Brilliant Waterford Edge Closer League Semi Final Spot

Waterford are just sixty minutes from reaching the semi final’s stages of this year’s National Camogie League after they beat Dublin in a must win game for both sides at the WIT Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Donal O’Rourke’s side knew going into this game that they needed to win this game to have a chance of reaching the penultimate round of games in the competition for the first time and they duly obliged winning this game with seven points to spare.

Waterford were also hoping that near neighbour’s Kilkenny would do them a massive favour while this game was going on by beating Limerick, but they did not oblige as the side from the Treaty County ran out winners with five points to spare.

What it all means now is that when Waterford and Limerick clash on Sunday afternoon next, Donal O’Rourke’s side will have to play like they never played before and beat the Shannonsiders on their own patch as the home side will only need a draw to advance by virtue of having a better score difference over Waterford.

At the break in this game Waterford had a one point advantage showing on the scoreboard, after playing into the dressing rooms end of the ground on the main field.

And when Waterford came out extending their lead to five with the second attack of the second half things were looking good for Waterford, but within sixty seconds of going five points up, the visitors were awarded a penalty for a what was indicated to be a tug on a jersey but when Ciara Jackman standing between Jenny McCarthy and Aoife Landers saved Siobhan Kehoe’s effort the Waterford players must have felt it was going to be their day.

Waterford opened the scoring on three minutes when Beth Carton put over her first of the afternoon with a fine effort from play.

Orla Baegan levelled matters two minutes later and sixty second further on Dublin went in front for the first time when former Saint Anne’s and Waterford player Zoe O’Donoghue now playing with Na Fianna in Dublin beat Ciara Jackman in the Waterford goal with a powerful effort after she was picked out by Siobhan Kehoe, but it must be pointed out that the Gailltir Club Player was in hard luck to be beaten as she managed to keep the initial effort out with a good save but with the power the size four sliotar was struck once it came off the stick of Ciara Jackman, the power brought it over the line.

Beth Carton put over frees on eight and eleven minutes and the brilliant Fiona Morrissey found the range from out on the wing with a fine effort in between helped to draw Waterford level, but the visitors took the lead again somewhat controversially on thirteen minutes when the umpires seem to take an age to make up their minds if what looked to be a simple free from Siobhan Kehoe went inside or outside the uprights, but in the end it was the umpire with the white flag alongside him that made up the minds of the pair by waving it.

Another brace of points from Beth Carton soon followed and this time with another An Rinn player this time Deirdre Fahey hitting one in between to put Waterford two in front once more.

But Waterford knew the challenge they were facing in this game in this game as their opponents reached last year’s All-Ireland semi finals and they showed why they reached that stage of the competition with points from Siobhan Kehoe and Orla Baegan to draw level with twenty two minutes on the clock.

But Waterford would go to the dressing rooms with a 0-9 to 1-5 advantage showing on the scoreboard as Beth Carton landed another brace of scores before the end of the thirty minutes and in added time at the end of the first half Siobhan Kehoe put over a free.

Waterford began the second half scoring a goal with their second attack of the half. Beth Carton intercepted a short puck out from Síle Ní Coitir and when one on one with the Ballyboden Saint Enda’s player the De La Salle sharpshooter made no mistake hitting the back of the Dublin net.

Within sixty seconds it looked as if Dublin were going to be given a lifeline when referee Owen Elliott who was not a popular official with many in the two stands awarded the visitors a penalty for what he indicated to be a thug on a jersey.

Siobhan Kehoe could make no mistake from placed balls in her sides win over Meath in the previous round of games, but she did not show the same form in this game as her effort from 20 metres was brilliantly saved by Ciara Jackman standing in the middle of a three woman wall on the Waterford goal line including Aoife Landers and Jenny McCarthy.

The third quarter saw just two further scores, both to the visitors through Zoe O’Donoghue and Orla Baegan to draw closer to Waterford but these proved to be their last scores of the game.

Waterford were the better side in the final quarter and fully deserved their seven point win at the end of the sixty minutes.

Beth Carton put over another brace of scores within a minute of each other to push Waterford nearer the finish line, and in the final five minutes, Waterford spurred on by the noise the local support were making added on points from Niamh Rockett, Deirdre Fahey and Annie Fitzgerald for what was a deserved win.

WATERFORD: Ciara Jackman; Mairead Power, Iona Heffernan, Jenny McCarthy; Aoife Landers, Áine Lyng, Claire Whyte; Lorraine Bray, Sibheal Harney; Niamh Rockett, Deirdre Fahey, Fiona Morrissey; Annie Fitzgerald, Beth Carton, Orla Hickey. SUBS: Marie Russell for Jenny McCarthy (39), Shauna Kiernan for Sibheal Harney (42), Aisling Power for Fiona Morrissey (48), Kate McMahon for Annie Fitzgerald (57), Claire Murphy for Beth Carton (60).

SCORERS: Beth Carton 1-9 (0-6F), Deirdre Fahey 0-2, Fiona Morrissey, Niamh Rockett (F), Annie Fitzgerald 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: Síle Ní Coitir; Arlene Cushen, Grainne Quinn, Emma O’Byrne; Hannah Hegarty, Aisling Carolan, Martha O’Donoghue; Miriam Twomey, Eimear McCarthy; Doireann Mullany, Alex Griffin, Orla Baegan; Siobhan Kehoe, Zoe O’Donoghue, Grace O’Shea. SUBS: Leah Butler for Martha O’Donoghue (HT), Róisín Baker for Alex Griffin (39),

Scorers: Zoe O’Donoghue 1-1, Orla Baegan (1f), Siobhan Kehoe (3F) 0-3 each.

Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim).