Mayo Beat Waterford, Hail and Storm Dennis in Low Scoring Game

Waterford’s Senior Ladies Football team braved the elements in Swinford on Sunday afternoon but would make the long trip home empty handed as they suffered a second defeat in this year’s National Football League against a Mayo side that had beaten Donegal and lost to Dublin in the opening fixtures in this year’s competition.

This game was to be played a week earlier at the same venue but was called off less than 24 hours before it was played owing to Storm Ciara but both sides would have wished that came would have gone ahead as on Sunday last as Storm Dennis battled through the country, conditions at time were near impossible to play in, as great credit must go to the players on both sides for actually completing the game.

Waterford played with the aid of a gale at their backs in the opening half but while the wind can often be a help it can also prove to be somewhat of a hindrance and it was no side to go in at the break locked at two points each on the score board.

Rachel Kearns who top scored for the Green and Red opened the scoring when she put over a free. Caoimhe McGrath who is one of the longer serving players in the current Waterford panel equalised for Waterford but Kearns restored the home sides lead when she put over from play. Waterford however would go in at the break on level terms when Chloe Fennell split the home side uprights from a free.

Waterford playing against the wind in the second half played better than they did in the first half but found it very difficult to kick into the wind. Such were the horrendous conditions in this game referee Siobhan Coyle from Donegal decided to stop the game at one point and order all thirty players off the field to allow a hail storm to pass through the mid county town.

Ciaran Curran’s side failed to score in the second half of this game but this should not be held against them. The side did create chances but they found it hard to break down a side that was well marshalled by Danielle Caldwell and Kathryn Sullivan both from the nearby Castlebar Mitchels club.

Sinead Cafferky put the home side in the lead early in the second half when she put over the head of Rosie Landers from play and when Rachel Kearns followed up with a brace of points from frees it was looking as if it was not going to be Waterford’s day unless a goal was found and against players like the already mentioned Danielle Caldwell and Kathryn Sullivan that on the day was going to be a difficult task.

When the players came back on after their unexpected calling off the field Natasha Gaughan secured the win for Mayo when she put her side four up with seven minutes remaining.

Next up for Waterford is a home game against Tipperary this coming Sunday where a win for Waterford could go a long way towards securing their place in Division One again for the 2021 league.

Waterford: Rosie Landers; Megan Dunford, Róisín Dunphy, Rebecca Casey; Mairead Wall, Caoimhe McGrath Kate McGrath; Emma Murray, Chloe Fennell; Aisling Baumann, Maggie Boylan, Aileen Wall; Katie Murray, Liz Devine, Aoife Murray.

Subs: Kelly Anne Hogan for Aoife Murray (h-t), Róisín Tobin for Aisling Baumann (h-t), Abbie Dalton for Maggie Boylan (42).

Scorers: Caoimhe McGrath, Chloe Fennell (f) 0-1 each,

Mayo: Aisling Tarpey; Nicola O’Malley, Noirin Moran, Danielle Caldwell; Kathryn Sullivan, Ciara McManamon, Ciara Whyte; Allannah Duffy, Sinead Cafferky; Fiona Doherty, Maria Reilly, Lisa Cafferky; Jennifer Cawley, Rachel Kearns, Amy Halligan.

Subs: Mary McHale for Amy Halligan (15), Lisa Reid for Jennifer Cawley (15), Maria Cannon for Lisa Reid (h-t), Eilis Ronayne for Mary McHale (h-t), Róisín Durkin for Maria Reilly (40), Tamara O’Connor for Ciara McManamon (42), Natasha Gaughan for Lisa Cafferky (45), Clodagh McManamon for Maria Cannon (53), Grainne O’Neill for Rachel Kearns (54), Niamh Casey for Kathryn Sullivan (56), Dayna Finn for Allannah Duffy (58).

Scorers: Rachel Kearns 0-4 (2f), Sinead Cafferky, Natasha Gaughan (f) 0-1 each.

Referee:  Siobhan Coyle (Donegal).