A Must Win Game For Waterford Footballers

          A new year has begun and a new National Football League is about to commence.

This year under the guidance of Kilmacthomas man Benji Whelan who in recent years have experienced joy in coaching both The Nire and his native Kilmacthomas to honours is in charge of the Waterford Footballers, has a very new look panel from recent years to work with.

Gone are some of the experienced faces from recent years and into the set up in their places comes some of the best underage footballers within the county as well as the return of some players who opted out in recent years of the set up, while the Kilmacthomas Club man as scoured the county for the best committed players who come from clubs not just in the senior ranks, something that should be warmly welcomed.

Wicklow will be visitors to Fraher Field for this the opening game in this year’s Division Four league.

 The two sides have had some massive battles in the last few years and when they do battle in recent years the home side seem to get the better result on most occasions.

John McGrath and Ciaran Hyland who have soldiered for the county in the last number of years have retired from the inter county scene this year, and reports coming out of the Garden County suggests that others could soon follow.

The visitors will be slightly ahead of Waterford when it comes to competitive match practise this Saturday evening, having played two games in the O’Byrne Cup which is played was played as a round robin competition between nine counties in there groups, one of four and two of three, with the three group winners and Dublin qualifying for the semi finals, but Wicklow lost both games they played, first a 1-7 to 1-6 loss to Longford and then a 1-17 to 1-9 loss to Louth.

While they visitors will be a different outfit to what Waterford have played against in recent years, they will have some familiar names in their set up including Goalkeeper Robert Lambert, Jamie Snell, Dean Healy, Rory Finn, Anto McLoughlin and Mark Kenny.

It will be interesting to see what line up will be sent out by Benji Whelan for this game.

Looking at the panel he has seems to have put together a very strong panel.

Ballinacourty’s Aaron Beresford looks as if he will start between the posts. This would be an interesting selection as the Ballinacourty club man is not a regular between the posts for his club in the senior grade in recent years.

The Waterford full back line could well consist of James McGrath, Ray Ó Ceallaigh and Jack Mullaney who would well have three from Aidan Trihy, team captain Brian Looby, Tadhg Ó hUallacháin and Michael Kiely in front of them.

Tommy Prendergast is returning from an injury and it remains to be seen if the recently named Adult Footballer of the Year in the Déise County will be consider for selection. If the towering Kilrossanty Club man is deemed fit to start, then it will be a massive plus for Waterford.

If selected he could well start in the middle of the field and will be possibly partnered by Dylan Guiry or Michael Curry.

In attack Benji Whelan and his management team have plenty of options open to them.

Having Shane Ahearne involved this year is a big boost and no side will look forward to having to mark the big Stradbally man. He would be expected to start this game, but who will start alongside him.

Experienced players like Feargal Ó Cuirrín, Lorcan Ó Corraoin, Joe Allen, Conor Murray and Jason Curry will most certainly feature at some stage, while the likes of Sean Whelan-Barrett, Brian Lynch and Stephen Curry would also be expected to be involved.  

The two sides met at the same stage of the competition this time last year and on that occasion, Waterford did well to get a share of the spoils at Aughrim, a venue where the Garden County are hard to beat.

Like Wicklow playing in Aughrim, Waterford can be a very difficult side to play against at Fraher Field, especially at this time of the year.

The main aim for Waterford this year when it comes to football is to get out of Division Four of the league, and with Derry clear favourites to win one of two promotion places the fight for the one other place could well prove to be a titanic battle between the other seven sides.

The importance of Waterford getting this year’s league off to a great start cannot be emphasised enough if Waterford are to be promoted. Playing at Fraher Field under the lights, hopefully in front of a much bigger attendance than usual should be worth a point or two for Benji Whelan’s side.

Waterford are good enough to win this one, but it could be close.