Tricky Opener for Déise Footballers

Much of the attention when it comes to Gaelic Games within the Déise County this weekend will centre around what happens at Walsh Park when Waterford and Wexford do battle in the National League, the counties senior footballers will also be in action at the same time as they make the journey up the east coast to Aughrim where they will take on what is sure to be a strong Wicklow side.

Waterford are once more under the guidance of Tom McGlinchey this year who has made changes to his management team this year, while Wicklow are under the guidance of former Tipperary and Roscommon Senior Football Manager John Evan’s, having taken over the reins in the Garden County last August after Johnny McGee had completed three years in the position.

Both sides will have been disappointed with their pre-season outings as both sides failed to impress in the McGrath Cup (Waterford) and the O’Byrne Cup (Wicklow) outings, but the management of both sides will be the first to tell you what happens in these competitions is not high in their priority for the year and are used to give new players they may wish to look at for the year ahead in a competitive game before the league begins.

The home side appear to be operating with a large panel of players this year. While their manager comes from outside of the county he has former Wicklow great Leighton Glynn working alongside him and he no doubt will have played a part in bringing in so many new players into the set up over the past few weeks and months.

The home side still have some established players in their set up in the likes of Robert Lambert, Darragh Fitzgerald, Dean Healy, Rory Finn, Darren Hayden and Seanie Furlong that Waterford will know all about.

However, Waterford will be well aware of what the newer players can do as another former Wicklow great Kevin O’Brien is once again working with Waterford this year and he will know only too well what these new players are capable off and will have imparted his knowledge of them onto the players he is working with.

Reports in the local papers this week are that some established players have up to fairly recently have not yet committed to another year in the white and blue shirt of Waterford. No player from the Stradbally Club has played senior football for the county with the past two seasons and it remains to be seen if they will this year as well as a number of players from other clubs.

If players were to opt out of playing, there are many within the county who can understand why, as club players time and time again have being treated shabbily with club championships running late on more than one occasion while players have gone weeks and months during the months in the middle months of the year without any competitive game, and while hurling might be the number one game for many, maybe the only way to get things changed for those who do want to play football and who actually enjoy playing the game is to make a stance.

Regulars like Brian Looby, Thomas O’Gorman, James McGrath, Michael O’Halloran, Michael Curry, Tommy Prendergast, Paul Whyte and Joey Veale have already committed to the side for this year and will prove vital for Waterford.

In recent years games between the two sides have had little between the sides, and in many of the recent games between the two the home side have managed to come out on top.

For most sides travelling to Aughrim is somewhat of a daunting task, but the trip is one that Waterford will not fear.

For most sides the championship is the main priority, but Waterford will know right now it would take a monumental effort to win the Munster Senior Football Championship this year, and therefore Tom McGlinchey has made the league his priority for the year ahead, and will know if they are to be in Croke Park at the end of March that a good start is vital in the league and will also know that they will face much sterner opposition than what Wicklow will serve up.

Last year in the Munster Championship they came very close to pulling off a major shock in the Munster Championship when only one point was the difference between them and Cork at Fraher Field and they will have to take hope from what they did in that game.

If Waterford manage can put out much the same side as last year and maybe even add some of the stronger footballers within the county to it, then Waterford are more than capable of securing a win in this game.