Waterford Are All-Ireland under 16 Champions for a Fourth Time

Waterford are All-Ireland Under 16 ‘B’ Camogie Champions for the fourth time after they recorded a comprehensive win over Limerick at MacDonagh Park in Nenagh on Sunday afternoon.

Heading into this final the suggestions were that both sides were able to put up big scores and it proved as Róisín Hartley’s side once more put up an excellent tally on the scoreboard while at the other end of the field the Waterford backs proved very difficult to break down.

The Waterford management team were forced to make one change from their semi final win over Carlow as Sarah Maher had to sit out the game as a result of picking up a straight red card at Freshford. Gailltir’s Laoise Forest moved from centre back to full back for this game in place of her club mate, with Modeligo’s Mairead O’Brien moving from wing forward to the number six position and Abbeyside’s Aoibhinn O’Grady coming in from the bench to play at wing forward.

Centre forward Alannah O’Sullivan finished the game as Waterford’s top scorer once more in this game with eight points behind her name. The Gailltir club player had four frees and a successfully struck ’45 in her overall tally while Waterford’s goals came from Áine O’Neill, Rhona Drohan, Alisha Flynn and Kelsie Obanya.

There can be no disputing that in Waterford’s previous All-Ireland wins at this grade some very good players were produced who went on in the years that followed played at a much higher level with the county and there can be no disputing that on this occasion there will be members of this panel who will go on to have a part to play on much bigger occasions.

On a day were Mairead O’Brien and Alannah O’Sullivan in key positions proved to be Waterford’s most telling players, it was the Gailltir player that opened the scoring with a converted 45 in the opening minute and she added a second score before she laid the ball off to Rachel Walsh who crashed to the Limerick net for Waterford’s first major score of the game.

Nadine White pointed from a free for Limerick, but this score was cancelled out with another Alannah O’Sullivan score at the other end of the field, again from a free with ten minutes played.

Limerick struck for their only goal of the game when a long range Nadine White free was plucked out of the air by Megan Walsh who turned and gave Elena Gallagher in the Waterford goal no change.

The goal however failed to ignite a Limerick side who were finding the going tough against a strong Waterford defence, as Waterford followed up with a brace of scores from Alannah O’Sullivan.

Nadine White pointed once more for the side in green but it was quickly cancelled out with a score from Aoibhinn O’Grady and it was quickly followed up with a second Waterford goal as the Modeligo pair of Mairead O’Brien and Rhona Drohan combined, as the latter got in behind the Limerick backs to catch a long free from O’Brien and she struck sweetly to beat Ciara Mulqueen.

Two more scores from the brilliant Alannah O’Sullivan gave Waterford a 2-8 to 1-2 lead with the break approaching.

Limerick missed a number of chances from placed balls to close the Waterford lead but it was Alannah O’Sullivan that opened the second half scoring. In a low scoring third quarter Ella Hession pointed for the side in green for the quarters only other score as Waterford remained comfortably in front.

Waterford’s third goal came from Alisha Flynn following a brainstorming run. Áine O’Neill followed up with a point for the Déise Girls and when Kelsie Obanya whipped in Waterford’s fourth goal in what was a brilliant display by the Déise girls.

WATERFORD: Elena Gallagher; Dara Fitzgerald, Laoise Forrest, Helen Connolly; Aoife Hartley Mairéad O'Brien, Maeve Sheridan; Áine O'Neill, Kelsie Obanya; Aoibhinn O'Grady, Alannah O'Sullivan, Ellen Boylan; Alannah McNulty, Rhona Drohan, Rachel Walsh.

SUBS: Alisha Flynn for Rhona Drohan (37), Natasha Dobbyn for Aoibhinn O'Grady (49), Caoimhe Forrest for Laoise Forrest (55), Ruth O'Regan for Alanna McNulty (58), Chloe Power for Helen Connolly (60).

SCORERS: Alannah O'Sullivan 0-8 (4 frees, 1 '45'),  Áine O'Neill 1-1, Rhona Drohan, Alisha Flynn, Kelsie Obanya 1-0 each, Rachel Walsh, Aoibhinn O'Grady 0-1 each;

LIMERICK: Ciara Mulqueen; Leah Twomey, Clíodhna Ryan, Áine Herbert; Máire Butler, Emma Kennedy, Niamh Moloney; Nadine White, Aoife Nelligan; Fiona Herbert, Teresa Dore, Ella Hession; Sinéad Barry, Megan Walsh, Olivia Kearns.

SUBS: Alice O'Callaghan for Sinéad Barry (HT), Laura Stokes for Fiona Herbert (57)

SCORERS: Megan Walsh 1-0, Nadine White 0-2 (2 frees), Ella Hession 0-1.

REFEREE: John Horgan (Cork).