear O’Riordan and Róisín Drohan in the middle of the field and Aoife Bulger and Emer Keenan in the central forward positions if all are available.

Waterford however are likely to put out a strong and youthful as well as some experience line up with the likes of Katie O’Keeffe, Colette Hogan, Ciara Toomey, Niamh Murphy, Sadie Mai Rowe, Sinead Cunningham, Shauna Fitzgerald, Clare Griffin, Abbie Dunphy, Kaiesha Tobin and Fiona Ni Bhrian.

Again just like the seniors this weekend, Waterford might go into this game as the underdog despite playing at home, but they will work hard and make things very difficult for the side from the capital.

Waterford Should Have Too Much For Offaly

I must learn to do the lotto on a much more regular basis than I do.

After Waterford lost to Cork recently in the Munster Semi Final against Cork in Thurles, I put a tweet on my Facebook and Twitter pages saying the best draw Waterford could get in the All-Ireland qualifiers would be to play Offaly and to get them at Walsh Park.

When the draw for this weekend’s All-Ireland Qualifiers was made on Morning Ireland on Monday morning last, Derek McGrath’s Waterford side were pitted against Kevin Ryan’s Offaly side as I had hoped, but not in Walsh Park as would be nice but at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

Twenty five years ago this year, the two counties clashed in the All-Ireland Under 21 Final at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, where Tony Mansfield’s side needed two attempts before they won the Counties first title at this grade.

In the few years that followed it was Offaly however that proved to be the more successful of the two sides, showing that success at underage level does not always guarantee success at Adult level, as they went on to win the All-Ireland Senior Final six years later beating Kilkenny in the final after the Cats had beaten Waterford in the semi finals. Waterford in that same year were beaten in the Munster Final against Clare after a never to be forgotten replay and also lost the League Final that same year against Cork, both games being played at Thurles.

Since then however, the fortunes of both counties have turned full circle.

Waterford have won four Munster Finals and were beaten in a number of other provincial finals and have reached their quota of All-Ireland semi finals and even one final, and along the way have won two National League titles and contested two other finals, and have tasted success on the underage and colleges circuits.

Offaly however have fallen well back in Leinster to a dominant Kilkenny side, while Dublin, Wexford and Galway would also be regarded as superior sides to Offaly at this moment in time.

While Michael Ryan’s Westmeath side are an improving side, few outside of the midlands county would have expected them to beat Offaly in the Championship this year. Offaly for their part did just enough to beat them and also did just enough to secure their place in Division 1B of the league next year, beating Kerry in their last league game, a result that won them a place in the quarter finals where they played and not surprisingly lost out to All-Ireland Champions Tipperary.

In the Leinster Semi Final again when they came up against one of the stronger counties in the game – Galway they found the going tough once more and in the end the Tribesmen ran out convincing winners.

Both Waterford and Offaly met recently in a challenge game to mark the re-opening of the Ballysaggart Club Grounds after they were developed and on that night Derek McGrath’s side ran out winners rather easily.

While what happens in games like this should not be over analysed as many players are minding themselves for bigger games and are often merely going through the motions, and fridge players as well as those that are coming back from injury are given game time, Offaly on the night when it comes to the bigger picture will have got more from the game on the night.

While defeated last time out against Cork, Derek McGrath and his management team are not likely to do too much tinkering with the team for this weekend’s game, even if some are suggesting that four or five changes have to be made in personnel to the starting team.

We know that there will be at least one change however as Stephen Bennett is suspended for this game as a result of the ban he picked after being caught on camera interfering with a helmet which was not spotted by the officials on the day.

Who takes his place in the team right now we do not know.

Players like Thomas Ryan, Brian O’Halloran, Jake Dillon and Patrick Curran will all feel that they could have big shouts to replace the Ballysaggart man. Another player that could well be given the nod is Darragh Fives.

Derek McGrath as we all know favours an defensive game and could well name the Tourin man in attack for this game but get him to drop back into defence after the throw in.

The positioning of Austin Gleeson is going to be interesting. He did not have the best of games by his usual high standards against Cork when he was not playing in his usual central position, and so it will be interesting to see will he be in the middle this time, as opposed to playing against one of the sidelines.

There are many that argue that the Mount Sion man should start at Centre Forward, but I have always argued that like his fellow Mount Sion Club man Ken McGrath his best position is at Centre Back, a position in which we must not forget that he has won two All-Ireland and one Munster Medals.

   Maurice Shanahan in the eyes of many is isolated too much for too often in a one or two man inside forward line and some are quick to knock the talented Lismore man when he don’t get the score tallies that he is capable of getting.

If he is to play at Full Forward or anywhere in the inside forward line, he will need support. (I would have him at centre forward). If he is in a three man Full Forward line players with speed like Brian O’Halloran and Thomas Ryan would benefit a lot feeding off any ball the big Lismore man was to break to them, but if Waterford were to go with a two man inside forward line, then maybe another big man, such as DJ Foran might be the way to go when playing against a three man full back line and maybe with a sweeper of two playing in front of them.

This is a game Waterford should win. The problem is however it could well be a no win situation game for Waterford.

If Waterford wins by a handful of points, questions will be asked once more, and claims will be made that the side should and won by more, but if Waterford were to win by a margin along the lines that Tipperary and Galway have beaten them, then many will claim “It was only Offaly”.

Bigger games will have to be played if Waterford are to get to Croke Park this year, but first lets worry about this game and win, whatever the margin will be.

Let’s Remember the Club Players before Voting On New Hurling Championship Proposals

In the coming weeks Clubs and County Boards are set to vote on new proposals discussed at a recent Central Council of the G.A.A. in Croke Park, which if agreed upon at a specially convened Congress later this year.

The new proposals would see the Munster and Leinster Hurling Championship played off on a round robin basis with five counties competing in both competitions.

If the new look championships were to take place next year, the ten teams would be selected on how each team competed in this year’s championship which would mean that Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford would take part in next year’s Munster Championship, with Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Offaly and Wexford taking part in the Leinster Championship.

Each county would have two home and two away games to play in the round robin series under the new proposals with the top two teams in each province after five rounds of games contesting the provincial finals.

The winner of the Provincial Finals would advance to the All-Ireland semi finals, with the runners up contesting an All-Ireland quarter final where they would be joined by a third placed team in the provincial round robin series, plus the winner of a Provincial Qualifier competition which from 2017 rankings would be Laois, Westmeath, Kerry, Antrim and Carlow. The winner one year would be joined by the third team in the Munster Group and the other year by the third placed team in the Leinster Group.

The bottom placed team in the Leinster group would play the provincial qualifiers the following year with the provincial qualifier taking their place in the Leinster Championship, but if Kerry were to win the provincial qualifiers they would play off with the bottom team in the Munster Group with the winner of that game taking their place in the Munster Championship the following year. (i.e. Kerry would have to win a play-off game to play in the Munster Championship, but a Leinster side or Antrim would automatically move up the following year).

The bottom team in the Provincial qualifiers would be relegated to the Christy Ring competition the following year.

If the proposals were to be agreed upon, it would see the National Hurling League Final moved from its customary First Sunday of May date to one at the end of April and three round of the Munster and Leinster Championship would take place in May with two further rounds played in early June.

This to many might sound good. You could well have Tipperary at home to Limerick on a given Sunday and Waterford at home to Cork the same day in the Muster Championship. It would be like Manna from Heaven to hurling supporters who tune into the Sunday Game each week or to Sky Sports equivalent. It would well happen that you could have Galway playing Kilkenny in the Leinster Championship the same day. This is three big games that RTE and Sky Sports would want to show. It would be like getting six numbers in one line in a multi roll over National Lottery draw for hurling supporters.

Just as the Provincial Hurling Championships would be coming to a close, the Super 8’s as they are being called in football would be about to kick in. Pubs that show Gaelic Games on their big screens on a Sunday afternoon would make a killing over a number of Sunday’s if the fixtures were to fall right.

But there could well be a down side to all these great games that we could well be about to see.

Make no mistake about it, these extra games are now all about creating extra games for the often referred to elite players. There is many in the G.A.A. that speak about player burn out but when new look competitions like what is purposed little or no mention of Player Burnout is made.

We all know that GAA is an abbreviation of Gaelic Athletic Association, but many each year consider GAA to stand for Grab All Association, and there is no doubt a certain amount of the new proposals are about getting as much revenue in from G.A.A. supporters.

Deals will be done which will look good to get people to attend the four group games. Prices to gain admission into games may well drop, but GAA Chiefs will know that instead of maybe one or two games for most sides in the Munster Championships, under the new proposals a county will have to play five games to be provincial champions and people will travel to games.

As broadcasting contracts come up for renewal G.A.A. Chiefs will try and get as much as they can from the different TV and Radio Stations to broadcast games.

But there could well be major downfalls to the whole new look competitions.

What will happen to the Club Championships?

The strength of the G.A.A. is in the Clubs. Without the Clubs the G.A.A. has nothing. It is in the Clubs and the Schools where most young boys are introduced formally to the G.A.A.

It is in the Clubs and Schools that young boys get to learn and prefect the skills of hurling and football, before the best players get the chance to show them off to tens of thousands of fans at venues like Semple Stadium and Croke Park.

It is from the clubs that the players with the best ability are sent to Development Squads where the best are groups to form underage inter county panels and eventually senior inter county panels.

If the clubs did not exist the question has to be asked where would management teams of inter county teams pick their players from.

Let’s take Waterford as an example if the new proposals are passed.

If Derek McGrath or whoever is over the Waterford Senior Hurling team next year were to put together a group of players who have a good league campaign and then a good Munster Championship, maybe reaching the final of both it could well happen that NO championship game would be played in the county until late August or early September.

Are we going to ask players to go out and play week in and week out to have a team in place to play in the Munster Club Championship?

And don’t forget, whether some people like it or not Waterford is very much a duel county and football has to be looked after as well.

While Waterford have never won a Munster Senior Club Football Championship, in recent years Clubs like Stradbally, Ballinacourty and The Nire have represented the county well and if we are honest we could well argue that the Senior Football winners in Waterford have done better than the hurling champions who we expect to be provincial champions each year.

While I don’t expect many if indeed any to agree with me, I feel when it comes to votes, we here in Waterford and indeed other counties have become very much ‘yes’ men. When a proposal is put on the table if it what is wanted by those sitting at the top table we agree to go along with what is on the table.

And I feel when it comes to voting on the new hurling proposals, Waterford will be voting yes. It’s a bit like if you are a member of a political party you will do what the leader says and you don’t ask questions. And if you do ask questions you are treated like the priest who may not entirely share the same views as the often outdated men that sit around the Vatican who will try and silence the priest that has a different view or get their top man on the ground close to him to silence him.

I first got involved in the administration side of the G.A.A. over two decades ago. While I am no longer involved as an administrator in any capacity, I have sat in a number of county board meetings as a delegate or sat in as an observer in recent years, but not of late, I have seen the same faces meeting after meeting at those that I have attended, represent their club.

It to me is always the same few people that like to get their views aired first and other always try and have the last work before the meeting moves on to the next item on the agenda. It is also the same few people that will sit in and not open their mouth. From what I have seen their roll at the meeting is to try and attract the attention of a friend and to go outside the front door for a fag. When a vote is called for, not wanting to upset people they often if not always vote along the lines of those sitting at the top table.

While the introduction of the new proposals might do the Inter County game some good, I for one will be hoping that it does not come at the expense of the club scene.

In most counties there appear to be a close down of the club scene from early to mid may until the counties senior hurling and football teams are gone out of the championship for another year.

In the mean time in the last number of years we have seen club players leave these shores in the summer months and head to America where they play hurling and football over there, because for one reason they are not getting meaningful games with their clubs. It could be argued that while no championship games are played, clubs get to play leagues and secondary competitions during the summer but these games are moved around often at short notice and there is some players who don’t know when their next game is on and might have got time off work to play a game only for it to be called off or switched to a later or earlier date. It is often that club members don’t even know when these games are on to go and support their club.

When clubs do vote and instruct their county boards how to vote at the special congress, I for one, even as a person that has never played hurling or football outside of at home or making up numbers in school for a game during the lunch breaks, that the club players will be remembered and that their playing season is not closed now for even longer periods than it is at present.

Waterford Fall Just Short In Ennis

There was no joy for the Waterford Senior Camogie team on Saturday afternoon as they slipped to a second defeat in a row in this year’s All-Ireland Championship.

Played on a good sod and in blistering heat, Waterford made all the early running and retired at the break to the dressing rooms holding a 2-5 to 0-9 advantage showing on the score board.

However, travelling to Ennis on such a warm day was to take its toll in the second half as Clare and in particular Player of the Match Chloe Morey stepped up a gear or two and in the end ran out worthy winners.

While Clare were first to score through Chloe Morey, it was Waterford that made the perfect start as Beth Carton soon cancelled out the effort of the Sixmilebridge Club player with Waterford’s first score of the game.

And when Lorraine Bray followed up with a second point for the Déise Ladies and when Caitriona McGlone and Beth Carton with a clever piece of play found Kate McMahon who soloed through for the first goal of the game on eight minutes, things were looking good for the visitors.

However, Clare would not allow their visitors to build up much of a lead and they hit back with a brace of Chloe Morey frees to leave just two between the sides.

Beth Carton with a single free had her score cancelled out with a brace of scores from the brilliant Chloe Morey to leave the minimum between the sides.

If Chloe Morey was Clare’s stand out player on the day, the Déise ladies had a number of players to pick from as their best player on the day, including Beth Carton who while well marked on the day when chances did come her way she made no mistakes, Aoife Landers, Brianna O’Regan, Niamh Rockett, Shauna Kiernan and Lorraine Bray who all showed their class in the following minutes.

Beth Carton put over another point for the Déise County to extend their lead with a free before Kate McMahon pointed to leave three between the sides.

Six minutes from the break Niamh Rockett had an effort for a point but the talented Saint Anne’s Club player saw her shot dip under Ciara McCarthy’s crossbar for a second Waterford goal, which gave her side a six point lead, and it was beginning to look as if it was to be Waterford’s day.

But Clare would finish the half the stronger of the two sides. Andrea O’Keeffe pointed before Chloe Morey shot over a brace of scores after which Andrea O’Keeffe got her second of the game to leave just two between the sides at the break.

Clare started the second half as they ended the first with Chloe Morey putting over three points in a row to go one in front but a point from Beth Carton levelled matters on thirty eight minutes.

Chloe More and Aoife Keane tagged on points for the home side to go back in front by two which was followed by an Áine O’Loughlin goal on 46 minutes. The move started at the other end of the field when Beth Carton was dispossessed by Carol O’Leary and the ball was quickly worked up the field and O’Loughlin made no mistake to give her side a 1-15 to 2-7 lead.

Another brace of Chloe Morey scores followed for Clare putting the Banner Ladies seven points in front, but an Lorraine Bray point soon had Clare a little closer to the Déise’s tally on the score board.

Seconds later Beth Carton and Fiona Morrissey teed up Áine Lyng but the Gailltir Club player saw her shot parried by Ciara McCarthy and when the sliotar fell to second half substitute Becky Kavanagh made no mistake, leaving just three between the sides.

Niamh O’Dea tagged on a point for the hosts and when Aoife Keane blasted a second goal for the home side on fifty eight minutes it secured the win for Clare.

Waterford were somewhat unlucky not to have scored a fourth goal near the end as Carol O’Leary denied Niamh Rockett with a timely block who had to settle for a consolation point.

Clare however in the time that remained had time to latch on one further score, again from Chloe Morey who rounded off a good afternoons work for her side with her fifteenth score of the game.

Clare: Ciara McCarthy; Amy Barrett, Carol O’Leary, Maire McGrath; Laura McMahon, Claire Hehir, Róisín McMahon; Orlaith Duggan, Ciara Grogan; Orla Devitt, Aoife Keane, Andrea O’Keeffe; Chloe Morey, Niamh O’Dea, Aoibheann Duggan Subs: Áine O’Loughlin for Aoibheann Duggan, Emma O’Connell for Claire Hehir, Vera Loughnane for Orla Devitt.

Scorers: Chloe Morey 0-15 (8f, 1 ‘45), Aoife Keane 1-1, Áine O’Loughlin 1-0, Andrea O’Keeffe 0-2, Niamh O’Dea 0-1. 

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Aoife Landers, Fiona Morrissey, Claire Whyte; Marie Russell, Shauna Kiernan, Mairead Power; Iona Heffernan, Áine Lyng; Caithriona McGlone, Jenny McCarthy, Kate McMahon; Beth Carton, Niamh Rockett, Lorraine Bray Subs Becky Kavanagh (1-0) for Iona Heffernan, Valerie O’Brien for Áine Lyng, Niamh Ahearne for Caithriona McGlone, Annie Glavey for Mairead Power.

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-6 (3F), Kate McMahon 1-1, Niamh Rockett, Becky Kavanagh 1-0 each, Lorraine Bray 0-2.

Referee: Cathal Egan (Cork)

Waterford Bow Out Despite Another Good Performance

          Waterford bowed out of this year’s All-Ireland Football Championship on Saturday afternoon when they lost out to a Derry side who made the long journey to Dungarvan on Friday evening hoping to avoid any slip-up for them which would have been seen as the shock of Championship 2017.

          Waterford went into this game on somewhat of a high after a very good showing against Cork at the same venue three weeks earlier, who pushed the Rebels all the way, but in this game Waterford despite again putting up another good showing had to settle again for second best against a Derry side that lead from first minute till the last.

          Despite an uneasy start for Waterford where Derry came out of the traps fastest racing into a four point lead after just eight minutes, Waterford settled very much so in the second quarter of this game and went in at the break only two points down.

          However Derry would again have an excellent start to the second half and would kick a series of unanswered scores which helped them advance in this game, and while Waterford again came back late on in the game, they had left themselves with too much to do, with the concession of a Danny Heavron goal on fifty one minutes proving to be the decisive score of the game which gave the visitors a 1-14 to 0-9 lead. 

          Niall O’Loughlin opened the scoring inside the first minute of the game and the same player quickly followed up with his second of the game after which Danny Tallon and Ciaran McFaul split the post to give the visitors a dream start.

          Gavin Crotty opened Waterford’s account on ten minutes but it was followed with Ryan Bell’s first of the game. Gavin Crotty and Danny Tallon swapped scores before Tommy Prendergast pointed on fifteen minutes to leave three between the sides, as Waterford began to come into the game.

          Stephen Enright made an excellent save from Heavron and in the subsequent battle for the ball Mayo referee Jerome Henry sent The Nire’s James McGrath to the line on a Black Card and was replaced by Michael O’Halloran. From the follow up free James Kielt made no mistake in splitting the posts.

          Points from Gavin Crotty and the An Rinn pair of Ferghal Ó Cuirrín and Donie Breathnach followed for the home side before the break but Derry responded with efforts from Niall Keenan, Ryan Bell and James Kielt to give their side a 0-11 to 0-9 lead at the interval.

          Derry once more had a dream start after the break and they hit 1-5 in the second half before Waterford hit a first score.

           Emmett McGuckin at the break replaced Niall O’Loughlin who was suffering with a dead leg, and he made his mark within thirty seconds with a point to put his side three up.

          Ciaran McFaul and Christopher McKaigue followed up with points for the visitors before Danny Heavron belt the only goal of the game in fifty minutes.

          Mark Lynch and Danny Tallon pointed again to open up a ten point lead before Donie Breathnach got Waterford’s first score of the second half with ten minutes remaining.

          The Kilrossanty pair of Tommy Prendergast and Paul Whyte tagged on late scores for the hosts, but they proved to be mere consolation scores as the strong start by the Oak Leaf County ensured that they advanced to the second round draw and as we now know a meeting with Mayo in round two of the qualifiers.

DERRY: Ben McKinless; Niall Keenan, Brendan Rogers, Karl McKaigue; Ciaran McFaul, Carlus McWilliams, Danny Heavron; Conor McAtamney, Christopher McKaigue; Ryan Bell, Niall O’Loughlin, Michael McEvoy; Danny Tallon, James Kielt, Benny Heron. Subs: Emmett McGuckin for Niall O’Loughlin (h-t), Mark Lynch for Ryan Bell (45), Shane McGuigan for James Kielt (48), Neill Forrester for Ciaran McFaul (55), Conor Nevin for Conor McAtamney (60), Gavin O’Neill for Danny Heron (64), Gavin Nevin for McAtamney (68).

Scorers: Danny Heavron 1-1, Danny Tallon, James Kielt (2f) 0-3 each, Ciaran McFaul, Niall O’Loughlin (1f), Ryan Bell 0-2 each, Niall Keenan, Emmett McGuckin, Christopher McKaigue, Mark Lynch 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: Stephen Enright; Stephen Dalton, Ray Ó Ceallaigh, Thomas O’Gorman, James McGrath, Stephen Prendergast, Aidan Trihy, Tommy Prendergast, Michael Curry, Conor Murray, Paul Whyte, Gavin Crotty, Donie Breathnach, Fergal Ó Cuirrín, Joey Veale. Subs: Michael O’Halloran for James McGrath BC (19), Patrick Hurney for Joey Veale (47), Dylan Guiry for Conor Murray (50), Lorcan Ó Corraoin for Stephen Dalton (55), Frank Galvin for Fergal Ó Cuirrín (61), Kieran Murphy for Tommy Prendergast (70+2).

Scorers: Donie Breathnach 0-5 (3F), Gavin Crotty 0-3, Tommy Prendergast, Fergal Ó Cuirrín, Paul Whyte 0-1.

REFEREE: Jerome Henry (Mayo).

Cork Advance Against Poor Waterford Side

There can be no disputing that the best team playing at Semple Stadium today advanced to this year’s Munster Senior Hurling Final and a meeting with Clare as Cork for the second game in a row put in a very solid seventy minutes of hurling and in the process wrapped up for the second game in a row an excellent tally on the scoreboard at the end of what was in all honesty a very disappointing game of hurling.

The winners who finished the game with fourteen players after Colm Spillane was sent off inside the last ten minutes of this game after he collected a second yellow card. In the eight or so minutes of the seventy minutes that remained and in the five which were added on you could be forgiven for thinking that it was the winners that had an extra man on the field in the closing minutes.

While some appeared after the game to blame referee Barry Kelly for the loss for Waterford for not awarding a penalty for a second half foul on Maurice Shanahan, it should also be noted that Waterford were very lucky not to have two players sent off for dangerous tattles.

At the break the sides went to the dressing rooms all square locked at ten points each on the score board. Cork however were marginally the better of the two sides in the opening thirty five minutes and would have gone in at the break in front but for two Stephen O’Keeffe saves late on in the half, the second of which is bound to be a contender for save of the year, even at this early stage of championship 2017.

Cork opened the scoring on two minutes when from an Anthony Nash restart after a Kevin Moran effort went wide, the sliotar was worked to Patrick Horgan who landed it over the head of Stephen O’Keeffe.

Darragh Fitzgibbon extended the Rebels lead on four minutes but a minute later Stephen Bennett registered his sides first score of the game when he pounced on a breaking ball.

Waterford drew level on seven minutes when Pauric Mahony who was Waterford’s most industrious forward in the opening half when he shot over from play and a minute later Maurice Shanahan found Stephen Bennett who hit his second score of the game.

Seamus Harnedy levelled matters for the second time on nine minutes and a minute later the 2016 Young and Adult Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson with a brilliant piece of skill pointed to give Waterford the lead once more.

Mark Coleman levelled matters once more on thirteen minutes, but Cork quickly went two in front with a brace of scores from the impressive Conor Lehane who was a reported injury doubt for Cork before this game.

Pauric Mahony and Patrick Horgan swapped scores before Mark Ellis Pointed for Cork to give the Rebels a three point advantage with eighteen minutes played. Points from Pauric Mahony and Shane Bennett quickly followed to leave just one between the sides with twenty two minutes showing on the clock.

Horgan pointed for Cork again with ten minutes of the first half remaining only for Pauric Mahony to point from a free following a foul on Stephen Bennett by Colm Spillane.

Six minutes from the break Jamie Barron was booked for Waterford after he fouled Seamus Harnedy and from the resulting free Horgan made no mistake in putting the sliotar over the Waterford crossbar to go two points in front.

Tadhg De Búrca helped set up Jamie Barron on thirty three minutes and a minute later Kevin Moran equalised once more, but Cork could have had at least one goal just before this as Stephen O’Keeffe does well keep efforts from Alan Cadogan and then Seamus Harnedy out of the Waterford net.

Cork began the second half with a point inside ten seconds from a Bill Cooper effort put Waterford cancelled the Youghal man’s effort out with an Austin Gleeson effort.

Points from Patrick Horgan from a sixty five and then Conor Lehane from play gave Cork a 0-13 to 0-11 lead on thirty nine minutes and from here, Cork never fell behind.

Horgan followed up with a brace to open a four point lead with forty two minutes played after which Pauric Mahony put over from the middle of the field.

Waterford at this point were fortunate not to have had their numbers cut when Stephen Bennett sent off when he grabbed the helmet of Damien Cahalane and pull him backwards which went unspotted by the officials. Had one of the officials spotted it, the Ballysaggart man would have been sent to the line.

The game’s only goal came on forty six minutes when Maurice Shanahan got lucky with a break and as his older brother Dan did many times in the past the big Lismore man blasted to the net to level matters 1-12 to 0-15.

The goal failed to ignite the Waterford attack as Patrick Horgan on forty seven minutes, Conor Lehane on fifty two and Alan Cadogan a minute later all landed points for the eventual winners. In fact after the big Lismore man beat Anthony Nash, the side in White and Blue managed just three further scores.

Waterford however were again fortunate not to have their numbers cut by this stage as in the build up to Horgan’s point from a free Barry Coughlan dragged down Conor Lehane. Barry Kelly issued the Ballygunner Man a yellow card but on another day or maybe with a different referee, the card colour could have been red.

A point from Brian O’Halloran on fifty six minutes left two between the sides once more but it was quickly cancelled out with efforts from Michael Cahalane and Patrick Horgan to open up a 0-20 to 1-13 lead for Cork with twelve minutes still to play.

Darragh Fives was booked only seconds after coming on for his brother Shane on sixty one minutes with Seamus Harnedy yellow carded for the same incident. A minute later Maurice Shanahan went to ground inside the Cork box but the Westmeath official waved play on. Seconds later Colm Spillane was ordered off by Barry Kelly after he picked up his second yellow of the game for a foul on Thomas Ryan.

Harnedy pointed on sixty four minutes to open up a five point lead, which was followed by an effort for Waterford from Jamie Barron.

Points from Horgan and then Luke O’Farrell on seventy minutes sealed the win for Cork, and while Maurice Shanahan would hit a stoppage time point for Waterford it proved to be but a mere consolation score for Waterford.

This game might not have reached the heights of the battles between these two sides for a decade in the last decade but for now Cork won’t mind too much as they are back in the Munster Final next month against Clare where they will be seeking revenge for their All-Ireland defeat in 2013.

For Waterford it’s the qualifiers, and with the likes of Tipperary, Kilkenny, Dublin and Limerick in the draw, Waterford will know that as the draw progresses, there will be no easy draw if Waterford are to have a date in Croke Park later this year.

Down the years Waterford have played some of their best hurling in at the Home of Hurling, that is Semple Stadium, but today Waterford never looked like a side that had a chance of appearing in the third Munster Final in a row, as the eleven weeks without a competitive game and even a long layoff without any competitive games in the club championship showed as Waterford were very flat.

Cork in 1999 fielded what was a very young team in the championship with some experienced players thrown in. This year the Cork Management team are doing much the same and no doubt there will be questions asked in some hurling homes, not just in Cork but right around the country, will this present Cork side go on to be as successful as the side put together for the 1999 championship and the championships that followed for almost a decade.

Cork: Anthony Nash; Stephen McDonnell, Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane; Christopher Joyce, Mark Ellis, Mark Coleman; Bill Cooper, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Luke Meade, Conor Lehane, Seamus Harnedy; Alan Cadogan, Patrick Horgan, Shane Kingston. Subs: Michael Cahalane for Shane Kingston (55), Daniel Kearney for Darragh Fitzgibbon (60), Luke O’Farrell for Luke Meade (60), Brian Lawton for Conor Lehane (68), Dean Brosnan for Alan Cadogan (72).

Scorers: Patrick Horgan 0-10 (0-7f, 0-1 ’65), Conor Lehane 0-4, Seamus Harnedy 0-2, Mark Ellis, Mark Coleman (0-1 sideline), Bill Cooper, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Alan Cadogan, Michael Cahalane, Luke O’Farrell 0-1 each.

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Conor Gleeson, Tadhg de Búrca, Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron, Kevin Moran; Stephen Bennett, Pauric Mahony, Michael Walsh; Austin Gleeson, Maurice Shanahan, Shane Bennett. Subs: Thomas Ryan for Stephen Bennett (46), Brian O’Halloran for Shane Bennett (54), Darragh Fives for Shane Fives (58), Jake Dillon for Austin Gleeson (63), Patrick Curran for Michael Walsh (66).

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-5 (0-1f), Maurice Shanahan 1-1 (0-1f), Stephen Bennett, Austin Gleeson, Jamie Barron 0-2 each, Brian O’Halloran, Shane Bennett, Kevin Moran 0-1 each.

Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath)

Underdogs Waterford to Test Derry

On Saturday afternoon for the first time ever in Championship football, Waterford and Derry clash in the senior level at Fraher Field in Dungarvan after the two sides were the first out of the hat in the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers which was made recently.

On paper its hard to see all but one result in this game.

At the end of last year, the ranking for last year’s championship were published and Waterford were ranked third from bottom of the 33 counties that played for the All-Ireland Championship with only the exiles of London and New York below them and Kilkenny not included as they did not enter the Leinster Senior Football Championship.

Derry for their part were ranked in twelfth place, after they lost to Tyrone in the championship, but beat Louth, Meath and Cavan in the All-Ireland qualifiers before they lost out to Tipperary in the fourth round of the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Since then a large number of players from last year’s championship panel have left the panel and without them they have somewhat struggled.

Many would say that the Oak Leaf County should have readymade replacements for those that left the set up, or at least players that are almost up to the standard that you would expect as Derry have contested the last two Ulster Minor Final’s winning in 2015 and were runners up last year and this year they contested the Ulster Under 21 Football Final.

But as we all know success at underage level does not always mean that success will follow at adult level, but underage success is a help towards success coming your way in the higher grades.

The county has not have had the best of years to date.

They played in Division Two of the National League and were relegated at the end of the campaign as their best results came against Kildare who were promoted from Division Two and Fermanagh who like Derry were relegated to the third tier of the league ladder for 2018.

In the championship they were pitted against Tyrone for the second year in a row and against their neighbours they suffered a 0-22 to 0-11 defeat back at the end of May.

The same two counties also clashed in the McKenna Cup, the second competition for Senior Inter county football side organised each year by the Ulster County and again victory went to Tyrone on a 2-13 to 1-7 score line.

James Kiel twat suspended for Derry’s last game against Tyrone, but one swallow does not make a summer and his loss cannot be blamed for such a heavy loss, as they have some quality players in the likes of corner back Niall Keenan, centre back Chris McKaigue, Conor McAtamney in the middle of the field as well as Benny Heron, Emmet McGuckian, Enda Lynn and Mark Lynch in attack.

How much of Derry’s poor early season performances is down to the success of Slaughtneil who won both the Hurling and Football Championships in Derry last year and went on to have very good runs in the Ulster Club Championships, going on to contest the All-Ireland Club Football Final on Saint Patrick’s Day, losing out to a strong Dr Croke’s team who beat Waterford Champions The Nire in the Munster Final at Mallow.

Waterford in the early part of the year did not have the record they would have liked.

Tom McGlinchey’s side lost both of their games in the McGrath Cup and in the League, a competition that Waterford had high hopes of getting out of this year, won just two games, against London and Wicklow which did not give much hope to many heading into the championship a few weeks ago.

But the revising of the championships in Waterford this year proved beneficial to Tom McGlinchey as instead in other years playing hurling in the weeks before the Counties Munster Championship owner, two rounds of the hurling championship were played before one round of football and since then the popular Cork man has had his charges to work with uninterrupted.

In ranking the senior football for RTE last year, journalist James McMahon said that it was “Hard to see much of an upturn (in Waterford’s results), though the prospect of Cork coming to Dungarvan at the end of May, should at least focus minds on delivering a respectable performance.”

Granted, Cork in 2017 when it comes to football are not the side of yesteryear but hopefully Waterford running the Rebels to within one point at Fraher Field last month, and having chances to actually beat the rebels we will see Waterford move up the rankings in 2017. There is some that will at every opportunity will knock Waterford football, but Waterford football is not as poor as some would suggest. All it needs is to be given a fair crack of the whip.

Since taking over the Waterford Senior Football team Tom McGlinchey had extracted some committed performances from his charges, even if results have not gone their way.

Last year they caused Tipperary problems before the Premier County pulled away towards the end of the game, and travelled to Carrick-on-Shannon to play Leitrim in the qualifiers (it is almost an unwritten rule that Waterford travels for the qualifiers).

It is worth noting that in the last two season’s Tom McGlinchey has played without any of the Stradbally players, but he can still put out a strong side.

Paul Whyte is a quality footballer, Donie Breathnach and Gavin Crotty are good forwards and they could have Patrick Hurney back this weekend, while at the other end of the field, Stephen Enright, Brian Looby, Thomas O’Gorman, Tadhg Ó hUallachain, Ray Ó Ceallaigh etc. are all very good players.

One leading bookmaker is quoting Derry as 1/5 to win this game and Waterford are 9/2.

Waterford are a side that are often a side very difficult to beat at Fraher Field and those that do take 9/2 could well end up with extra money in the pocket this weekend.

Stern Test Expected For Waterford Camogie Team, but A Win Is Expected

Waterford Senior County Camogie Team go in search of a first win in this year’s All-Ireland Championship on Saturday afternoon when they take on Clare at Cusack Park in Ennis.

Like the Déise County the home side are also seeking a first win as just like Waterford who lost out to Kilkenny at Walsh Park on Saturday last, Clare lost out by three points on their travels when they took on Dublin at the Parnell’s G.A.A. Club Ground.

While Waterford lost out by fifteen points against the All-Ireland Champions last week, if there is any consolation from the defeat for Waterford it is that they are now safe in the knowledge that they have the best team in the group now played and can knuckle down knowing that they are more than capable of getting something from the remainder of the games that they have to play.

Kilkenny are always a certainty to qualify for the knockout stages of the All-Ireland Championship from Waterford’s group, along with possibly with the remaining three sides doing battle for the final place in the quarter finals.

While Clare are playing on a ground that they will be far more familiar with than Waterford are, this is certainly a game that Waterford will feel that they can win.

The sides did not play in the league, but Waterford did play Dublin and managed to beat them on their own soil, and with Dublin having beaten Clare last week, Waterford have every right to think they can win this one.

While Waterford will feel that they can win this one, they at the same time will not be underestimating the challenge that the home side will serve up.

It could be argued that at this level Clare are a more experienced side that Waterford who are only playing in the top flight for the second year after winning the Intermediate All-Ireland Championship two years ago.

Anybody that follows the game to any extent will know that Clare have some very good players with possibly Chloe Morey and Niamh O’Dea, both who play regularly in the Banner Counties Full Forward line their most stand out players.

They are players that can cause most teams problems and if allowed to against Waterford, they will notch up the scores for Clare.

 But if you watch the Waterford team in action, you will notice that the team is strong at the back. They have a strong full back line made up of Marie Russell, Fiona Morrissey and Claire Whyte are all top notch players, while behind them Brianna O’Regan is a top quality goalkeeper, while in front of them Mairead Power, Shona Kiernan and Iona Heffernan are also quality players with others like Aoife Landers and Jenny McCarthy from the side that started last week also able to play in defence.

While 2-15 when past the Waterford defence last time out, it is fair to assume that the same will not happen this time, as while the Clare attack will be good, it won’t be near as good as what Kilkenny have in attack.

Last week Waterford appeared to be lacking a scoring threat in their forward line, with all six of the side’s scores coming from placed balls.

This time around it can be taken that Waterford will be more of a threat to the opposition defence.

Beth Carton would be expected to be the sides top scorer as she is a quality forward. She was the sides top scorer in the league with many of her scores coming from placed balls.

But since the league Áine Lyng has been added to the panel. A number of years back the Gailltir player was regarded as one of the leading lights in the game. She was a number of years away from the game but returned last year with Gailltir, helping the Barony Ladies to a first County Senior Title since 2008 when she was involved and going on to win a Munster Intermediate Championship, and also helped her side to reach the County League Final a few years back, where they had to settle for second best against a strong Lismore side, and in all three competitions she has shown that she still is a quality player and has and will add something to this panel.

Niamh Rockett is also a very good player who impressed in the league causing many of the opposition sides plenty of heartaches with some very strong runs at them, forcing the opposition to often foul her before she got near the goals.

Lorraine Bray and Caithriona McGlone are also top quality players but maybe we might just see the Melleray player move further out the field week where she often plays her best Camogie. If this was to happen we could well see someone like Valerie O’Brien come into the Waterford attack where she is a player that will cause problems, and another player that could come into the side is the very versatile Becky Kavanagh.

This is a game that will be hard won, but one that Waterford are more than good enough to collect a first full quota of three points on offer to the winning team.