Déise Ladies Edge Closer To Semi Final Spot

Waterford’s Senior Ladies Football team are within touching distance of reaching the Division Two semi finals of the National Football League for the second year in a row after they survived a late scare against a Laois side that refused to give up at Fraher Field today.

Ciaran Curran’s side got off to a dream start in this game hitting two goals within 90 seconds of the throw in which proved to be the difference between the sides at the end of the hour.

Referee Jonathan Murphy added seven minutes for stoppages and injuries at the end of the hour and in this time the visitors cancelled out Waterford’s great start to this game with two goals of their own, in a game that saw eight goals scored, shared equally by the two sides.

With the game nearing half time it looked as if Waterford had suffered a major blow when full back Caoimhe McGrath was forced off with a hand injury. Katie Murray came on for the Abbeyside club player and went into the middle of the field with Megan Dunford moving to full back in the absence of her club mate.

However while the subs went out for a kick around at the break, Caoimhe McGrath went to the dressing room with the other outfield player and whatever work was carried out there on her in those ten or so minutes, it paid off as she came out with the rest of the players taking her place in the team at full back in front of teenager Rosie Landers who impressed in goal in what was only her second competitive outing at this level.

In other codes Waterford have often found that they have struggled to fill the vital full back position, and while in Ladies Football, the different managers have found players who have filled the position successfully, but it can be said that none have looked as natural to the position as Caoimhe McGrath is. She is without doubt one of the best in that position in the country at the moment and surly there is long standing fans of Ladies Football such as myself who are asking themselves right now as to whether if the Abbeyside club player is as good or even better than Martina O’Ryan who filled the number three shirt so successfully for a number of years during the era of the great team that Michael Ryan had in the 1990’s.

Waterford were always the better of the two sides in this contest and in truth on another day with Waterford having the same amount of procession they could have won this game by a much greater margin than they won today.

 Waterford won the toss in this game and opted to play against the stiff breeze which blew into the town end of the ground, and the home side got off to a dream start with two goals with the two first two attacks of the game.

There was just 34 seconds played when Waterford had the size 4 in the back of the Laois net. Wing forward Maria Delahunty Garryowned an effort in front of the Laois goal and was on hand to collect the ball as it dropped back down from the sky and cooly finish past Fiona Kelly in the visitors goal.

Laois responded with a point from a Mo Nearey free and from the restart Waterford again attacked down field and Kelly Ann Hogan finished to the net less than 90 seconds after Waterford hit their first goal.

Eimear Fennell from a short Maria Delahunty ’45 raised Waterford’s first white flag of the game to put six between the sides once more.

Aileen Wall edged Waterford further in front on 12 minutes and it was at this point that we saw the pressure that Laois were under as they made their first change of the afternoon.

Mo Nearey got her second just short of the half way point in the first half and she struck a third on 19 minutes to leave 5 between the sides.

Maria Delahunty extended Waterford’s lead once more on 20 minutes but almost straight away Mo Nearey again pointed this time with the help of the upright. Maria Delahunty from a free restored a six point lead for Waterford before Caoimhe McGrath who is showing signs to be Waterford’s best full back since Martina O’Ryan filled the number three shirt back in the 90’s was forced off with a hand injury with 27 minutes played.

Chloe Fennell extended Waterford’s lead on 28 minutes and three minutes later Liz Devine got her name on the score sheet to pit eight between the sides.

But in the time that remained the visitors hit two more scores the first a goal from Mo Nearey after some good work by Erone Fitzpatrick in the third added minute at the end of the 30 and almost straight away Shannon Costello pointed to leave her side trailing 2-5 to 1-4 at the break.

Maria Delahunty put over the first two scores of the half to extend Waterford’s lead but they were cancelled out on 36 minutes when Mo Nearey finished past Rosie Landers from a tight angle after some good work by Erone Fitzpatrick.

Eimear Fennell split the posts with a free on 40 minutes, but we had to wait a further 10 minutes for the next score which came from a penalty after a foul on Chloe Fennell. Regular free taker Maria Delahunty took the ball in her hands to strike the resulting one on one which she slotted past Fiona Kelly to give Waterford a 3-9 to 2-5 lead, referee Jonathan Murphy had to step out the 12 metres from under the Laois crossbar as the 12 metre spot was not clearly marked.

The Abbeyside Club player put over two more frees before Aileen Wall a late call up for Michelle Ryan on the published team which game gave Waterford a 3-12 to 2-5 lead with 54 minutes played.

Katie Hannon who played in goal for a number of years in recent years came on as a sub after Aileen Wall’s effort and within three minutes she got her name on the score sheet with a point and seconds later she had the ball in the Laois net for the fourth time in this game to give Waterford what looked like an unassailable 4-13 to 2-6 lead.

Laois however were not going to give up without a fight and on the hour mark Mo Nearey finished to the net for her third goal of the game and moments later Erone Fitzpatrick split the posts.

In the fourth minute of added time Erone Fitzpatrick finished to the net leaving six between the sides, and with no one to indicate how much time remained Waterford at this point were starting to sweat. Three minutes later Laura Nearey split the uprights to leave five between the sides, but soon afterwards a nervous end to this game for the Waterford defenders came to an end.

Waterford’s last game of the round robin section is in two weeks time away to Clare, where if Ciaran Curran’s side as would be expected will win and Armagh were to lose out to Wexford (an unlikely event) then Waterford would top the group and play who ever finishes fourth in the group. Should Armagh beat Wexford and Waterford beat Clare they will play the third team in the group in the semi finals which possibly will be Kerry.

Waterford: Rosie Landers; Cora Murray, Caoimhe McGrath, Rebecca Casey; Katy Hayes, Karen McGrath, Kate McGrath; Megan Dunford, Emma Murray; Kelly Ann Hogan, Chloe Fennell, Maria Delahunty; Eimear Fennell, Liz Devine, Aileen Wall.

Subs: Katie Murray for Caoimhe McGrath (27), Caoimhe McGrath for Katie Murray (HT), Katie Murray for Eimear Fennell (43), Lauren McGregor for Liz Devine (49), Becky Hogan for Cora Murray (57), Emma Gildea for Rebecca Casey (57), Chloe Fennell for Becky Hogan (66).

Scorers: Maria Delahunty 2-6 (1-0 Pen, 0-4 f), Katie Hannon 1-1, Kelly Ann Hogan 1-0, Eimear Fennell (0-1F), Aileen Wall 0-2 each, Chloe Fennell, Liz Devine 0-1 each.

Laois: Fiona Kelly; Clodagh Dunne, Maureen Young, Mary Cotter; Ellen Healy, Jane Moore, Laura Peake; Laura Nearey, Anna Healy; Alanna Havill, Joyce Dunne, Emma Lawlor; Mo Nearey, Shannon Costello, Meagan Dunne.

Subs: Erone Fitzpatrick for Laura Peake (12), Sinead Cullen for Alana Havill (18), Aisling Keogh for Joyce Dunne (43), Niamh O’Rourke for Mary Cotter (54).

Scorers: Mo Nearey 3-4 (0-1F), Erone Fitzpatrick 1-1, Shannon Costello 0-2, Laura Nearey 0-1.

Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow)