Waterford Begin with a win

Donal O’Rourke’s Waterford Senior Camogie team got their Littlewoods Ireland National League campaign off to the perfect start on Sunday afternoon when they recorded an eight point win over Wexford in Enniscorthy.

The fact that Waterford lined out without the Gailltir players in this year’s panel in this game, as the ladies of the Barony prepare for next Sunday’s All-Ireland Club semi final against St. Rynagh’s from Offaly in Cashel shows how strong the game of Camogie is in Waterford at the moment, testament to the hard work put in by the clubs and the County Board Officers in the last few years.

Beth Carton who won Waterford’s first ever Camogie All-Star Award towards the end of 2018 showed once more why she is so highly regarded by followers of the game as she put over nine points, six of which came from placed ball’s over the course of the hour.

But while the De La Salle tallies woman often makes the headlines when it comes to Camogie in Waterford, this is by no means a one woman team.

Dungarvan’s Sarah Lacey on her senior competitive debut for Waterford hit two points. The Old Boro youngster was part of the Waterford Minor team that won last year’s Munster Final winning team, and another member of that team Keeley Corbett Barry also made her debut.

Shona Curran a member of the Waterford team that won a Division Two League Title and the Intermediate All-Ireland Final at Croke Park was welcomed back into the set up for this year and started the game at Centre Forward while Caoimhe McGrath who has decided to throw her lot in with both the Camogie Team and the Ladies Football Team lined out at wing back.

This year’s captain Niamh Rockett struck Waterford’s goal in the first half of this game, while Orla Hickey another member of the Dungarvan Club also impressed coming off the bench, while Lorraine Bray and Mairead Power also had telling rolls.

Wexford on the day were only in a position to tog out 16 players and are without a manager after Martin Carey resigned from the position, but this does not take from Waterford’s win, after all, this is top flight Camogie and the home side like Waterford had 15 players on the field at the off.

Waterford played against the wind in the first half and after 30 minutes the side in white and blue had 1-7 put on the scoreboard while at the other end just three efforts went over the head of Brianna O’Regan in the Waterford goal.

Sarah Lacey struck the first score of the game and then set up Beth Carton for a good goal scoring chance but she saw her effort stopped by Emma Kiely.

Beth Carton hit her first of the game from a free before the home side levelled with efforts from Chloe Cash and Anais Curran on eight minutes.

Another point from the stick of Beth Carton put Waterford in front and they followed it up with the next five scores resulting in 1-4.

The De La Salle sharp shooter pointed from another free awarded for a foul on herself and followed it up with a delightful effort from play.

Shona Curran on her return to the side following good work by Áine Power split the posts to extend Waterford’s lead before Beth Carton again split the posts this time after good work from the dynamic duo of Niamh Rockett and Lorraine Bray.

Two minutes from the break, the opening goal of the game came when an attempt from Niamh Rockett was not dealt with properly by the Wexford goalkeeper who diverted the Saint Anne’s Club player’s effort into her own net.

In added time at the end of the opening 30 minutes, the home side hit their third score of the game coming from the stick of Anais Curran 21 minutes after her first score, which left the home side trailing 1-7 to 0-3 and with Waterford having the elements at their backs in the second half, the home support would have to thinking it was not going to be their day. Waterford could well have had a second goal on the score board at the break as Beth Carton played in Kaiesha Tobin but the Wexford goalkeeper made up for her earlier mistake, keeping the attempt of the Old Boro player’s effort out.

Whatever was said to the Wexford players out on the field at the break looked as if it was going to work for them as they came out in the second half like a dog out of the traps of Derby Day.

Anais Curran opened the second half scoring with another free and the home side followed that score up with an effort from Emma Walsh and on 40 minutes the home side reduced the defecate further when Anais Curran took on the Waterford defence and darted an unstoppable effort into the top corner of Brianna O’Regan’s net.

But this was as good as it got for the home side as Waterford once more took control of proceedings.

Beth Carton put an effort into the Wexford net but the score was ruled out as the County Westmeath referee deemed that Kaiesha Tobin had entered the Wexford square.

Waterford however did finish the game strong landing five more unanswered scores through Beth Carton and Orla Hickey.

Because next weekend is All-Ireland Club Semi Final weekend there is no inter county action meaning Waterford return to action in two weeks time when they are once more on the road when they take on All-Ireland champions Cork.

Donal O’Rourke’s side will know that this will be a much tougher game that what they had against Wexford, but they will also give themselves a good chance of getting something from the game, as last spring when the two sides played in the Munster Championship in Modeligo, Donal O’Rourke’s side really put it up to the Rebel’s, and will feel on another day and in different circumstances they could have won that game.

Waterford: Brianna O'Regan; Sibeal Harney, Iona Heffernan, Sadie Mai Rowe; Mairead Power, Aoife Landers, Caoimhe McGrath; Lorraine Bray, Clara Griffin; Aine Power, Shona Curran, Niamh Rockett; Kaiesha Tobin, Beth Carton, Sarah Lacey.

Subs: Keeley Corbett-Barry for Sadie Mai Rowe, Orla Hickey for Shona Curran, Niamh Ahearne for Áine Power, Sally Kelly for Sarah Lacey.

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-9 (6fs), Niamh Rockett 1-0, Sarah Lacey 0-2, Shona Curran, Orla Hickey 0-1 each

Wexford: Emma Kiely; Chloe Cash, Siona Nolan, Derbhla Doyle; Shauna Sinnott, Ciara Storey, Leah Walsh; Sorcha Foley, Clodagh Jackman; Emma Walsh, Mairead Sheehan, Anais Curran; Lauren Murphy, Joanne Dillon, Orla Molloy.

Scorers: Anais Curran 1-3 (3fs), Chloe Cash (45), Emma Walsh 0-1 each.

Referee: John Dermody (Westmeath)