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)