Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Croke Park We Go

Most of us and certainly those of us of a certain vintage have heard the lyrics of the Van Morrison song ‘My Moma told us there would be days like this’.

For the hurlers of West Waterford Club Ardmore and for Wexford side Fethard this Sunday afternoon will be one of those day’s as the two clubs will get a rare chance to play together as a club unit in an All-Ireland Final at G.A.A. in Croke Park where the prize on offer will be the Junior Club Hurling Championship.

For two relatively small clubs chances like this don’t happen very often and the two sides will remember what ever will happen between 2pm and about 3-20pm for the rest of their lives.

Both sides up to now have blitzed their way to this weekend’s decider.

After coming through in their own county, Fethard beat Naomh Brid from Carlow in the first round of the Leinster Championship and followed that up with a win over Erin’s Isle from Dublin in the Leinster Semi Final.

Kilkenny Clubs have dominated the competition in Leinster since the inception of the competition in the early years of the last decade and when Fethard came up against John Lockes at Wexford Park, the Kilkenny side would have fancied their chances but it was the Wexford unit that came out on the better side of a 1-17 to 2-11 score line.

Next up for the Wexford side was a tricky trip to London to play the Brother Pearse club and returned home with an 0-18 to 2-9 victory which set up their recent semi final clash with Galway side Sylane who come from a rich football land in Galway from the Corofin and Headford areas.

Even though they were from a strong football side many expected the Galway side to emerge victors in that game but it was the men from the model county that emerged as victors on a 0-18 to 0-9 score line.

Centre forward Mark Wallace was top scorer for the Wexford side that day with 11 points, all but one of which came from placed balls. With one player contributing so much from placed balls you have to wonder where the scores will come from open play and Ardmore this weekend will be confident that if they can put in a disciplined performance then they can emerge as victors in this one.

Last time our wing forward Edmond Power and corner forwards Ciaran and Mikie Dwyer all ended the game with two points behind their names on the score sheet but you can’t but think that even higher tallies will be wanted from these players and others in the forward will be needed to win this one.

Ardmore it could be also said had things all too easy to date. Their toughest game of the year it could be argued was their Western Final win over a Saint Mary’s side that were looking to win a third final in a row, and the Touraneena outfit looked as if they were going to do that till Ardmore landed a series of late scores to win.

They followed that win up with a big win over Ballydurn in the County Final and then had wins over opposition from Clare, Limerick and Tipperary before beating Donegal Senior Hurling Champions Setanta in last weekend’s rearranged All-Ireland semi final at Navan.

The Round Tower men look as if they will have a full quota of players to pick from for this weekend’s game now that Jack Walsh has sat out his suspension after he was sent off against Ballybacon-Grange in the Munster Final but it remains to be seen if he will win his place back in the team.

With players like former Inter county hurlers Seamus and Declan Prendergast, the Hennessy’s, the Gartland’s, the Keating, Kenny Murphy etc to pick from for this game you have to feel that Ardmore are good enough to win this game. Experience has to count for something and they have it in abundance playing Senior Hurling in the Déise County in 2014 and played Intermediate for two years before they were relegated at the end of 2016, but they have showed since that they are a side too strong to be playing in the third tier of championship hurling, both locally and on the inter county scene.

Gallant Lismore Fall at Penultimate Hurdle

A playing season in which they won the County Senior League, the County Senior Championship and the Munster Intermediate Club Championship came to an end for Lismore Camogie Club when they were beaten by Galway side Athenry at Kinnegad.

Lismore travelled to the Westmeath venue confident that they would reach a third All-Ireland Club final in five years, but on the day they came up against a very strong Galway side that included vastly experienced players such as Therese Donohue, Jessica Gill and Rebecca Glynn

Both sides were forced to make changes to the side that they would have hoped to field for such a game. For Lismore ace free taker Aoife Hannon missed the game, while for the Galway side Eimear Keane missed the clash and will be hoping that she can force her way back into contention for their upcoming All-Ireland Final.

Lismore found the going tough throughout this game and never were allowed to show exactly what they can do.

At the break they trailed by three points, and in the second half they failed to add to their first half tally while the Galway side added just three points to their first half tally in what were difficult conditions for both sides.

The Galway side were first off the mark in this game with three points in the opening ten minutes. Jessica Gill opened the scoring with a point from play which was quickly followed with a brace of scores from the impressive Therese Donohue by the tenth minute.

Lismore however were intent on making a game of things and not to let the Galway side have things all their own way and they hit back with a Nicola Morrissey point on 15 minutes and Caithriona McGlone followed up with another point six minutes later.

But the Galway side would add two more scores, both frees off the stick of Therese Donohue to give her side a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage at the break.

The Galway side clearly had their homework down when it came to the threat that Lismore can pose to opposing sides and each time Caithriona McGlone a player that had scored seven goals in her last four competitive games got the ball, the Athenry defence swarmed around her and as a result the ladies from the Heritage Town never looked as if they were going to have a green flag waved in this game.

But if the Athenry defence proved strong at one end, the same could be said of Lismore at the other end, and like their opponents they never allowed their Galway side the chance to have a green flag waved.

Niamh Hannon opened the second half scoring for the Galway side nine minutes into the second half and they had to wait another 21 minutes to score again and when they did it was just like a London Bus, two came in quick succession, as Noreen Coen put over a brace of scores in a three minute spell.

With Lismore’s interest in the competition now after coming to an end, many of the players may now take a short break away from the game to recharge the batteries for a new year ahead in which they will be hoping to replicate what they achieved in 2017, but Waterford manager Donal O’Rourke will be hoping that the players that he wishes to use this year will not be too long away from the game, as he will want as strong as possible panel for the remainder of the National League which Waterford have made a good start to, but have possibly their hardest games yet to come.

Lismore; Tanya Morrissey; Sarah Coughlan, Shauna Prendergast, Ellen Curran; Aoife Houlihan, Shauna Kiernan, Izabella Markiewiz; Marie Russell, Sharon Williams; Grainne Kenneally, Nicola Morrissey, Shona Curran; Johanna Houlihan, Caithriona McGlone Ellen Power. Subs: Ruth Geoghegan for Johanna Houlihan, Sinead Bennett for Ellen Power.

Scorers: Nicola Morrissey, Caithriona McGlone 0-1 each.

Athenry: Megan McDonagh; Regina Mitchell, Niamh Keane, Fiona Page; Lorna Hannon, Jessica Gill, Kate Moran; Dervla Higgins, Grace Cahill; Niamh Donnellan, Therese Donohue, Niamh Keogh; Noreen Coen, Niamh Hannon, Elona Mahon. Sub: Megan Waldron for Niamh Keogh.

Scorers: Therese Donohue 0-4, Noreen Coen 0-2, Jessica Gill, Niamh Hannon 0-1 each.

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath).

Déise Ladies Impress Against Banner County

Donal O’Rourke’s Waterford Senior Camogie team remain unbeaten in this year’s National League after they secured a draw in their second game of this year competition on Saturday last at the WIT Arena in Carriganore against Clare.

Waterford however are unlucky not to have maximum points from their two games played to date as it took a successfully converted second half free deep in stoppage time from the visiting side to secure a share of the spoils from this game.

The Waterford management team clearly intend to give every player in their care this year as much time as is possible to impress during the course of the league for the championship which comes later in the year as they made five changes to the side which beat Meath in the opening round of games bringing in the Gailltir pair of Ciara Jackman and Annie Fitzgerald, the Saint Anne’s duo of Claire Whyte and Claire Murphy and Cappoquin’s Jenny McCarthy for this game.

Playing with the breeze at their backs in the opening half, Waterford opened the scoring through the impressive Niamh Rockett but the Saint Anne’s player had her score cancelled out with a similar effort from Orla Devitt.

The Waterford management team have brought Kaisha Tobin into their plans this year and she showed why some many think so highly of her within the county when on three minutes she reacted quickest to a Beth Carton free which fell short and which was blocked on the Clare goal line, but the Dungarvan player got enough power on the sliotar in a crowded goalmouth to register the first goal of the game.

Beth Carton followed up with a converted free for Waterford to extend the Home Counties lead, which was followed with a point from Andrea O’Keeffe for the visiting side which was followed with a similar effort from Niamh O’Dea after some good work by Orlaith Duggan, which left two between the sides.

A brace of points from frees struck by Beth Carton helped double Waterford’s lead, but the visitors soon pulled one back through Róisín McMahon.

Waterford hit a purple patch over the next ten minutes as Beth Carton with a brace, Annie Fitzgerald and Aisling Power with one each all found the range to extend their sides lead.

A brace of Chloe Morey points for Clare made it a five points game before Niamh Rockett put some further day light between the side with a delightful score from out on the wing on 28 minutes.

Róisín McMahon won the restart after Niamh Rockett’s delightful score and laid the ball off with a hand pass to Orlaith Duggan who ran at the Waterford defence and as she approached the edge of the Waterford square she hand-passed past Ciara Jackman and into the Waterford net for a score which is perfectly allowed in Camogie, but one that many of the top defenders would like to see dispensed with, to leave her side tailing 1-9 to 1-6 at the break.

With the floodlights turned on around the astro-turf surface at the Carriganore venue, the visitors had the wind at their backs in the second half, but it was Waterford who had the first meaningful attack of the second half as Beth Carton from a free stuck low and hard as only she can do but she saw her effort somehow saved by Lauran Solon in the Clare goal who laid the ball off to Eimear Kelly who burst forward and with the wind at her back split the Waterford posts for the halves opening score, to which Deirdre Fahy who had replaced Claire Murphy split the posts to put Waterford back in front by three.

Clare made a number of changes, the main one being the moving of Róisín McMahon into the half back line where she showed that the apple did not fall far from the tree, and she soon made an impact winning a high ball and then set up a movement that ended with Chloe Morey putting the sliotar over the head of Ciara Jackman.

Niamh O’Dea won the resulting puck out which was hit short out of the Waterford defence, and once she had the ball in hand there was only one thing on her mind and she made no mistake finishing to the net and giving the visitors the lead for the first time after 46 minutes.

Chloe Morey and Niamh O’Dea further stretched the visitors lead but Beth Carton pulled one back for the home side when she converted a free, but it was followed with points from Morey and Orlaith Duggan with a response from the De La Salle sharp shooter in between with four minutes of normal time remaining on the referee’s watch.

 Lorraine Bray, a player that has impressed immensely in the white and blue of Waterford since she burst onto the scene a number of years back now, won the resulting restart and played in Beth Carton who running at the Clare goal stoke to the corner of the Clare net to level matters on the score board.

A minute later the De La Salle Club player put over another point which looked as if it was to be the winning score, but the visitors refused to give up till referee Ray Kelly had his full time whistle blown and they were rewarded when they won a free in stoppage time as Chloe Morey put over a free from 40 metres to level matters and for both sides to share the points that were on offer in this game.

Next up for Waterford is an away game against Kilkenny this Sunday.

Waterford: Ciara Jackman; Jenny McCarthy, Iona Heffernan, Sibeal Harney; Aoife Landers, Áine Lyng, Claire Whyte; Lorraine Bray, Clara Griffin; Claire Murphy, Annie Fitzgerald, Niamh Rockett; Aisling Power, Beth Carton, Kaisha Tobin. Subs: Deirdre Fahy for Claire Murphy, Becky Kavanagh for Clara Griffin, Mairead Power for Claire Whyte

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-8 (0-6F), Kaiesha Tobin 1-0, Niamh Rockett 0-3, Annie Fitzgerald, Deirdre Fahy 0-1 each.

Clare: Lauran Solon; Eimear Kelly, Clare Hehir, Carol O’Leary;  Ciara Grogan, Máire McGrath, Laura McMahon; Róisín McMahon, Orlaith Duggan; Andrea O’Keeffe, Niamh O’Dea, Orla Devitt; Chloe Morey, Amy Keating, Doireann Murphy, Sub: Regan Conway for Amy Keating.

Scorers: Chloe Morey 0-6 (5f), Niamh O’Dea 1-2, Orlaith Duggan 1-1, Orla Devitt, Andrea O’Keeffe, Róisín McMahon, Eimear Kelly 0-1 each.

Referee: Ray Kelly, Kildare

Late Goals Deny Waterford at Drumragh

Waterford Senior Ladies Football team made the long journey (approx 800km Round trip) to Drumragh in County Tyrone over the weekend for the first round of this year National Football League.

Heading north Waterford knew that this was always going to be a difficult task. When the sides clashed in the last round of games in last year’s league, the visitors to the WIT Arena at Carriganore ran out eight point winners and later in the year they ran a very strong Tipperary to three points in the All-Ireland Intermediate Final at Croke Park.

As in previous years the Waterford management team headed up by Dungarvan man Pat Sullivan has brought in some new players for the year ahead and after coming through from successful underage teams in recent years, the management team knowing what they can do were not afraid to throw them in for their debuts for the Déise County who were wearing their changed strip of a blue shirt against the Ulster side.

Tramore club player Sally Kelly one of a number of players in the county who is equally as talented at Ladies Football as she is with a hurley in her hand started between the posts for Waterford. Kate Hahessey began at corner back with Stradbally’s Laura Cusack starting at wing back, Aisling Hahessey began at centre field alongside this year’s captain Mairead Wall, while another player equally adapt playing ladies football as she is at Camogie Keeley Corbett-Barry started at centre forward while Kelly Ann Hogan who was outstanding for Waterford’s Under 16’s in their run to All-Ireland Glory last year came on as a sub for the Déise county during the course of the came for her competitive debut.

 It was the home side that scored first in this game but it could well be argued that it was the visitors despite the long journey that started the brighter of the two sides.

Gemma Begley and Emma Hegarty hit early scores for the home side but Waterford soon settled as Róisín Tobin who excelled in the white and blue shirt last year pointed and soon afterwards Eimear Fennell finished to the Tyrone net after she was picked out by Aileen Wall.

Maria Canavan and Sinead Ryan swapped scores to keep Waterford in front, but Grainne Rafferty levelled matters with a goal and she quickly followed up with a point to give her side the lead.

 Waterford however would finish the half the stronger of the two sides as the experienced three-o of Sinead Ryan who is back in the set up this year after a year away from the game, Aileen Wall and Róisín Tobin all had white flags waved, but it was Maria Canavan that would kick the last score of the half but it was not enough to stop her side going in at the break trailing 1-6 to 1-5.

Waterford at the start of the second half won a penalty after Katie Murray was pulled down but Eimear Fennell saw her effort fail to reach the Tyrone onion sack.

A goal from Michelle Ryan soon after coming on for Keeley Corbett-Barry put Waterford 2-6 to 1-7 but the home side would finish the game strong as they kicked the next two scores, a point from Maria Canavan and a goal from Gemma Begley to put them two in front.

That goal seemed to be somewhat of a wakeup score for the home side as while Sinead Ryan and Slainne McCarroll swapped the next two scores it was followed with a third goal for the home side, this time from Maria Canavan which put her side 3-9 to 2-7 in front.

Sinead Ryan and Gemma Begley swapped scores from frees for their respective sides, before Niamh Hughes struck a four goal for the home side that ensured the full quota of points on offer for this game.

Waterford: Sally Kelly; Rebecca Casey, Michelle McGrath, Kate Hahessey; Laura Cusack, Emma Murray, Megan Dunford; Mairéad Wall, Aisling Hahessey; Róisín Tobin, Keeley Corbett Barry, Katie Murray; Sinéad Ryan, Eimear Fennell, Aileen Wall. Subs: Karen McGrath for Laura Cusack, Michelle Ryan for Keeley Corbett Barry, Lauren McGregor for Róisín Tobin, Kelly Ann Hogan for Aisling Hahessey, Geraldine Power for Eimear Fennell, Liz Devine for Aileen Wall.

Scorers: Sinead Ryan 0-6 (5f), Eimear Fennell, Michelle Ryan 1-0 each, Róisín Tobin 0-2, Aileen Wall and Liz Devine 0-1 each.

Tyrone: Shannon Lynch; Aimee Daly, Joanne Barrett, Caoileann Conway; Slainne McCarroll, Neamh Woods, Emma Brennan; Meabh Mallon, Emma Jane Gervin; Niamh Hughes, Gemma Begley, Emma Hegarty; Maria Canavan, Grainne Rafferty, Chloe McCaffry.

Scorers: Maria Canavan 1-5, Gemma Begley 1-3 (1f), Grainne Rafferty 1-1, Niamh Hughes 1-0, Emma Hegarty, Slainne McCarroll 0-1 each.

Referee: Conor Dourneen (Cavan)

Waterford begin with a loss at Walsh Park

Waterford got their 2018 National Hurling League campaign underway on Sunday last in a disappointing manner losing to South East neighbours Wexford at Walsh Park who had seven points to spare at the end of seventy minutes.

Some will have asked questions after this game which will have to be answered either in private or in public going forward.

The age old problem with forwards once again showed its head as the side hit just eight points from play over the course of the game, and also the decision to not introduce any sub over the course of seventy minutes will have perplexed some, but it seems this was the plan going into the game unless there was any injuries which had to be dealt with. Some may well be questioning how such a decision could be made, but no doubt the management team will have had their reasons.

Questions will also have to be asked of the organising of the game.

At the County G.A.A. Convention held in Dungarvan before Christmas, the chairman of the county board that Walsh Park is the only option open to Waterford within the county when it comes to a county ground, and we were also told that the county board for now plan to host the Munster Championship games against Tipperary and Cork at the Keane’s Road venue.

Just under 7,500 were inside Walsh Park for this game, and it expected that many more would want to attend a Munster Championship game between the two sides.

The game on Sunday afternoon had to be put back by ten minutes to allow for the larger than expected crowd into the game which angered many people.

Mention was also made by some people on Social Media before, during and after the game about other problems around the ground in regarding the game including the state of the Ladies toilets, general parking as well as parking problems relating to disabled people and also the obstruction for possible supports who might have had to watch the game from a wheelchair.

On the field of play two second half goals from David Dunne helped the visiting side managed by former Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald to the maximum points on offer in this game.

The visitors were quickest out of the traps in this game as Mark Fanning and Lee Chin shared five points from frees between them and Paudie Foley and Kevin Foley got one each as Wexford went seven points up without Waterford finding the range.

Jake Dillon hit Waterford’s first score on 20 minutes and Pauric Mahony would add five more points for Derek McGrath’s side before the break, all from placed ball’s but it was not enough to stop them going in trailing 0-12 to 0-6, as Wexford like Galway in last year’s All-Ireland final showed how to beat the sweeper system favoured by Waterford, shooting from out the field, which they did with some success as Aidan Nolan, Diarmuid O’Keeffe and Lee Chin all found the range.

Lee Chin extended Wexford’s lead at the start of the second half, but four points in a row for the home side leaf them trailing 0-13 to 0-10 eight minutes into the second half.

A minute later the game’s first goal arrived when David Dunne got up higher than Barry Coughlan and Conor Gleeson and then bore down on Ian O’Regan who he batted past for a well take goal.

Jamie Barron, Lee Chin and Pauric Mahony kept the fingers of the score board operator busy with swapped scores as Wexford went five points up.

This lead went to eight with 16 minutes to play as Paul Morris and Lee Chin found the range for Wexford after which Pauric Mahony split the Wexford posts.

Dunne again pointed for the visitors and with 12 minutes to go he was picked out by Conor McDonald and he again went in on Ian O’Regan he again planted the ball into the Waterford net, but the Mount Sion man did get a hurley to the sliotar but the power behind it took it over the line to put Wexford 11 in front.

Pauric Mahony, Darragh Fives and Austin Gleeson pulled back scores for Waterford but they were not to be enough.

Wexford: Mark Fanning; Shaun Murphy, Liam Ryan, Damien Reck; Simon Donohue, Paudie Foley, Matthew O’Hanlon; Kevin Foley, Aidan Nolan; Jack O’Connor, Lee Chin, Diarmuid O’Keeffe; Paul Morris, David Dunne, Conor McDonald. Subs: Jack Guiney for Kevin Foley (61), Cathal Dunbar for Paul Morris (66), Harry Kehoe for Jack O’Connor (72), Aaron Maddock for Aidan Nolan (73)

Scorers: David Dunne 2-2, Lee Chin 0-8 (6fs), Mark Fanning 0-3 (3fs), Kevin Foley, Diarmuid O’Keeffe 0-2 each, Paudie Foley, Aidan Nolan, Paul Morris 0-1 each.

Waterford: Ian O’Regan; Shane McNulty, Barry Coughlan, Conor Gleeson; Darragh Fives, Tadhg De Búrca, Philip Mahony; Austin Gleeson, Jamie Barron; Kevin Moran, Stephen Bennett, Pauric Mahony; Jake Dillon, Maurice Shanahan, Thomas Ryan.  

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-12 (9fs, 1 65’), Jamie Barron 0-2 (1 s-l), Tadhg De Búrca, Austin Gleeson, Darragh Fives, Jake Dillon, Thomas Ryan 0-1 each.

Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny)

Footballers Earn Share of the Spoils

Tom McGlinchey’s Waterford Senior Football Team got their National Football League underway on Sunday afternoon where they returned home from Aughrim with a deserved draw against Wicklow.

Playing the Garden County Side in Aughrim in never an easy task, just as it can often be said of Waterford in Fraher Field, but the home side will be disappointed with this result as Gearoid Murphy missed what appeared to be a straight forward free to win the game for his side.

The game was deep in stoppage time when referee S Mulhare awarded the home side a free and when Murphy who had successfully converted three efforts before this stepped up to take another it looked as if his effort would be put over the head of Stephen Enright in the Waterford goal but to the joy of the Waterford contingent inside the ground, they saw the size five go wide of the uprights.

This was a game where Waterford got off to a very good start racing three points up with just 13 minutes gone, but at the break the two sides were locked a five points each as the visitors hit just one further score in the time that was to be played in the opening half after getting off to a perfect start.

Rathgormack’s Jason Curry opened the scoring for Waterford in the second minute of the game but his effort was quickly cancelled out with an effort from Seanie Furlong on four minutes.

Paul Whyte put Waterford back in front five minutes later and his score was followed up with a score from fellow Kilrossanty club man Joe Veale and on 13 minutes Jason Curry hit his second of the game, this time from a ’45.

The home side would prove to be the better of the two sides in the remainder of the opening half as they outscored Waterford four points to one, to go to the dressing rooms deservedly going to the dressing rooms locked at five points each on the scoreboard.

Daniel Keane hit the home sides second score of the game on 15 minutes and seven minutes later Seanie Furlong for his second of the afternoon from a free.

Paul Whyte helped extend Waterford’s lead on 28 minutes but his score were followed with efforts from Gearoid Murphy and Seanie Furlong before the break.

Wicklow came out looking the hungrier side at the start of the second half and hit the first four points of the half through Darren Hayden, Seanie Furlong and Gearoid Murphy in the opening seven minutes.

            Waterford kicked the next five points in a row, three from Jason Curry free’s to retake the lead by the 53 minute.

Wicklow responded with a brace of scores to go back in front, but Waterford were not going to throw in the towel and bow to Wicklow playing on home soil and they were rewarded with Jason Curry put over his seventh of the game to level matters twelve points each.

Waterford: Stephen Enright; Brian Looby, Thomas O’Gorman, Mark Cummins; James McGrath, Shane Ryan, Aidan Trihy; Tommy Prendergast, Michael Curry; Conor Murray, Gavin Crotty, Dylan Guiry; Jason Curry, Joey Veale, Paul  Whyte. Subs: Donie Breathnach for Conor Murray, Ferghal Ó Currain for Gavin  Crotty, Ray Ó Ceallaigh for Mark Cummins, JJ Hutchinson for Joey Veale, Michael Scurry for JJ Hutchinson (BC).

Scorers: Jason Curry 0-07 ('45, 5f), Paul Whyte, Joey Veale 0-2 each, James McGrath 0-1

Wicklow: Robert Lambert; Ciaran Hyland, Jamie Snell, Paul Merrigan; Pat Burke, Dean Healy, Conor Healy; Rory Finn, Kevin Murphy; James Stafford, Theo Smyth, Darren Hayden; Gearoid Murphy, Seanie Furlong, Daniel Keane. Subs: Mark Kenny for Daniel Keane, Ross O’Brien for Conor Healy, David Boothman for James Stafford, Padraig O’Toole for Darren Hayden.

Scorers: Seanie Furlong 0-05 (4f), Gearoid Murphy 0-04 (3f), Daniel Keane, Darren Hayden, Dean Healy 0-1 each

Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois)

Ardmore Set up Croke Park Date

Ardmore are through to this Sunday’s All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Final where they will take on Fethard from Wexford after they overcame the challenge of Setanta from Donegal in last Saturday’s rearranged semi final at Navan.

Playing opposition from Ulster is never easy when it comes to hurling for many sides from the other three counties. Some might have claimed it was only a Donegal side that Ardmore were playing, but it must be remembered that Setanta were the Senior Hurling Champions in Donegal in 2017, and while Donegal might rank well below Waterford when it comes to the Inter County scene, few in Ardmore or indeed across the hurling would have underestimated the challenge the Donegal side would serve up, and in the opening minutes of the game the Ulster Champions really put it up to Ardmore and were in fact 0-4 to 0-2 in front at the end of the opening quarter.

However a goal by rising star James Flavin early in the second quarter put Ardmore in front for the first time and once the green flag was waved, the Round Tower Club side never looked back.

It was the Donegal side that settled first with Colm Melaugh putting the ball over the head of James O’Donnell in the first minute, but an effort from John Gartland soon cancelled out the score by Melaugh.

If the history of Waterford hurling is ever written one name that will come up time and time again is that of Seamus Prendergast. While he has left the inter county scene now with a number of years, he is still fondly remembered for what he done in the white and blue shirt of Waterford over a number of years in which he won four Munster Final medals, a National League medal and helped Waterford reach an All-Ireland final back in 2008. It takes a good player to stay in the set up for so long and win so much, and good players do not become bad players over night.

While he might be almost ten years older since he won the last of his major honours playing with Waterford, like Dan Shanahan who played alongside him in many of these games and who over the last two years showed that he has not lost any of the ability he showed when playing for Waterford while playing in the colours of Lismore, Seamus Prendergast also has not lost any of the talent that he showed in the white and blue shirt as he not for the first time put in a solid performance in the blue and white shirt of Ardmore.

He edged Ardmore in front for the first time in this game when Ardmore went 0-2 to 0-1 in front, but his score was followed with a brace of scores from Declan Coulter and one from Bernard Lafferty which gave their side a 0-4 to 0-2 advantage on the scoreboard with 12 minutes played.

            The Prendergast brothers and Clinton Hennessy helped put Ardmore on the hurling map on the National scene in the past and another exciting young prospect, Seamus Keating might be the next Ardmore player to grace the scene at national level.

            He put over a brilliant point to make it a one point game in favour of the Ulster side, but it was quickly followed with the first goal of the game from James Flavin with a brilliant solo effort to give his side the lead for the second time, one that they would never give up for the rest of the game.

The side that have won West Waterford, County Waterford and Munster Championships in the last number of months further stretched their lead with points from Seamus Prendergast and Niall Hennessy, but the Ulster side did manage to reduce this lead by one point with an effort from Kevin Campbell from a free.

Points from David Gartland, Seamus Prendergast and James Kennedy followed for Ardmore to further stretch their lead and when Niall Hennessy picked out Seamus Prendergast late in the first half for a second Ardmore goal, the writing was beginning to appear on the wall for the Ulster side who headed to their dressing room trailing 2-8 to 0-5.

The Ulster side had the wind at their backs in the second half, but while the wind can be a help it has never won any game played. The side from the North West of the country did create chances in the second half but they found it hard to break down an Ardmore defence where James O’Donnell playing between the posts in the absence of the suspended Jack Walsh, Declan Prendergast, Richie and Niall Walsh and Seamus Prendergast playing in key positions were able to hold tight and never really looked as if they were going to have much needed the green flags which they needed waved.

At the other end of the field, while Ardmore did hit a wides tally in the double digits over the course of the hour, enough efforts did go between the uprights.

Ardmore’s third goal sealed the game for the West Waterford club. Seamus Prendergast showed that class never leads you even if the legs do slow you down. He picked out David Gartland who brilliantly place the sliotar in the Donegal sides onion bag, and soon afterwards James Flavin got his second major score of the game, putting his side well out of site of Setanta before crossing the finish line.

The Ulster side did manage late points from Declan Coulter, Bernard Lafferty and Danny Cullen but they proved to be mere consolation scores and they also had goalkeeper Ciaran Bellow sent off late in the game for apparently using abusive language towards the match officials. 

ARDMORE: James O’Donnell; Niall Hennessey, Declan Prendergast, Daniel Power; Gavin Williams, Seamus Keating, Ritchie Hennessey; Kenny Murphy, Wayne Hennessey; James Flavin, David Gartland, John Gartland); James Kennedy, Seamus Prendergast, Sean Barron. Subs: Michael Cronin for Daniel Power (45), Stephen Keating for John Gartland (49), Cathal Hennessy for James Kennedy (57), Eoin Conway for Kenny Murphy (58), Alan Stenson for Seamus Prendergast (62).

Scorers: Seamus Prendergast 1-6 (5f), James Flavin 2-0, David Gartland 1-2, Niall Hennessy, Seamus Keating, John Gartland, James Kennedy 0-1 each.

SETANTA: Ciaran Bellew; Brendan Tourish, Simon McMenamin, Mark Callaghan; Sean Anderson, Martin Bonner, Niall Cleary; Richie Kee, Danny Cullen; Bernard Lafferty, Colm Melaugh, Mark Kane; Justin McBride, Declan Coulter, Kevin Campbell. Subs: Damien Browne for Colm Melaugh (42), Josh Cronolly for Mark Kane (58), Alan McConnell for Sean Anderson (63).

Scorers: Declan Coulter (1f), Kevin Campbell (3f), Danny Cullen (1 ’65) 0-3 each, Bernard Lafferty 0-2, Niall Cleary, Colm Melaugh 0-1 each.

REFEREE: Alfie Devine (Westmeath).

800KM Round Journey for Déise Ladies

It might only be the last weekend in January but it’s a big weekend for many sides representing Waterford in different competitions. Lismore’s Camogie side travel to Kinnegad in Westmeath, Ardmore’s Junior Hurling team travel to Navan, Waterford senior Hurling and Camogie teams have games in Waterford and the Waterford Senior Football team travel to Aughrim.

Waterford’s Ladies Football team are also in action this weekend and they face the longest journey of all. If we are to use Dungarvan as a base for all players, the side face a near 800km Round trip to Drumragh in County Tyrone to play the Red Hand County in the first round of this year’s National League.

Both of these sides will feel that they are in with a chance of winning promotion from the second tier of this year’s league for the 2019 competition and will know for this to happen they will be looking for the perfect start this weekend.

The two sides may be playing in different grades when it comes to the championship, and while Waterford will be playing at a higher level in the summer months, they will not be under estimating the challenge of the home side.

When the two sides clashed in the final round of games in last year’s competition, it was the Ulster side that emerged 1-16 to 1-8 winners at the WIT Arena in Carriganore, and later in the year they ended the year playing at Croke Park where they finished as second best to what was a very strong Tipperary side in the Intermediate All-Ireland Final.

Waterford finished second from the bottom in Division two last year, but it has to be remembered that at different times in the league they played without some key players in different games.

However when the Championship came around, Waterford had all their big guns back in action and they played remarkably well in the league part of the Munster Championship, beating both Kerry and Cork at Fraher Field, but narrowly lost out to Kerry in the Munster Final at Mallow where the eventual winners kicked some late scores to steal the victory from Waterford.

In the All-Ireland Series, Waterford beat Cavan in the first round of the competition. This is a victory that Waterford will take something from going into the future as in the last few years they found it difficult to get the better of Ulster opposition in the big fixtures. And after this they put up a very solid display against a Dublin side that went on to win the All-Ireland final in front of a record attendance.

Gemma Begley is a player that Waterford will have to keep an eye on in this game as if given the chance she will punish sides, but they are by no means a one woman team as in the likes of Grainne Rafferty, Meabh Mallon, Niamh O’Neill, Áine Canavan and Emma Jane Gervin they have players that can cause problems for any side.

Waterford over the past few years has used the league to introduce young exciting players to this level of football and it is envisaged that the same could happen again this year.

Waterford have in the last few years produced some brilliant young sides and no doubt some of the best players on these sides will get the chance to show what they can do sooner rather than later.

If Waterford were to retain the services of most if not all of last year’s panel then we could expect to see the likes of Katie Hannon, the Wall, McGrath and Murray sisters, Dearbhaile Ni hAodha, Caoimhe McGrath, Róisín Tobin and Maria Delahunty etc to feature at some stage in this game.

There are no easy games in this year’s National League Division two campaign. Whoever comes out on top at the end of the campaign will be worthy winners. Waterford would have liked somewhat an easier opening game in the league than have to play Tyrone, and if they had the choice they would have liked to have the Ulster side on Déise soil. But when it comes to fixtures sides don’t get a say where they play when they take to the road.

Last year’s Munster championship campaign, their win over Cavan and the solid performance against Dublin will give the side plenty of confidence going into this game, and they will know as they begin their mammoth journey they are good enough to open this year’s league with a win.

 

Déise Ladies To Win

After recording a win last time out when they beat Meath at the WIT Arena in Carriganore, Waterford’s Senior Camogie Team will be looking to make it two wins from two this coming Saturday afternoon when they take on Clare at the same venue, with the game having a 4-30pm throw in.

This game was to have been played last Sunday at Clonlara in Clare but was called off late on when the field was unplayable.

While Waterford would not have minded last week having to travel to play the game, the side could well argue that playing on more familiar surroundings for the re-fixture is going to be a plus for them.

Heading into their first game of the campaign against Kilkenny, there was those within the banner county who the county could have a successful year in 2018 having introduced some exciting young prospects from last year’s minor set up to their senior panel this year.

However they did not have the best of starts to the campaign losing 1-13 to 1-3 against Kilkenny at Clonlara, with the Cat’s turning on the style in the second half of that game hitting 1-9 without response.

Chloe Morey was Clare’s best player against the Cats and will be looking for another big performance from her again this weekend, but they do not rely entirely on her as they have players like Máire McGrath, Róisín McMahon, Orlaith Duggan and Aoife Keane who are all players of some ability.

Waterford will for the second game running be fielding without players from the Lismore Club who are in All-Ireland Club Semi Final duty this weekend.

Even without them Waterford manager Donal “Duck” O’Rourke fielded a very strong side against Meath who they beat 1-12 to 0-6.

Beth Carton was top scorer in that game pointing 0-6 while there was also impressive performances in front of goal from young Kaiesha Tobin who landed three points from play while Lorraine Bray hit the game’s only goal, while Aisling Power on her return to the side for the first time since the 2015 All-Ireland Intermediate Final win over Kildare scored 0-2.

If Waterford are to field along the lines that played against Meath it will mean that Brianna O’Regan will once again be in goal, Iona Heffernan will be full back with Áine Lyng at centre back. Mairead Power, Aoife Landers and Sibeal Harney could also feature in defence for Waterford.

Lorraine Bray would be expected to start in the middle of the field. Last time out she had Clara Griffin beside her who impressed and would be expected to hold her place, while in attack, in addition to Beth Carton, Fiona Morrissey, Niamh Rockett, Aisling Power and Kaiesha Tobin would all be expected to start.

Claire Murphy, Annie Fitzgerald, Becky Kavanagh, Claire Whyte and Jenny McCarthy all came on against Meath and will be hoping that they done enough in that game to impress the new look management team to get a run from the start this time or failing that to get more game time this week.

Confidence will be high going into this game with Waterford having beaten Meath last time out and the side will know that if they were to pull off another win this weekend, it would strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the competition no harm.

 

Waterford To Begin With A Win

This year’s National Hurling League for Waterford begins on Sunday afternoon next where Derek McGrath’s side will have home advantage over Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford at Walsh Park.

While most people will be a happy for a Waterford win in this game, there will be a sizable amount of supporters that will be hoping that Waterford will play a much better brand of hurling than they saw when the two sides last met in the All-Ireland Quarter Finals last summer at the new Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork, where Waterford won out in an almost instantly forgettable game of hurling, where both sides played a very defensive game.

Waterford bowed out of the competition last year at the quarter final stage of the competition when they lost out to Galway at Salthill, and many especially those tasked with responsibility of funding the bills for training the team will be hoping that Waterford will go further this year as last year’s balance sheet at convention showed that Waterford take from league gate receipts was down about €100,000 on the year before when Waterford reached the final only to lose out to Clare after a replay.

Wexford will head into this weekend’s game on somewhat of a high after they beat Kilkenny in the Walsh Cup Final on a free taking competition after the two sides had ended the day locked together on the score board.

Davy Fitzgerald is likely to bring a strong panel of players with him to the Keane’s Road venue on Sunday afternoon, but it remains to be seen as of now what starting XV he and his selectors will send out.

If they were to put out a full strength side, or as near to full strength side as possible then it will mean that we will see the likes of Mark Fanning, Liam Ryan, Matthew O’Hanlon, Diarmuid O’Keeffe, Lee Chin, Shaun Murphy, Cathal Dunbar, Conor McDonald, Rory O’Connor, Jack Guiney, Paul Morris, Harry Kehoe and Jack O’Connor all likely to feature in the purple and gold shirts.

Waterford we know is unlikely to field a full strength side for this game. It remains to be seen what players who featured in the Fitzgibbon Cup this week will feature. Also set to miss the game are regular net minder Stephen O’Keeffe who as a reported hamstring injury while Tom Devine who is back in the panel this year after taking time out last year is also reported to have picked up a similar injury playing in the Fitzgibbon Cup last week, while its also reported that regular corner back Noel Connors is suffering with Flu of late. Maurice Shanahan also came off in a recent challenge game having picked up a knock and it remains to be seen what part he will play this weekend. What part Michael Walsh will play also remains to be seen. It’s said he only recently returned to training a little after the rest of the panel, and it’s also worth remembering that in recent years the older members of the panel have not always featured strongly in the league as they are held back for the championship.

Waterford played recent challenge games against the likes of Dublin, Offaly and Limerick as well as Munster Senior Club champions Na Piarsaigh where the majority of the panel would have got ample time to try and win a place in the starting team for this weekend’s game.

Ian O’Regan could well start off between the posts while the likes of Shane and Darragh Fives, Barry Coughlan, Tadhg de Búrca, Stephen Daniels, Philip Mahony, Kieran Bennett, Shane McNulty, Conor Prunty and maybe Austin Gleeson could fill the defensive positions against Davy Fitzgerald’s charges.

Jamie Barron and Kevin Moran would be expected to fill the centre field positions, while in attack the positions could well be filled from the likes of Stephen Roche, Jake Dillon, Pauric Mahony, Stephen Bennett, Thomas Ryan, Maurice Shanahan (if fit), Brian O’Halloran, Jack Prendergast, Colin Dunford, Patrick Curran, Mikey Kearney and DJ Foran.

The league might not be a top priority for many this year with extra games to be played for all sides in the championship this year.

This year’s league is going to be interesting to see how it pans out. It is envisaged that the league and indeed the championship this year will become more of a panel game than we saw in recent years. And with games coming earlier in the year and more quicker than usual, injuries could well prove a part for all sides as it remains to be seen what strength of player will come in for those maybe forced to miss a game or even games.

Should Waterford fail to field a full strength side in their games in the league and maybe as a result find themselves relegated, it might not be the end of the world should they have to play in Division 1B next year as they know that the last three winners of the league (Waterford, Clare and Galway) have all played in Division 1B and while Galway won the League last year they failed to win promotion to division 1A, that place went to Wexford, we could see this year’s winners again come from that same division and if Waterford were to be relegated then who is not to say that Waterford could emerge as league winners in 2019 as a Division 1B team.

Last year Wexford made a lot of progress under the guidance of former Waterford and Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald. The former Clare net minder seems to do well in the first year in jobs he take on as players buy into what is after called the Davy Factor, but after a year or two things begin to drop off.

They won the Walsh Cup last weekend beating Kilkenny in the final. That win will give his side renewed hope going into the league but Brian Cody is unlikely to have lost out on any sleep after the way his side lost out and neither will his players.

It could well be argued that while Wexford will go into this game in a confident mood as a unit they could well be somewhat behind where Waterford are at right now, and Derek McGrath’s side should have enough in them to open the league with a win.