Déise Ladies Eye Top Flight Football In 2020

            Parnell Park in Dublin is the setting for this year’s Division Two Lidl National Ladies Football League Final where Munster rivals Waterford and Kerry do battle.

            This will be the second meeting of these two giants of the game having already played in the second round of the round robin section of the competition at Tralee back in February where Waterford returned home with a share of the points on offer on the day.

However very little can and should be looked into that result as since the last meeting of the two sides, both sides are much different sides, and will field much stronger sides on this occasion compared to the last meeting.

This is the second year in a row that Waterford have reached the knockout stages of the league, having lost out to Cavan twelve months ago in the penultimate round of the competition but gained revenge for that loss recently when they beat the Ulster side who lost out to Tipperary in last year’s final, with a very strong closing quarter of the game after the two sides proved to be evenly matched for three quarters of the game.

Kerry twelve months ago competed in the top division of the National League but they were relegated at the end of the campaign which resulted in a change of Management ahead of the Championship where Kerry lost out to Cork in the Munster Final and to Dublin in the All-Ireland Quarter Final.

The last few years have seen the game make great progress in the Déise County. Some successful underage teams have been put together and some of the best of these players have been brought forward to play in the senior team and in truth have not looked out of place as they come in to replace more established players who have called time on their playing career.

Kerry would be one of the sides most expected to challenge for the promotion spot from this Division to play in the top league next year along with what is a very strong Armagh side but while the Ulster side made light work of finishing in the top four of the eight team group, the girls from the Kingdom did not have it as easy, finishing in fourth place, level on eleven points from a possible twenty one (Three points are awarded for a win in Ladies Football) with Clare but finished above the Banner County by virtue of having a better score difference after the two counties drew in their opening game of the competition at Doonbeg.

Waterford in their seven games suffered two defeats along the way at home to an excellent Armagh side on the day in Fraher Field in the middle of the competition and away to Clare in the last round of games in the Round Robin section of the competition.

Both sides would be expected to field very strong sides for Sunday’s final, with the Kerry Selectors maybe with more questioning to do as to what their starting team should be.

Laura Fitzgerald and Robyn White have in the main shared goalkeeping duties so far in the league. Laura Fitzgerald was the named goalkeeper against Armagh on the programme in the semi final but when the game started it was Robyn White that started between the posts and the selectors will now have to decide which of the two will start this game.

The full back line could well see Kayleigh Cronin at full back with Tara Breen and Aisling O’Connell on either side of her with the experienced Aislinn Desmond in the number six shirt flanked by Sarah Murphy and Anna Galvin.

In the middle of the field Lorraine Scanlon and Amanda Brosnan are two of the best in the business and have formed a formidable combination. The pair while an excellent combination between defence and attack are more than able to get up field and take scores when the chances arise.

In attack expect to see Sarah Houlihan anywhere in the half forward line with the central position the most likely place for her to start with Ciara Murphy and Niamh Carmody either side of her.

It is in the full forward line that Kerry can be really dangerous as they have three players who know where the posts are and what to do with the size four football when they have it in their hands.

Louise Ní Mhuirtheaigh is known to every supporter of Ladies Football in the Country and the ability that she has is well known. Either side of her we can expect to see Miriam O’Keeffe in one corner and Hannah O’Donoghue in the other.

Rosie Landers in recent years has impressed between the posts with different underage football teams and it looks as if she has made the number one shirt her own in her first year playing with the seniors having started the year behind Kelly Moroney after the Saint Patrick’s Club player played a number of games between the posts last year after Grainne Kenneally who had moved to fill the number 1 shirt last year before picking up a serious injury.

Caoimhe McGrath is one of the finest ladies footballers in the country and is a player that no player ever gets a soft time against. The duel inter county star (she played Camogie with Waterford this year) is likely to be once more at full back with Kathy Hayes and Rebecca Casey either side of her.

Megan Dunford could well be at full back and again just like her club colleague Caoimhe McGrath she is one of the best players in the country and is someone we will hear a lot more of in the years to come. Either side of her will be Kate McGrath who could also fill in at corner back and on the other side will be Róisín Tobin who is with the side now some years and is back to her very best after she picked up a serious injury twelve months ago while playing against Sligo in the league at the WIT Arena.

Karen McGrath in the middle of the field is another very experienced player who is involved now for a decade or more. Her value to any team cannot be stated enough as she is a player that can play in a number of positions if the need arises. Alongside her is expected to be Emma Murray again another brilliant young player who play in a number of positions.

Michelle Ryan in the semi final win over Cavan recently at Banagher finished the game with a hat-trick of goals behind her name on the score sheet is one of the longest serving players in the country on the inter county front. She is again another player whose value cannot be stated enough and if she can prove to be half as good as she proved to be against Cavan then the Kerry defence are going to be in for a torrid time on Sunday afternoon.

The Ballymacarbry player could well start on Sunday at centre forward and be flanked on one side of her by her club made Kelly Anne Hogan while on the other side you can pick one from Aileen Wall or Katie Murray with whichever of these two is omitted in the half forward line expected to start in the corner.

Maria Delahunty would be expected to start at full forward but could well swap places with Michelle Ryan while Eimear Fennell who came into the panel last year making a big impact expected to complete the team.

So who will win on Sunday?

Kerry in the eyes of many are going to start as favourites and it easy to see why. They played in the top division last year and did so for a few years before this and the experience of playing against the very best of sides will stand to them.

They will also be very confident going into the game having beaten a strong Armagh side that many expected to win this division in 2019.

But it must be pointed out as well for the above plus’ they only just about managed to secure a semi final place after the group stages of the competition.

And what of Waterford.

2019 saw Waterford compete in this division for the third year in a row, reaching the semi finals last year and just about held onto a place in division two the year before.

Maybe, three could be a lucky omen for Waterford and on more times than one on Sunday.

Waterford reached the Division three final three years in a row, losing to Armagh in 2014 and Sligo in 2015 before beating Tipperary in 2016 after a replay, meaning it took three years to get out of Division three.

Waterford has now appeared in Division Two for three years. Will they get out of the division and play in the top flight next year after three years in Division two. And on Sunday Waterford will be playing at Parnell Park for the third time since 2014 and having lost their previous two games at the venue can Waterford make it third time lucky on Sunday.

After seeing the game with Armagh at Fraher Field some weeks back and seeing how strong the Orchard County side were, I felt that if Waterford could avoid them in the semi finals that Waterford could well take them in a final if the pair were to meet again.

And while Armagh have bowed out of the competition against Kerry two weeks ago suggesting that Kerry are just as strong a side as Armagh are I am not going to change my way of thinking now.

For me it victory will be Waterford’s on Sunday. People regard three as a lucky number (third time lucky and all that) and how things happen in three’s. As pointed out already for Waterford there is a number of ‘Three’ factors going into the game on Sunday, so hopefully three will be prove a lucky number for Waterford.