Heartbreak Once More For Waterford Footballers

There was heartbreak for the Waterford Senior Footballers on Saturday evening at Martinstown when they went under to Limerick who had one point to spare at the end of seventy minutes.

Waterford were made paid for a number of costly errors late in this game, as despite a poor start, Waterford were well in with a chance of claiming a first maximum points tally from a game this year, as they lead with three minutes remaining on the clock, but the home side showed the greater hunger and levelled matters before Sean McSweeney gave his side the lead in stoppage time.

Limerick faced the breeze in the first half it was the home side that quickly settled with an early point from Seamus O’Carroll from a tight angle and the same player followed up by setting up Jamie Lee for the first goal of the game.

Gavin Crotty hit Waterford’s first score of the game but it was followed with efforts from O’Carroll and Robbie Burke for the home side.

JJ Hutchinson and O’Carroll swapped scores before Joe Allen put over from a tight angle after which Danny Neville pointed for the home side.

Conor Murray and Robbie Bourke swapped scores before Waterford began to win in a number of sectors of the field and they were rewarded Gavin Crotty planted the ball into Donal O’Sullivan’s net from the penalty spot to leave the visitors trailing 1-6 to 1-4 after the Old Boro Club man was bundled off the ball inside the Limerick box.

James McGrath pointed after the restart but it was followed with scores from Darragh Treacy and Paul White to keep the home side in front with a three point advantage, but as the game was about to enter its final quarter, Gavin Crotty pulled one back for the visitors.

Joey Veale pointed for the visitors as Waterford again began to up the tempo. Michael Curry ran deep into the Limerick half of the field and slit home a second goal for the visitors, one which they were full value for.

Conor Murray and Gavin Crotty followed up with points for the visitors and were beginning to look as if the first maximum amount of points would be won in this year’s campaign.

But no game is over till the final whistle is sounded and in the time that remained Limerick showed a lot of hunger.

Darragh Treacy saw a goal chance go wide but the home side made up for that disappointment when Davy Lyons dropped a delivery across the Déise defence which was not dealt with by the Waterford defence and Seamus O’Carroll was in the right place to capitalise for the home side finishing to the net to level matters with three minutes remaining.

In the time that remained with the majority of the small attendance in Martinstown supporting the home side, it were they that were the happier of the two sides at the final whistle as Sean McSweeney from a free won the points on offer for his side.

LIMERICK: Donal O’Sullivan; Garrett Noonan, Seán O’Dea, Brian Fanning; Paul White, Cillian Fahy, Colm McSweeney; Darragh Treacy, Tommy Griffin; Peter Nash, Jamie Lee, Danny Neville; Dave Connolly, Robbie Bourke, Séamus O’Carroll. SUBS: Paul Maher for Colm McSweeney (49), Davy Lyons for Tommy Griffin (53), Shane Cusack for Jamie Lee (60), David Ward for Robbie Bourke (64), Seán McSweeney for Peter Nash (64), Daniel Daly for Brian Fanning (69).

SCORERS: Séamus O’Carroll 1-3, Jamie Lee 1-1, Robbie Bourke 0-2 (1 free), Danny Neville, Darragh Treacy, Paul White, Seán McSweeney (free) 0-1 each;

WATERFORD: Stephen Enright; Conor McCarthy, Thomas O’Gorman, Jack Mullaney; James McGrath, Michael Curry, Shane Ryan; Joe Allen, Kieran Power; Conor Murray, Gavin Crotty, Dylan Guiry; Tommy Prendergast, JJ Hutchinson, Aidan Trihy. SUBS: Joey Veale for Aidan Trihy (28), Jason Curry for Joe Allen (53), Garry Cullinane for Shane Ryan (64), Eoin O’Brien for Kieran Power (69).

SCORERS: Gavin Crotty 1-3 (1-0 penalty, 0-2 frees), Michael Curry 1-0, Conor Murray 0-2, JJ Hutchinson, James McGrath, Jason Allen, Joey Veale 0-1 each.

REFEREE: Dan Mullan (Derry).