Déise Ladies Head to Nenagh For Championship Opener

            A new look All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship begins for Waterford this coming weekend when Pat Sullivan’s charges travel to Nenagh to take on Westmeath in the first round of this year’s Round Robin qualifiers.

For the past few years where you started in the championship began for different teams depending on what stage you exited the provincial championship, but this year all 12 competing sides will begin at the same stage, with the 12 sides placed into four groups of three with two sides advancing to the All-Ireland quarter finals later in the summer.

The two of these sides had very contrasting league campaigns. The midlander’s played in division one while the Déise ladies played in Division two.

Westmeath won just the one game which was good enough to secure their place in the top flight next year. That win was against a Kerry side that were all over the place in the early part of the year, resulting in them getting relegated to the second tier for next year’s competition.

Kerry regrouped after that relegation with a new manager and beat Waterford in the Munster Semi Final a few weeks back, but subsequently lost to Cork in the Munster Final.

Waterford in the league played in division two, beginning with a loss on their travels to Tyrone, but won their next six games which booked them a semi final place as the best placed team in division two by virtue of beating Tipperary in the last round robin game. The Premier Ladies were unbeaten up to that point and so Waterford top the group by virtue of winning the head to head between the two sides.

But in the semi finals Waterford had to give second best to Cavan who they had beaten earlier in the competition.

Since then Waterford’s only other competitive outing was that Munster Final loss to Kerry at Killarney, but Waterford will have worked hard since that game and will be going into this game confident that they can collect all three points on offer in this game, which would set them up nicely for a potential group topper game with Galway who recently beat Mayo in the Connacht Final.

While Waterford have not had a competitive game in a number of weeks, for their opponents this Sunday they had their last competitive outing just over a week ago when they lost out to All-Ireland Champions Dublin at Dr Cullen Park on a 5-11 to 2-8 score line.

It can be assumed that the Waterford management team had their opponents in this game looked at closely in that game and will have had their homework done.

Westmeath have what appears to be a settled look to their team this year and there is not expected to be any major changes made to the starting team which lost out to Dublin.

That will mean Karen Walsh starting in goal with the six backs consisting of Lucy Power, Jennie Rogers, Rachel Dillon, Fiona Coyle, Karen McDermott and Nicole Feery filling the shirt numbers from two to seven.

In the middle of the field we can expect Vicky Carr and Fiona Claffey to partner each other while up front Annie Dolan, Leanne Slevin, Maud Annie Foley, Aoife Connolly, Laure Lee Walsh and Lucy McCartan would be expected to start.

Predicting the Waterford starting line up is a far more difficult task, because of the versatility and ability of the players at Pat Sullivan’s disposal.

One player that will not feature is Róisín Tobin. The Abbeyside Club player picked up a crucuite ligament injury in a league game earlier this year and is out of contention for some time, which will have come as a blow to the side as she was one of many members of the panel that was really impressing before she picked up the injury.

However there is some good news for Waterford in that Maria Delahunty and Emma Murray who missed out on starting against Kerry are back in contention while Caoimhe McGrath who missed the entire league is also back in contention and will strengthen this side massively. While all three are players of unquestionable ability, the latter in particular will be a massive plus to have in the side if selected as she is without doubt one of the most under rated defenders in the country who is no stranger at getting up field and hitting some important scores when needed.

A full strength Waterford side would see Gráinne Kenneally the counties new number one line out between the posts. In hurling many speak in glowing terms about the versatility of Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh to any side and how he can and would line out in any position asked of him by the manager of any team he is involved with and the same could be said of Gráinne Kenneally.

To many she is known as a forward, but in the past has lined out in the middle of the field and in defence and also been sprung from the bench from time to time and has helped grind out a result. She is a player whose bravery cannot be questioned either and will often put her body where nobody would think of, including in Camogie a game that she also excels in and holds All-Ireland medals for.

In defence Waterford can call from a number of players including the likes of Aisling Mullaney, Megan Dunford, Kate McGrath, Michelle McGrath, Emma Murray, Mairead Wall, Rebecca Casey and of course Caoimhe McGrath.

In the middle of the field Waterford would be expected to field Karen McGrath and Katie Murray but to see these pairing to start elsewhere on the field would not be a surprise to those that watch the games.

In attack Waterford have some real fire power and the management team will have to decide on what sextet that they are going to start with. Amongst the favourites to start will be Aoife Murray, Geraldine Power, Aileen Wall, Lauren McGregor, Eimear Fennell, Maria Delahunty, Michelle and Sinead Ryan, Kelly Ann Hogan and Liz Devine.

While most sides would love to start with their strongest fifteen players, in the last number of years we have seen Waterford start with some of their strongest players sitting in the stand, bringing them on as the game progresses and legs begin to tire, and when this happens Waterford can cause considerable damage to sides. Will we see the same happen again here?

If we study the results achieved by both sides this year, one thing immediately stands out.

The midlander’s on more than once occasion this year have conceded a high number of goals in the games which they have played. In their last game alone five went past Karen Walsh.

If Waterford can run at this Westmeath side and have a few attempts at having a green flag waved, they have to feel confident that it will happen for them, and in this Waterford set up there is the players to do that. Just look at the names of some of the forwards already listed the likes of Eimear Fennell who was on fire in the National League, Aileen Wall, Michelle and Sinead Ryan and Lauren McGregor to name but five.

It is important that both sides will start here with a win, as they will know that Galway are the most fancied side to advance from this group and therefore the winners here would join them.

But both of these sides will believe that they can upset the odds and top the group themselves.

While Westmeath have played a competitive game more recent to Waterford that should give them a little advantage when it comes to match fitness for this game, but in saying that Waterford will have worked hard since the loss to Kerry a number of weeks back and I for one will be expecting them to take all the points on offer in this game.