Dublin Edge It In Carlow

Waterford and Dublin clash in the quarter final stages of this year’s TG4 Senior Ladies Football Championship on Saturday afternoon at Nowlan Park.

It may be a surprise for many to learn that it is not the first time the two counties have clashed in the Senior Championship.

Ten years ago the two counties met on July 28 at Dr. Cullen Park in Carlow in a game that the side from the Capital won on a 3-9 to 3-8 score line.

Back then Waterford were very much a side in transition. Most of the side that helped the county win so much in the 90’s had left the inter county scene, but some of the younger players in the 90’s were still involved, and many of the players that helped the county win seven Munster Intermediate titles in a row after Waterford were relegated from the senior ranks a year after losing out to Dublin had not entered the scene.

Dublin after beating Waterford in 2007 would exit the championship at the quarter final stages of the competition, losing out to a Cork side that would dominate the game in the next decade and who would later that year go on to win their first All-Ireland Senior Final, beating Mayo on a 2-11 to 2-6 score line.

On the day Dublin had to withstand a late Waterford rally to ensure the win.

Many of the Waterford support in Carlow on the day would not have been happy after the game as a number of important referring decisions when against the side. A dangerous tattle on Rebecca Hallahan failed to have the perpetrator sin binned and another challenge of Niamh Briggs also failed to produce another card.

Despite the lack of sin binning’s in Waterford’s favour, no one could argue that for three quarters of the game the side in white did not play to their potential.

Louise Kelly and Mary Nevin from a free opened the scoring for Dublin before Michelle Ryan opened Waterford’s account on twelve minutes. Dublin however responded with a brace of scores from Karen Hopkins and another Mary Nevin free to give them a 0-5 to 0-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Fiona O’Reilly and Sinead Ahearn swapped scores, but unfortunately for a Waterford perspective, the latter score was to result in a green flag waved by the umpires.

And when Karen Hopkins added a second goal for the Dublin ladies on twenty four minutes things were not looking good for Waterford.

A dreadful tattle on Rebecca Hallinan followed which was went unpunished but it did raise the performance of the Waterford side somewhat.

Niamh Briggs pointed for Waterford and when she was pulled down moments later a penalty was awarded but there was no sin binning. Cliodhna Ó Connor saved the penalty and while Niamh Briggs and Rebecca Hallahan would kick late points for the Déise Ladies, it was not enough to send them to the dressing rooms trailing 2-6 to 0-5 at the at the interval.

Waterford began the second half brightly with a Mary O’Rourke effort going just over the crossbar but missed a number of score able chances after this.

Dublin on the other hand with the chances they had registered scores. Ann Marie Murphy and Sinead Aherne pointed and at the mid way point in the second half Ann Marie Murphy struck a third Dublin goal which gave then an eleven point lead.

Mairead Wall and Mary Nevin swapped scores before Waterford got very much on top. Rebecca Hallahan hit the crossbar before Mary O’Rourke goaled on fifty minutes. Aoife Murphy hit a second Waterford goal six minutes later and when Niamh Briggs shot a third Waterford goal two minutes later, it looked as if the Leinster side were in serious trouble, and more over so moments later when Aoife Murphy pointed to leave just one between the sides, but time ran out for Waterford, who were left to rue their performance in the first three quarters of the game as well as some referring decisions.

Waterford: Aimee Jordan; Grainne Kenneally, Rebecca Hallahan, Eibhlis Cooney; Lorraine Whelan, Mary O’Donnell, Michelle McGrath; Cliona O’Keeffe, Fiona O’Reilly; Karen Kelly, Michelle Ryan, Linda Wall’ Mairead Wall, Mary O’Rourke, Niamh Briggs. Subs Used: Evelyn O’Rourke, Aoife Murphy, Marian Ryan, Niamh McGrath.

Scorers: Niamh Briggs 1-2, Aoife Murphy 1-1, Mary O’Rourke 1-1 each, Rebecca Hallahan, Fiona O’Reilly, Michelle Ryan, Mairead Wall 0-1 each.

Dublin: Cliodhna O’Connor; Karen McGlynn, Denise Masterson, Maria Kavanagh; Natalia Hyland, Siobhan McGrath, Orla Colreavy; Fiona Corcoran, Sinead Finnegan; Karen Hopkins, Mary Nevin, Amy McGuinness; Sinead Aherne, Louise Kelly, Anne Marie Murphy.

Scorers: Karen Hopkins 1-2, Sinead Aherne, Ann Marie Murphy 1-1 each, Mary Nevin 0-4, Louise Kelly 0-1.

 

If there is mistakes in the names of players, I appologise as there was a number of wrong names in reports of the game I found.