Déise Ladies Can Still Qualify Despite Second Defeat

Waterford are still awaiting a first win in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship after they went under to National League Champions and last year’s beaten All-Ireland Finalists Kilkenny at Walsh Park on Saturday afternoon last, where the Nore-siders had six points to spare at the end of an entertaining game played in front of a good attendance.

The visitors went into this game as the favourites to collect the points that were on offer and they duly obliged but not before given a stern test by an ever improving Waterford side that are showing great progress since Donal O’Rourke took over this team earlier this year.

While Waterford are currently pointless in the league table the panel will take heart from the fact that they have the hardest two sides in the group now played, and with Clare and Limerick to play, Waterford will feel that they can finish third in the table and in doing so win a place in the quarter finals of the championship, especially after the two sides that they have yet to play have already played and shared the spoils.

Waterford play Limerick in the next game in their next game on July 14 and will knock the Shannonsiders out of the competition if they were to win that game, while a share of the spoils in that game would mean that Waterford would have to win away to Clare in their last game of the competition and hope that Kilkenny would win maximum points when they play Clare on the same day that Waterford play Limerick.

Waterford began this game very bright with points from Annie Fitzgerald and Beth Carton inside a minute, but the excellent start was wiped out in the second minute when Michelle Quilty beat Brianna O’Regan to give her side the lead and they never trailed after this.

Beth Carton and Denise Gaule traded scores from frees after which Anna Farrell and Denise Gaule from a forty five pushed the visitors to Walsh Park three points clear with eleven minutes played.

Beth Carton from a free and former WIT Ashbourne Cup winning captain Katie Power swapped scores to keep Quilty’s early goal between the sides.

It was the visitors that finished the half the stronger of the two sides however. Miriam Walsh ad Beth Carton swapped scores before the visitors hit three points without response from Katie Power, a Denise Gaule free and Michelle Quilty to give the visitors a 1-8 to 0-5 lead at the break.

The second half proved to be as close as the first half was.

Anna Farrell opened the scoring for Kilkenny with a point six minutes after the restart and moments later the visitors looked as have stolen a march on the home side when Brianna O’Regan was sent off on a straight red card for a foul on Miriam Walsh.

The De La Salle shot stopper is one of the best keepers in the country and would be a loss to any side, but Waterford are extremely lucky to have not one but two outstanding goalkeepers at this level and were able to bring on Ciara Jackman as a replacement between the posts, and from the resulting penalty the Gailltir club player combined with her club colleague Áine Lyng to keep Denise Gaule’s effort from reaching the back of the net.

Anne Dalton pointed for the visitors on forty minutes putting Kilkenny 1-10 to 0-5 in front, but Waterford hit back with the next three scores, a brace from Beth Carton and one from Deirdre Fahy to leave a much more manageable five points between the sides.

Kilkenny hit back with points from Grace Walsh, Katie Power and Shelly Farrell between the forty eight and fifty second minutes, and while Waterford would add the next two scores courtesy of a Beth Carton brace, it was not to be enough for Waterford in this game as it was goals that were needed to get something from the game.

Kilkenny: Jacqui Frisby; Collette Dormer, Catherine Foley, Grace Walsh; Michelle Teehan, Anne Dalton, Davina Tobin; Denise Gaule, Edwina Keane; Shelly Farrell, Katie Power, Kelly Anne Doyle; Miriam Walsh, Anna Farrell, Michelle Quilty. Subs: Meg Farrell for Kelly Anne Doyle (32), Julie Ann Malone for Edwina Keane (35), Aoife Doyle for Denise Gaule (55)

Scorers: Michelle Quilty 1-1, Denise Gaule (2f, 1 ’45), Katie Power 0-3 each, Anna Farrell, Shelly Farrell 0-2 each, Miriam Walsh, Grace Walsh 0-1 each.

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Kate Lynch, Iona Heffernan, Sibeal Harney; Áine Lyng, Shauna Kiernan, Claire Whyte; Niamh Rockett, Lorraine Bray; Annie Fitzgerald, Beth Carton, Deirdre Fahey; Kaiesha Tobin, Fiona Morrissey, Aisling Power. Subs: Ciara Jackman for Fiona Morrissey (40), Caithriona McGlone for Aisling Power (40), Kate McMahon for Claire Whyte (53), Orla Hickey for Lorraine Bray (60).

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-8 (6f), Annie Fitzgerald, Deirdre Fahey 0-1 each.

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)