Waterford Extend Winning Run At Carriganore

            Pat Sullivan’s Waterford Senior Ladies Football team made it three wins in a row on Sunday afternoon when they accounted for Sligo at the WIT Arena at Carriganore.

            This win moves Waterford into second place in the league table and they will go top next weekend if they can beat table toppers Tipperary at a venue yet to be confirmed. This is a game that Waterford will be looking to get something from if they are to advance to the knockout stages of the competition as have games against Cavan (Waterford are at home) and Armagh (away) and both are also looking to win a place in the semi finals along with Tyrone who currently fill the fifth position in the league table and who have beaten Waterford in their only loss to date.

The Waterford management team have rotated their charges this year as they have done in previous years in the league. In this game they gave starts to Sally Kelly who has now started three of the sides four games between the posts, and also gave starts to Michelle McGrath, Aoife Murray and Maria Delahunty who all failed to start in the sides most recent game against Laois.

Lisa Casey and Michelle Ryan swapped early scores for the two sides in this one before Eimear Fennell and Michelle Ryan kicked further scores for the home side to give them a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with 12 minutes played.

Playing with a strong wind at their backs in the first half the visitors had two chances for the game’s first goal on 14 minutes, both coming to Lauren Boles who twice in the matter of seconds crashed the size 4 off the Waterford crossbar.

With the game just entered its second quarter Waterford managed to strike for the game’s first goal when the impressive Eimear Fennell picked out Lauren McGregor and they followed with a Maria Delahunty free moments later.

Sligo won a free on the Waterford 45 metre line on 21 minutes. Corner forward Katie Walsh came out to kick from her hands. Getting plenty of height it looked as if the ball was going to go over the Waterford crossbar, but as often happens in Ladies Football, the ball dipped almost at the last moment and snuck into the top corner of Sally Kelly’s net, and when the visitors followed up with points from Sarah Reynolds and Katie Walsh it left just one between the sides.

The wind never wins a game for any side put it can often help a side to win if used right, and Waterford would be feeling that they stood an excellent chance of winning a third game in a row with the whole of the second half to come, while the visitors with the time that they had left with the wind at their backs knew they had to land further scores if they were to stand a chance of getting their first points of the campaign.

They managed to kick one more score, the last either side kicked before the break as Nicola Brennan levelled matters 1-4 each with a score in added time at the end of the half.

Waterford kicked the first score of the second half when Gráinne Kenneally who came in as a sub at the break collected a Maria Delahunty ’45 which fell short of its target two minutes after the restart.

Eimear Fennell, Maria Delahunty and another from Eimear Fennell landed further scores for Waterford to put them in control by the end of the third quarter.

Waterford continued to dominate going into the final quarter as Maria Delahunty with a brace of scores, Eimear Fennell, Karen McGrath and Kate McGrath all kicked scores before the 54 minute to put Waterford well clear and beginning to empty their bench.

Sligo’s first score of the second half came on 58 minutes when Emma Kevany split the posts, and from the resulting kick out Katie Walsh won the ball and played in 17 year old Louise Merrick who was not long after replacing Sarah Reynolds.

Waterford from the restart moved the ball with speed up towards the dressing rooms end of the ground, and when Aileen Wall the tormentor of many defences over the past decade got the size 4 in her hands there was only one thing on her mind as she brilliantly beat Noelle Gormley who was making her first start of the year for the visitors.

Waterford: Sally Kelly; Rebecca Casey, Megan Dunford, Aisling Hahessey; Michelle McGrath, Emma Murray, Mairead Wall; Róisín Tobin, Karen McGrath; Aoife Murray, Maria Delahunty, Katie Murray; Lauren McGregor, Eimear Fennell, Michelle Ryan. Subs: Kate McGrath for Róisín Tobin (27), Aileen Wall for Katie Murray (H.T.) Grainne Kenneally for Michelle Ryan (H.T.) Aisling Mullaney for Aisling Hahessey (47), Geraldine Power for Karen McGrath (55), Kelly Ann Hogan for Karen McGrath, Emer Scanlon for Lauren McGregor (63), Dearbhaile Ní hAodha for Michelle McGrath (63)

Scorers: Eimear Fennell (1F), Maria Delahunty (2F, 1’45) 0-4 each, Lauren McGregor, Aileen Wall 1-0 each, Michelle Ryan 0-2, Grainne Kenneally, Karen McGrath, Kate McGrath 0-1 each.

Sligo: Noelle Gormley; Michelle McNamara, Rachel Monaghan, Sinead Regan; Shauna Henry, Laura Boles, Nicola Brennan; Emma Kevany, Sarah Reynolds; Lisa Casey, Laura Ann Laffey, Sinead Naughton; Elaine O’Reilly, Denise McGrath, Katie Walsh. Subs: Tara Walsh for Elaine O’Reilly (46), Louise Merrick for Sarah Reynolds (52), Shaunagh Brady for Michelle McNamara (55), Sarah Reynolds for Denise McGrath (63).

Scorers: Katie Walsh 1-1 (1-0 f), Louise Merrick 1-0, Lisa Casey, Sarah Reynolds, Nicola Brennan, Emma Kevany 0-1 each.

Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).