Waterford Ladies Footballers seek fourth win in a row

A win for All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies Football Champions Waterford over Leitrim at Ardmore on Sunday afternoon coupled with other results going the way of Waterford could all but secure Waterford’s place in the semi finals of this years National Division three league which are pencilled in for mid April.

Waterford for the second year in a row are under the guidance of Pat Sullivan and so far his charges have the perfect record, recording wins over Tipperary, Offaly and last time out against Fermanagh.

Leitrim so far have just two games played after their first round game against Fermanagh was called off due to the weather, and since then they have beaten down 4-12 to 1-4 but two weeks ago in their last game they lost to Roscommon 2-12 to 1-5.

When the sides met in the league last year, Waterford had a 5-11 to 3-9 win and when the sides met in the Championship at the semi final stages of the competition at Limerick, Waterford had a 2-17 to 2-6 win.

After their last game Leitrim manager Pat Costello was very disappointed and did not hide his disappointment to a ten point defeat to Roscommon after the game claiming that his side were “beaten to every ball. Roscommon were far the hungrier team, more aggressive and we were beaten to every ball in nearly every position.”

The Leitrim man after that game acknowledged Roscommon had performed well and thoroughly deserved their victory. He will be demanding a much better performance from his charges this time around, knowing that another defeat could well make it difficult for his side to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition as they have yet to play the likes of Wexford and Tipperary, both of whom have serious aspirations of reaching the knockout stages of the competition.

In the last few years Áine Tighe has proven to be Leitrim’s standout player and she often accounts for much of her sides scores.

However, the stronger sides have come up with tactics to curb her influence and when it works, her side sometimes fail to reach the levels they can when she is at her best.

While Áine Tighe is important to Leitrim, its important to note that they are by no means a one woman team as the likes of Michelle Guckian, Claire Beirne, Mairead Stenson, Sharon Kerrigan, Áine Heslin, Deirdre Ward, Dearbhaile Beirne, Niamh Tighe, Carla LeGuen and Michelle Heslin are all quality players.

Waterford last year were magnificent with only one blip all year, that being the league final defeat to Sligo at Parnell Park.

This year in addition to retaining their senior status, winning the league will be the sides number one priority. Nobody will need telling that if Waterford are to be fully equipped to play senior they will have to be playing at a higher level in the league, even if division three is a very competitive league with a number of sides that have played in Junior and Intermediate All-Ireland Finals in recent years involved.

Last year in the league, Pat Sullivan brought in a number of players that had impressed a lot playing in the under 14, 16 and minor grades in recent years and mixed it with some experienced players, something that worked a treat and come the end of the year when the side ran out onto Croke Park from under the steps of the Cusack Stand, a number of these players had done enough to start the game against Kildare in the All-Ireland Final.

The Dungarvan club man and his management team is doing much the same again this time around and in the games played to date, some of the best underage players in recent years have got a chance and have so far impressed.

We can expect Pat Sullivan to give youth its chance again this weekend against Leitrim.

Expect some of the new players brought in this year, the likes of the two Hannah Power’s one from Old Parish the other from Saint Patrick’s, Chloe Fennell, Aisling Mullaney, Laura Mulcahy, Carragh McCarthy and Bronagh Condon to be given a chance again this weekend.

We can also expect to see some of the more experienced players, the likes of Katie Hannon, Mairead, Linda and Aileen Wall, Róisín Tobin who is back in the squad this year, Caoimhe McGrath, Louise, Michelle and Sinead Ryan, Maria Delahunty and Gráinne Kenneally all to play a part as their inclusion in the team is vital if the younger players are to develop.

On paper, little separates these two sides. Over the past few years, Waterford have had the upper hand on the Connacht side. The experience picked up by Waterford last year should stand to them in this game and they should be good enough to make it four wins from four games in this game.

	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Points For	Points Against	Points Diff	Points
Waterford	3	3	0	0	66	28	38	9
Roscommon	3	2	1	0	46	42	4	6
Wexford	3	2	1	0	33	28	5	6
Tipperary	3	2	1	0	59	25	34	6
Leitrim	2	1	1	0	32	25	7	3
Offaly	3	1	2	0	50	57	-7	3
Fermanagh	2	0	2	0	5	59	-54	0
Down	3	0	3	0	33	60	-27	0

 

Waterford set for first Division One Camogie Game this Sunday

Sunday afternoon next sees history made in Waterford Camogie as the Counties Senior Team will play its first ever game in the Division One League when they take on Kilkenny in the second round of games in this years competition.

Last weekend Division Two League and All-Ireland Intermediate Champions from 2015 had a bye in the first series of games; while their rivals from across the River Suir had a very comfortable 5-9 to 0-1 win away to Derry.

In that game the side managed by Ann Downey, Paddy Mullally and Conor Phelan were very quick out of the traps pointing inside thirty seconds through Sarah Ann Quinlan from a free and from that point there was no turning back for the Cats.

Denise Gaule followed up with a point and Ann Dalton gave the winners a three point lead after just nine minutes.

The first of Kilkenny’s goals came on twelve minutes as Áine Gannon latched onto a Denise Gaule pass tapping home from close range.

The same player followed up with a point before Ann Dalton got her second of the game on eighteen minutes. Kate McDonald pointed for the visitors on twenty five minutes and Kilkenny turned around with a 2-6 to 0-0 lead at the break when Denise Gaule hit their second goal of the game on the stoke of half time when he latched onto a Michelle Quilty pass.

Three minutes into the second half Derry hit their only score of the game when Karen Kelt split the posts from thirty metres out.

Kilkenny however were quickly back on top as Denise Gaule put over a brace of points, before Sarah Ann Quinlan hit her sides third goal of the game eleven minutes after the restart following some good work by Michelle Quilty in the build up.

With the game well won at this stage, Kilkenny eased up somewhat in the final quarter but were still able to ass scores from a Sarah Ann Quinlan point from distance, and in the final minutes the considerably helped their score difference if it was to come into play as Michelle Quilty hit her sides fourth goal of the game five minutes from time after Sarah Ann Quinlan had done some good work in the build up and in the second minute of added time it was Sarah Ann Quinlan that got her sides fifth goal of the game with Denise Gaule doing much of the spadework in the build up.

Waterford this year will find the going much tougher than they did last year when they won the second division of the league and in the years previous to this when they went close to winning the league and Championship, but in saying this it should be noted that Waterford are well equipped to perform well in this grade.

Waterford will field much the same side which won the league and All-Ireland finals last year, but reports have indicated that the Lismore pair of Shona Curran and Nicola Morrissey will not feature this year.

The pair will be a loss to Waterford, but some excellent work is being done at underage level within the county and some of these players will relish getting the chance to fill the boots of the experienced Lismore pair.

Last year under the management of Sean Fleming, some of the brightest young prospects within the county were given their chance to impress and they took that chance and as a result are not the proud owners of league and championship medals.

A year older this time around, the experience they picked up last year will stand to them this year and it is expected that the likes of Beth Carton, Aisling Power, Sibeal Harney, Saoirse Bonner, Brianna O’Regan, Dawn Power, Iona Heffernan, Kate McMahon and Molly Curran to feature prominently again this year alongside the more experienced players such as Caithriona McGlone, Charlotte Raher who captains the side this year, Claire Whyte, Deirdre Brennan, Jennie Simpson, Jenny McCarthy, Lorraine Bray, Niamh Rockett, Trish Jackman, Valerie O’Brien and Vikki Falconer.

And don’t be surprised if we see some of this year’s minor team who won under 16 ‘B’ All-Ireland medals two years ago to maybe get a chance, the likes of Courtney Healy, Clodagh Galvin and Aisling Madigan included.

Make no mistake this is not going to be an easy game for Waterford. The likes of Sarah Ann Quinlan, Denise Gaule, Áine Gaule, Michelle Quilty, Ann Dalton, Emma Kavanagh and Jacqui Frisby all did well for the Cats last weekend in their win over Derry and were able to keep in reserve the likes of Kelly-Ann Doyle and Katie Power, players that will be known to camogie supporters in Waterford.

While this is the second series of games in this years league, its Waterford’s first game, and often against strong and fancied opposition, the best place to get such a team if you are the underdog is in your first game.

How many times in the past have we seen the underdog beat the fancied side when it comes to the G.A.A?

Can it happen again that the unfancied side will beat the fancied side in their first game? Don’t rule it out, but remember it won’t happen easy.

Brilliant Brianna helps Waterford to championship opener victory

Those that know me or know who I am will know that I have never played a game of hurling or football in my life, apart maybe from the odd puck about in hurling while in primary school when I was put standing between the posts or in a corner forward position in football where I would try and try and cause a little hassle in and around the goal.

When involved in Bord na nÓg at Divisional and County level in the late 90’s and the majority of the first decade of the current Millennium, come county final day and I was tasked at picking out a player of the match from each competing team in both codes while a player might have often hit two or three goals or maybe upwards of nine or ten points in the final, I often tended to pick a goalkeeper or back as the player of the match as its at times all too easy to opt for the player that scores most but what happens at the other end of the field is often forgotten about.

On Sunday afternoon last I attended my first game of the year, an All-Ireland Minor Camogie Championship game between Waterford and Galway at the WIT Campus at Carriganore.

There was no player of match that was picked out in that game, but if there was, a number of players would have come into the reckoning.

Galway full forward Carrie Dolan was a constant thorn in the side of the Waterford defence. The Clarinbridge teenager hit 1-8 for her side 1-6 of which came from placed balls.

Waterford centre forward Beth Carton is a brilliant young player who if you have not seen already is one that everyone should make it their business to see her in action as soon as possible.

The De La Salle youngster was impressive here as well hitting 1-11, 0-9 which came from frees often won by herself when a physical Galway site were forced to stop her in her tracks as she ran at the defence.

But if there was a player to be picked out as the player of the game on Sunday afternoon and I was asked to be part of the selection of the winner, I have no problem in saying that despite Carrie Dolan and Beth Carton sharing 2-19 of the 5-23 shared by the two teams on the day, for me Waterford goalkeeper Brianna O’Regan was the undoubted player of the match.

From the first minute to the last, the De La Salle Club Player was outstanding. Over the course of the hour she made numerous timely interventions to keep the Galway attack out, and making at least four top drawer saves that the likes of goal keeping legends like Brendan Cummins, Damien Fitzhenry, Davy Fitzgerald and Donal Óg Cusack would be very proud of.

Brianna made the first of her excellent saves inside ninety seconds of the game starting to deny Mairead Dillon what looked to be a certain goal.

She made another brilliant save on seventeen minutes when referee Alan Lagrue awarded the visiting side a penalty for a foul that appeared to be committed a long way from goal, but Carrie Dolan was not able to get the sliotar past the brilliant Brianna.

In the closing ten minutes of the game with Galway searching for a goal that would have given them the lead for the first time and possibly the points on offer on the league table, she raced off her line to close down the Galway attackers with another block and for her troubles was flung to the ground but soon was up giving a little hobble and went back between the posts.

And in the second last minute of normal time the brilliant De La Salle youngster made another fantastic save this time from a twenty metre free struck by Carrie Dolan.

Waterford got off to a fantastic start in this game, hitting two goals inside the first five minutes of the game, less than sixty seconds apart.

The first came on four minutes from the stick of Aisling Madigan another rising star of the game from the De La Salle Club, the second from another De La Salle player, the impressive Beth Carton, both coming as a result of running at the Galway defence from outside the ’45 metre line and then firing past Sarah Healy as they raced down on the Galway defence.

Galway’s first score of the game came on six minutes when Carrie Dolan put over from play and the same player followed up a minute later with an effort from the same player.

Beth Carton hit the first of her eleven points from a free on eight minutes and two minutes later she followed up with an effort from play to restore a clear two goal advantage for Waterford, but that lead was cut to five seconds later with and effort from Mairead Dillon.

Galway won what looked a dubious penalty from the stands in Carriganore on seventeen minutes which Brianna O’Regan did brilliant to keep out, deflecting the ball out for a ’45 which Carrie Dolan duly converted to leave four between the sides.

Beth Carton hit her third point of the game on twenty minutes and seconds later she was unlucky not to have added a second goal of the game but Sarah Healy did brilliant to keep the sliotar from rattling her net for a third time.

A third goal did come for Waterford on twenty one minutes when Kate McGrath with a ground stroke finished to the net from close range.

Galway however would finish the half the stronger of the two sides, keeping Waterford scoreless in the final third of the game, as Carrie Dolan hit 1-2 from frees and Siobhan McGrath hit a point to leave the visitors trailing 3-3 to 1-7 at the interval.

The second half proved to be equally as tight as the first half.

Twice Waterford went four points up in the second half only for the home side to pull back that lead on both occasions and even though they drew level eleven minutes into the second half, the visitors never lead the home side over the course of the hour.

Waterford opened the second half with a brace of Beth Carton frees to give her side a four point advantage after thirty-seven minutes.

Ava Lynskey pulled a point back for Galway on thirty nine minutes and two minutes later the sides were all square after Leanne Helebert sent a ball in high around the danger zone which Brianna O’Regan did well to keep from reaching the top of her net, but she was powerless to keep Mairead Dillon’s effort out from the rebound which fell nicely to the Kilconieron club player.

Beth Carton from a free and Sarah Spellman swapped scores to keep the sides level at the end of the third quarter.

Leanne Helebert on forty six minutes became the second of four Galway players who accepted a booking in this game rather than let the Waterford attackers run at their defence and from the resulting Beth Carton edged Waterford back in front and the same player extended Waterford’s lead with efforts from frees on fifty one and fifty three minutes.

Carrie Dolan put over a ’45 five minutes for time to leave two between the sides. Beth Carton restored a four point advantage for Waterford with three minutes of the hour still to play but Waterford were made fight hard to ensure that they collected the points on offer in the time that remained.

Briana O’Regan made another fantastic save on fifty-eight minutes from a Carrie Dolan twenty metre free. The same Galway player cut Waterford’s lead to three on the hour mark when she put over a free and two minutes later when Galway won a close in free the visitors opted to bring goalkeeper Sarah Healy up the entire length of the field to strike for goal which if achieved would have drawn the sides level, but her effort from twenty five metres rose just over the Waterford crossbar.

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Sinead Cunningham, Sinead O’Brien, Clara Griffin; Courtney Healy, Kate McMahon, Aoife Shanahan; Sibeal Harney, Megan Dunford; Saoirse Bonner, Beth Carton, Kate McGrath; Clodagh Glavin, Aisling Power, Aisling Madigan. Subs: Ciara Jackman for Clodagh Glavin (40), Caoimhe Drohan for Aoife Shanahan (42).

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-11 (0-9f), Aisling Madigan, Kate McGrath 1-0 each.

Galway: Sarah Healy; Christina Hanley, Roisin Black, Siobhan Skehill; Tiffany Ni Coisteabhla, Taragh Moloney, Leanne Helebert; Shannon Ridge, Marie Farrell; Ava Lynskey, Sarah Spellman, Mairead Dillon; Elisha Broderick, Carrie Dolan, Siobhan McGrath. Subs: Molly Mannion for Marie Farrell (29), Eimear O’Donovan for Taragh Moloney (HT), Leanne Freaney for Mairead Dillon (42).

Scorers: Carrie Dolan 1-8 (1-4f, 0-2 ’45), Mairead Dillon 1-1, Siobhan McGrath, Ava Lynskey, Sarah Spellman, Sarah Healy (f) 0-1 each.

Referee: Alan Lagrue (Kildare).

WATERFORD LADIES WIN LOCAL DERBY CLASH

Who remembers what happened at the start of last years Ladies National Football League and how the year ended for Waterford.

I’m sure most with an interest in the G.A.A. in Waterford and maybe beyond will know how it ended. Team Captain Linda Wall led his playing colleagues up the steps of the Hogan Stand after Waterford won the biggest piece of silverware on offer to the side after beating Kildare in the Intermediate All-Ireland Final.

Some however might not remember how the year started, so let me remind you. Waterford opened the league with a South-East Derby game against Wexford at Fraher Field. When the two sides met twelve months earlier Waterford recorded a massive win over the Model County Ladies, but they went on to win the Junior All-Ireland Final that year and travelled to Dungarvan a much better side than they were twelve months earlier. The visiting side pushed Waterford very hard on the day before Waterford won out in a low scoring game.  

This years National Ladies Football League began on Sunday afternoon. Waterford for the second year in a row began with a South East Derby game, this time against Tipperary. The game was to be a home game for Waterford but was eventually played at Piltown in Co. Kilkenny after the game was fixed for a number of games in Waterford only to have the game pulled as recent weather conditions took its toll.

For the second year in a row, Waterford ran out winners, again in a very close game, but this time around in a much higher scoring game as both sides shared thirty-one scores.

Just as was the case twelve months ago, Waterford fielded an experimental looking team as team manager Pat Sullivan and his selectors just as they did twelve months ago gave new and fringe players from last years panel the chance to stake a place in the side for the year ahead.

Tipperary from the off playing with a strong wind at their backs pilled pressure on the Waterford defence, and they did not trail at any point of the game till it had gone to added time at the end of the second half.

Within twelve seconds of the game starting, the Premier County Ladies had taken the lead with a point from Sheelagh Carew. And when Edel Hanley followed up with a brace of points from frees by the fifth minute of the game, just as it was when the sides met in the league at Ardfinnan last year, Waterford were looking as though they were going to be in for a tough afternoons work.

Waterford hit their first score of the game on seven minutes, a pointed free off the boot of team captain Sinead Ryan. But there would be no let up for Waterford after this as Edit Carroll and Niamh Lonergan landed points for Tipperary to give them a 0-5 to 0-1 lead with nine minutes showing on the clock.

Katie Murray last year made history by becoming one of the first set of triplets to win an All-Ireland Final at Croke Park. While she often had to watch her sisters play from the side lines she did her chances of staking a place in the team no harm in this game and got her name on the score sheet to help cut Tipperary’s lead to three when she was played through by Rebecca Casey who is another of the rising stars of the game within the county and a player to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Eimer Myles and Aileen Wall swapped scores for their respective sides by the end of the first quarter of the game to give Tipperary a 0-6 to 0-3 lead.

Tipperary with the wind at their backs continued to dominate in the early part of the second quarter of the game as Edel Hanley and Mairead Morrissey hit points to stretch their sides lead to five, one which went to eight on twenty minutes as Mairead Morrissey played through Jennifer Grant and Lorraine O’Shea for the games first goal of the game.

Sinead Ryan put over a brace of points for Waterford to cut Tipperary’s lead to six points but Edel Hanley soon put a little more day light between the sides with another score.

There can be little disputing that the best player by a ‘Country Mile’ in last years Intermediate Championship was Aileen Wall, and she has began 2016 where she left off at the end of 2015, putting in another solid performance in this game.

She was very unlucky not to have put the ball in the Tipperary net late in the first half but her effort clipper the crossbar after she was played through by older sister Linda and her effort went over instead of under the crossbar.

Emma Murray followed with another score for Waterford on twenty seven minutes but the Premier Ladies would turn around with a six point advantage after Edel Henley hit the last score of the first half to give Tipperary a 1-10 to 0-7 lead.

Waterford with the wind at their backs in the second half and with a numerical advantage after Anne O’Dwyer was sin binned towards the end of the first half came out with all guns blazing, kicking the first three scores of the game all from the impressive Sinead Ryan to leave Lorraine O’Shea’s goal between the sides with eight minutes of the second half showing on the stop watch.

Anne O’Dwyer was no sooner on the field again after sitting out ten minutes when her side were done to fourteen once more as Elaine Fitzpatrick was sin binned on forty two minutes, but a minute later the sides were even in numbers as Aileen Wall was sent to the side line for ten minutes by referee Kathy Forde.

Waterford called on their experience as the game wore on and points from Sinead and Michelle Ryan were registered in a three minute spell to leave just one between the sides and when Linda Wall followed up with her first of the game with ten minutes of normal time remaining things were beginning to look good for Waterford.

However, this is a good Tipperary side and they hit back with a second goal of the game eight minutes from time, this time the rolls were reversed from the first goal as Mairead Morrissey was set up by Lorraine O’Shea to give Tipperary a 2-10 to 0-13 lead.

Caoimhe McGrath and Aoibhe O’Shea swapped scores for their respective sides inside a minute of each other to keep three between the sides in Tipperary’s favour, but Waterford would finish the game strongest as Sinead and Michelle Ryan tagged on a point each before another set of sisters Linda and Aileen Wall landed points, the latter proving to be the winner and was the score that gave Waterford the lead for the first and only time in the game after she was set up by Michelle Ryan.

This was a game that Waterford manager Pat Sullivan will have been very happy with. As expected little separated the sides at the end of the hour. With Waterford playing in the senior championship this year, tough close games like this where Waterford had to fight hard right to the end will help the side come championship time in the summer months.

Waterford: Katie Hannon; Rebecca Casey, Caoimh McGrath, Linda Wall; Emma Murray, Hannah Power, Liz Devine; Katie Murray, Megan Dunford; Mairead Wall,  Ciara Hurley, Emma Murray; Aileen Wall, Michelle Ryan, Gráinne Kenneally. Subs: Louise Ryan for Liz Devine, Nicola Fennell for Ciara Hurley, and Roisin Tobin for Hannah Power.

Scorers: Sinead Ryan 0-8 (7f), Aileen Wall 0-3, Michelle Ryan, Linda Wall 0-2 each, Emma Murray, Katie Murray, Caoimhe McGrath 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Patricia Hickey; Brid Condon, Samantha Lambert, Sinead Delahunty;  Anne O’Dwyer, Claire Carroll, Louise Carroll; Jennifer Grant, Sheelagh Carew; Niamh Lonergan, Lorraine O’Shea, Eimear Myles; Edith Carroll, Mairead Morrissey, Edel Hanley. Subs: Elaine Fitzpatrick for Sheelagh Carew, Aoibhe O’Shea for Louise Carroll, Roisin McGrath for Eimer Myles, Grainne Condon for Brid Condon, Catriona Walsh for Edel Henley.

Scorers: Edel Hanley 0-5 (3f), Lorraine O’Shea, Mairead Morrissey 1-1 each, Edith Carroll, Eimear Myles, Anne O’Dwyer, Aoibhe O’Shea 0-1 each.

Referee: Kathy Forde (Wicklow).

WATERFORD FOOTBALLERS OPEN LEAGUE WITH DEFEAT IN AUGHRIM

Waterford’s senior footballers got their National Football League Campaign off to a bad start on Sunday afternoon last, loosing out to Wicklow in Aughrim by two points.

In what could be a very tight division which the management team have set their sights on getting out of as their main goal for the year ahead, the narrow defeat in Aughrim could well prove costly, as last year Wicklow were one of the sides Waterford were battling with to ensure that they did not finish with the distension of finishing bottom of the table with.

All involved in the Waterford set up will know that this is a game that they should have won. Over the seventy minutes they hit ten wides, not a high amount by any means but eight of these were in the first half when Waterford were playing with the wind at their backs and six of this tally were hit in the first quarter of the game while Wicklow over the seventy minutes shot just four wides, two in each half.

Waterford were first to score in this game, but had to wait thirteen minutes for it to come, courtesy of an effort from Donie Breathnach. And five minutes later Paul Whyte helped stretch his sides lead with the first of his five points, all from placed balls.

Wicklow however playing a venue where they are very hard to beat soon settled and in a three minute spell hit three points in a row from Rory Finn, Stephen Kelly and Ciaran Hyland to take the lead.

Waterford would take the lead once more when Paul Whyte put over a brace of frees and when the same player lofted the ball in front of the Wicklow goal and when Robert Lambert failed to deal with things in around his own goal, Patrick Hurney was able to use his hand to finish to the Wicklow net and give Waterford a 1-4 to 0-3 lead.

The home side however would by the break cut the Waterford lead by one as John McGrath who impressed with his free taking all afternoon put the ball between the uprights.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Wicklow came out the better of the two sides as John McGrath put three frees between the Waterford uprights and Rory Finn got his second of the game to give Wicklow the lead for the second time.

Paul Whyte levelled matters from another free on fifty one minutes but efforts from Eddie Doyle and John McGrath his fifth of the game followed to give the home side a 0-10 to 1-5 lead.

Waterford’s chances of winning the game received a blow when Tadhg Ó hUallachain was ordered off by referee Sean Lonergan after he collected his second yellow card of the game mid way through the second half.

Rory Finn and Sean Crowe followed up with a points for Wicklow but despite loosing and having a numerical disadvantage, Waterford would finish the game the stronger of the two sides as Paul Whyte and Shaun Corcoran landed points for Tom McGlinchey’s side with Rory Finn pulling one back for Wicklow, while the Kilrossanty Club Man was unlucky also proving to be unlucky two minutes from time after he rounded Ciaran Hyland he saw his effort clip the bottom of the upright and go just wide.

Waterford: Stephen Enright; Tadhg O hUallachain, Thomas O’Gorman, James McGrath; Declan Allen, Stephen Prendergast, Ray O Ceallaigh; Conor Prunty, Tommy Prendergast; Gavin Crotty, Donie Breathnach, Maurice O’Gorman; Paul Whyte, JJ Hutchinson, Michael O’Halloran. Subs: Patrick Hurney for Declan Allen, Declan Allen for Michael O’Halloran, David Power for JJ Hutchinson, Brian Looby for James McGrath, Shaun Corcoran for Patrick Hurney.

Scorers: Paul Whyte 0-5 (4f, 1 ’45), Patrick Hurney 1-0, Donie Breathnach 0-2, Shaun Corcoran 0-1.

Wicklow: Robert Lambert; Aaron Murphy, Ross O’Brien, Ciaran Hyland; Dean Healy, Paul McLoughlin, Chris Murphy; Rory Finn, Anthony McLoughlin; Darren Hayden, John McGrath, Stephen Kelly; Patrick Byrne, Paul Cunningham, Mark Kenny. Subs: Eddie Doyle for Patrick Byrne, John Crowe for Dean Healy, Niall Gaffney for Anthony McLoughlin, Gary Allen for Mark Kenny, Daniel Woods for John McGrath.

Scorers: John McGrath 0-5 (5f), Rory Finn 0-4 (3f), Stephen Kelly, John Crowe, Eddie Doyle, Ciaran Hyland 0-1 each.

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)