Waterford Edge Closer To Finish Line

Waterford Senior Camogie team are within touching distance of the finish line in their bid to reach the knockout stages of this year’s All-Ireland Championship after they recorded a brilliant 2-11 to 0-15 win over Limerick at a scorched Walsh Park on Saturday last.

Beth Carton once more made all the headlines when it comes to scoring in this game as she finished with 1-10 behind her name on the score sheet, but the De La Salle Club sharp shooter will be possibly be the first to admit that this was more about a team performance than it was an individual performance.

The De La Salle player was at the peak of her game in this game and the side needed each and every one of her scores as the home side were pushed all the way to finish by a Limerick side that knew anything other than a win in this game would mean that their interest in this year’s championship was as good as over.

When the two sides met in the league earlier this year at Ballyagran, the sides shared the spoils, a result that ended Waterford’s interest in this year’s competition and from both would have seen in that game they knew they were in for a tough battle in this one.

However in the previous meeting between the two sides Waterford were not picking from a full strength sides as Lismore’s interest in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship had only come to an end and some of their players were taking a short break from the game, recharging the batteries after a tough campaign, meaning that Donal O’Rourke that day was not picking from a full strength squad.

There might be some that will argue that the draw for this year’s championship was kind to Waterford and really it would be hard to argue against such people.

Getting a bye in round one and playing the two strongest sides in the group in the second and third rounds of games, Waterford were pitted with the third strongest side in the third round of games, but Donal O’Rourke and his group of players and mentors would always have felt that they could get something from this game, and more over so playing on home soil with a home support shouting them on over the course of the game.

Two first half goals in a four minute spell just short of the end of the first quarter proved vital for Waterford.

The home side’s first goal came on ten minutes. Annie Fitzgerald one of a number of young players who has not looked out of place playing at this level was twice blocked down as she attempted to get her name on the score sheet but she proved perseverance counts and at the third time of asking fed Beth Carton who finished to the net.

The Gailltir player was also involved in the second goal. Fellow Gailltir Club player Áine Lyng picked out Annie Fitzgerald who found Beth Carton. Noticing that Kaiesha Tobin was better placed, the De La Salle club player picked who finished pasted Laura O’Neill in the Limerick goal.

Moments later Beth Carton put over her third free of the afternoon which gave Waterford a 2-4 to 0-3 lead.

 It was the visitors however that finished the half the stronger of the two sides as they hit three Niamh Mulcahy points and one each from Dearbhla Egan and Karen O’Leary which meant at the short whistle they were only three points behind (2-5 to 0-8) at the break.

Aisling Scanlon and Beth Carton started the second half exchanging scores for their respective sides.

Beth Carton’s second point from play was a beauty hit over her shoulder after she was picked out by Niamh Rockett, but the De La Salle player missed the chance to extend her sides lead when she saw a free go side of the uprights.

Indiscipline in Waterford defence was keeping Limerick in this game as Niamh Mulcahy was not making too many mistakes from placed balls. Over the course of the game she nailed eight frees, the same tally as Beth Carton at the other end of the field.

Waterford missed another chance to extend their lead when Niamh Rockett a player who is playing out of her skin this year saw an effort go just wide when Waterford were leading 2-8 to 0-11. Up at the other end of the field Caoimhe Costelloe made no mistake in making it a two point game.

Carton and Mulcahy swapped scores before Waterford were dealt a potential blow when Sibeal Harney was sent to the stand on a second yellow card by referee Liz Dempsey for a foul which looked as if it was in her favour.

The Saint Anne’s Club player in going to the stand became the third Waterford player to be sent off in this year’s championship. Going to National School in the 1980’s we always said faith would tell when an opposing player was given what could be described a soft free, meaning it would be missed and so it proved here as Niamh Mulcahy put her placed ball, and if ever justice was done it was Waterford who got the next score of the game, again courtesy of Beth Carton.

Limerick mounted pressure on the Waterford defence with their numerical advantage, but with the first attack of note the visitors created Sarah Carey shot wide.

Niamh Mulcahy and Rebecca Delee fired over points to make it a single score game with time ticking down.

Deep in stoppage time Kaiesha Tobin drew a foul from Limerick full back Muireann Creamer who already had being booked which left referee Liz Dempsey with no option but to issue her with a second yellow card which was followed with a red to even up the numbers on the field.

Beth Carton held her nerve as she stood over the free and she made no mistake in putting it between the uprights, giving Waterford a two point lead and when the full time whistle soon followed there was nothing but joy to be seen on the faces of the Waterford team and mentors.

Waterford now plays Clare in the last game in the Round Robin section of the competition this Sunday at Cusack Park in Ennis.

Donal O’Rourke’s side need only to avoid defeat to secure their place into the knockout stages of the competition for the very first time, while the home side will need to win if they are to advance. A win for Clare would mean that both Waterford and Clare would end on four points each but the Banner Ladies would win on the head to head rule.

Waterford: Ciara Jackman; Kate Lynch, Sibeal Harney, Iona Heffernan; Shauna Kiernan, Aine Lyng, Claire Whyte; Lorraine Bray, Aoife Landers; Annie Fitzgerald, Niamh Rockett, Deirdre Fahy; Kaiesha Tobin, Beth Carton, Caithriona McGlone.

Subs: Fiona Morrissey for Aoife Landers, Jenny McCarthy for Claire Whyte, Aisling Power for Caithriona McGlone, Orla Hickey for Annie Fitzgerald, Clara Griffin for Fiona Morrissey.

Scorers: Beth Carton 1-10 (8fs), Kaiesha Tobin 1-0, Niamh Rockett 0-1.

Limerick: Laura O’Neill; Megan O’Mara, Muireann Creamer, Mairead Ryan; Neamh Curtin, Sarah Carey, Caoimhe Costelloe; Karen O’Leary, Rebecca Delee; Aisling Scanlon, Niamh Mulcahy, Deborah Murphy; Caoimhe Lyons, Dearbhla Egan, Kate Hennessy.

Sub: Laura Stack for Kate Hennessy.

Scorers: Niamh Mulcahy 0-10 (8fs), Caoimhe Costelloe, Karen O’Leary, Rebecca Delee, Aisling Scanlon, Dearbhla Egan 0-1 each.

Referee: Liz Dempsey (Kilkenny)

Brilliant Win For Déise Minors

Waterford Minor Camogie Selectors were able to call upon a number of players with big match experience for their Munster Championship encounter with Tipperary at Walsh Park last Wednesday evening and this experience told as the home side ran out winners on a 2-12 to 1-7 score line.

The Waterford selectors were able to include players like Kaiesha Tobin and Annie Fitzgerald from the off in this game. The pair who are part of the Waterford senior team accounted for 1-9 of Waterford’s total in this game, while other players, the likes of Clodagh Carroll, Abby Flynn and Lucy Hogan who came on as a sub had all helped St Angela’s Ursuline School on the Folly to win All-Ireland titles earlier this year while the likes of Mary Kate Curran, Sarah Lacey and Keeley Corbett Barry are no strangers to wearing the white and blue of Waterford down the year in different age groups and in different codes.

All three goals in this game came in the first half.

It was the visitors who were first off the mark, as Rosanna O’Donnell fired past Megan Foran after she got onto a Casey Hennessey delivery.

Waterford however were to respond with a goal of their own almost straight away when Annie Fitzgerald placed the sliotar into the top of Aoife Butler’s net.

The visitors at this stage could have registered a second goal but they found in Megan Foran a goalkeeper of some quality and from an effort by Casey Hennessey she deflected a shot destined for the back of the net over the cross bar.

Tipperary played a sweeper in this game, a position which we have seen time and time again does not really work as the best sides are able to counter it, and Waterford did in this game by keeping the ball away from the middle section of the field, instead playing it into the corners where Kaiesha Tobin and Annie Fitzgerald were able to cause plenty of heartache for the Tipperary defence.

Dungarvan’s Kaiesha Tobin finished this game as top scorer with nine points, eight of which came from placed balls often won by Annie Fitzgerald and Keeley Corbett Barry who caused the Tipperary defence lots of problems.

Waterford had to wait twenty eight minutes before they would score their first point from play, and soon afterwards the Déise Ladies struck a second goal when Kaiesha Tobin picked out Ciara O’Sullivan who shot from close range to give her side a 2-6 to 1-3 lead at the interval.

Tipperary will have felt that they should be much closer at the break but they came up against Megan Foran once more who was on top of her game to once more deny Casey Hennessy in injury time.

Grace O’Toole opened the second half scoring for Tipperary, but Waterford would hit back with a brace of scores from Kaiesha Tobin and one from Ciara O’Sullivan to put eight between the sides.

Casey Hennessy pulled two points back for the visitors but when Sarah Lacey found Kaiesha Tobin extend Waterford’s lead.

Waterford survived another attempt for a Tipperary goal. The hosts went up field and Abbey Flynn pointed to put Waterford seven to the good.

Kaiesha Tobin would land one further score for the home side near the head, after Annie Fitzgerald was denied a second goal in this game as Aoife Butler in the Tipperary goal made a good save to keep the Gailltir players effort out.

Waterford advance to the Munster Semi Final and will now play Limerick, for which Waterford will enter the game very confident of advancing to the Munster Final after an excellent win and performance here.

Waterford: Megan Foran; Izabella Markiezch, Shauna Fitzgerald, Hannah Flynn; Kate Lynch, Mary Kate Curran, Roisin Dunphy; Keeley Corbett Barry, Clara Griffin; Clodagh Carroll, Ciara O’Sullivan, Abby Flynn; Kaiesha Tobin, Sarah Lacey, Annie Fitzgerald.

Subs: Sally Kelly for Carroll, Lorna Foley for Annie Fitzgerald, Lucy Hogan for Flynn.

Scorers: Kaiesha Tobin 0-9 (8fs), Ciara O’Sullivan 1-1, Annie Fitzgerald 1-0, Sarah Lacey, Abby Flynn 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Aoife Butler; Anna Gavin, Sorcha Ryan, Niamh Long; Grainne Long, Gemma Fox, Thea Curtin; Clodagh McIntyre, Grace O’Toole; Karin Blair, Casey Hennessy, Aine O’Dwyer; Sarah Delaney, Rosanna O’Donnell, Emma Flanagan.

Subs: Katie Ryan for Gavin, Eimear Bourke for Flanagan, Ciara Dwan for Blair, Lucy McEvoy for Grainne Long, Rachel O’Dwyer for Delaney.

Scorers: Casey Hennessy 0-6 (4fs, 1 45’), Rosanna O’Donnell 1-0, Grace O’Toole 0-1.

Referee: Mike Flannery (Limerick)

Heartbreak for Déise Ladies at Nenagh

Waterford’s Senior Ladies Football team will have to beat Galway in Birr on Saturday afternoon next if they are to stand a chance of progressing to the quarter final stages of this year’s All-Ireland Championship after they narrowly lost out to Westmeath at Nenagh on Saturday last.

The Déise ladies will have felt disappointed to have made the journey back home after that game empty handed, but will be the first to admit that over the hour, the midlander’s were marginally the better of the two sides over the course of the hour, especially in the opening half.

The winners in this one went into the game on the back of a heavy defeat to Dublin in the recent Leinster Final at Dr Cullen Park in Carlow and intent on getting that defeat out of their system as quickly as possible.

Waterford on the other hand did not have a competitive outing in five weeks since they lost to Kerry in the Munster Semi Final, but while they would have worked hard in those five weeks, when it comes to playing big games like this, nothing beats playing in competitive games.

Waterford made four changes in personnel to the side which lost out to Kerry for this game, bringing in Kelly Moroney for her Championship debut, Caoimhe McGrath, Emma Murray and Maria Delahunty in place of Carragh McCarthy, Aoife Murray, Lauren McGregor and Eimear Fennell, and also made a number of positional changes.

Westmeath for their part kept the changes to the minimum as teenager Caoimhe Clarke McMahon came into the team in place of Vicky Carr.

Waterford started this game the brighter of the two sides racing into an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead as Maria Delahunty hit a hat-trick of scores with Leanne Slevin pulling one back for the midlander’s after the Abbeyside players first score.

Annie Dolan and Keeley Corbett Barry swapped scores to keep Waterford two in front, but in the minutes that followed it was the midland county that enjoyed a purple patch as they would land 1-3 before Waterford would score again.

Leanne Slevin put a free between the uprights before Maud Annie Foley and Annie Dolan scored from play with twenty five minutes played. Dolan’s score gave the midlander’s the lead for the first time in this game, one that they would never give up.

With four minutes of normal time to play the first goal of the game came along when Laura Lee Walsh waltzed through the Waterford defence to beat Kelly Moroney.

But Waterford quickly cancelled out that score almost straight away as Aileen Wall, a player who is no stranger to causing opposition defences all sorts of troubles ran at the Westmeath backs and finished past Karen Walsh to leave just one between the sides.

The sides however would go to the dressing rooms with two between them on the scoreboard as Aoife Connolly nailed a free to give her side a 1-6 to 1-4 lead at the interval.

The eventual winners began the second half once more the stronger of the two sides hitting points from Leanne Slevin and Maud Anne Foley, and they would stretch their lead to a double score advantage with an Aoife Connolly goal on thirty seven minutes.

It was now Waterford’s turn to enjoy a purple patch as Michelle Ryan, Maria Delahunty and Kate McGrath all landed scores for the Déise Ladies before Aileen Wall netted a second goal on forty seven minutes to leave her side trailing by just one.

Sinead Ryan levelled matters before Maud Annie Foley and Leanne Slevin from a free kicked points putting Westmeath two in front. Eimear Fennell and Aoife Connolly swapped scores before Maria Delahunty put over a brace of points to level matters deep in stoppage time.

But no game is up till the final whistle blows and with literally the last kick of the game Annie Dolan pointed from a free to give her side the full quota of points on offer in this game.

Westmeath: Karen Walsh; Lucy Power, Rachel Dillon, Nicole Feery; Fiona Coyle, Jennie Rogers, Caoimhe Clarke McMahon; Karen McDermott, Maud Annie Foley; Fiona Claffey, Leanne Slevin, Annie Dolan; Aoife Connolly, Lucy McCartan, Laura Lee Walsh.

Subs: Anna Jones for McDermott (50), Johanna Maher for Connolly (55), Ciara Blundell for McCartan (62).

Scorers: Aoife Connolly 1-2 (0-1f), Leanne Slevin 0-5 (5f), Laura Lee Walsh 1-0, Maud Annie Foley 0-3, Annie Dolan 0-2

Waterford: Kelly Moroney; Megan Dunford, Caoimhe McGrath, Rebecca Casey; Kate McGrath, Karen McGrath, Michelle McGrath; Emma Murray, Keeley Corbett Barry; Mairead Wall, Grainne Kenneally, Katie Murray; Aileen Wall, Maria Delahunty, Michelle Ryan.

Subs: Kelly Anne Hogan for Keeley Corbett Barry (30), Kate Hahessy for Katie Murray (50), Sinead Ryan for Michelle Ryan (50), Eimear Fennell for Mairead Wall (56), Geraldine Power for Kelly Anne Hogan (61).

Scorers: Aileen Wall 2-0, Maria Delahunty 0-6 (4f), Keeley Corbett Barry, Michelle Ryan, Kate McGrath, Sinead Ryan, Eimear Fennell 0-1 each

Referee: John Gallagher (Dublin). 

Who Will Be the Next Waterford Senior Hurling Manager?

            Before Waterford played Cork in this year’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship I had heard from a number of good sources including one very good source that that game would be Derek McGrath’s last game in charge of the Waterford Senior Hurling team.

            I looked up the website of Paddy Power to find out there and then to see if they were offering odds on the next Waterford senior hurling manager. Maybe they had heard the same stories as I did, but there was nothing to be seen.

            However the day after McGrath publically announced that he was stepping down as Manager after serving five years in charge of the side there was plenty of names to be seen and some clear favourites were named as well as some very far out odds.

            I logged onto my Paddy Power account and placed the massive sum of five euro on former Wexford and Kildare senior football manager Jason Ryan to be the next manager of the Waterford team. Before doing this he had not gone on the Déise Today programme on WLRfm to confirm that he would indeed be interested in taking the job if he was offered it.

            The former Waterford footballer was listed at 14/1. If I wanted I could have went for someone like former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins who at the time was the early favourite or indeed Sean Power, the man that lead Waterford to Minor and Under 21 hurling championships in recent years.

            Personally I can’t see the Tipperary man being interested in the Waterford gig. He is, he certainly was up to last year playing for his club Ballybacon/Grange winning a Junior County title with the South Tipperary Club which straddles the West Waterford Border under the Knockmealdown Mountains. If he is playing for the club again this year is he prepared to make the time available to take over a county team and the time constraints that go with it, and is he prepared to give up the media work that he does. There must be good money in it with the amount of former Inter County Players getting involved in the last number of years.

            Sean Power is the favourite in the eyes of many including many here in Waterford, but I would have my doubts about giving him the gig.

            Yes I know he managed Waterford to Minor and Under 21 titles in the last few years, but I would worry about his lack of experience for the bigger positions. I would worry that we have not seen him take charge of a club team in Waterford. It need not necessarily have to be a senior team, there is many excellent Intermediate and Junior teams in Waterford night now, something that we have seen with the number of clubs that have contested Munster and All-Ireland Finals in recent years.

            His own club Mount Sion have had a number of managers in recent years, and I can’t but wonder why he has not managed the Monastery Men. Did he allow his name to go forward to wear the Managers bib with his club or was he asked and turned it down for some reason that most of us might not know off? I honestly don’t know.

            It could well be argued that he won the two All-Ireland’s he did with bye and large the same group of players, a special group of talented players who might not have needed all that much coaching as many of them were and are natural hurlers. It’s not often that such a group comes along, but every so often it happens and I can’t but wonder did we see this happen in Waterford with those that won the 2013 Minor and Under 21 All Ireland Final in 2016.

I can remember seeing some of these players playing under 10 and 12 and even then you could see that they had something special about them.

For ten years or so I was involved in Bord na nÓg and for many of these years when it came to county finals in all age groups and in all grades and codes we picked out one player from each team that we thought was their best player and brought them together at the end of the year and they were presented with their awards by a senior inter county player.

Sometimes to pick out one player was a difficult task as there would be a number of players that impressed on a particular side while other times it was an easy task.

I remember seeing Saint Mary’s playing in an under 12 County Final at Fraher Field one Saturday morning, and on the day I was often tasked at picking the players to be presented with the award. That day I had no problems in picking out the winner. I had never heard of him before, but once I saw Michéal Harney playing I knew he was going to be someone that would win further honours in the game. He was a player with natural skill, and I felt that if he had enough players of similar or even better quality around him then honours would be achieved.

I could say the same about Patrick Curran playing with Dungarvan. I did not have a programme to know his name, I identified him by the number on his shirt and when I heard after the game who he was and who his father was I knew that he too was a player that was going to go places.

When you throw in the likes of Tom Devine, the Bennett brothers, Austin Gleeson etc into the equation, all very talented players who had all the skills and who needed little coaching I believe and maybe I am wrong, someone with the minimum amount of coaching ability could guide them to bigger and better days.

While Sean Power is a firm favourite with some to take over from Derek McGrath as the next Waterford manager, I would be surprised if he was the chosen person. As I said, I have nailed my colours to the mast and have said that I believe that it will be Jason Ryan.

But there is one name that would make a good manager that no one seems to be mentioning.

There is some that will argue to fill the top hurling job in any county you have to have proven credentials, and there is one man within the county who has done it all as a player and a coach.

Colm Bonner helped his native Tipperary to Munster and All-Ireland titles over three decades ago. He helped his native county win the 1989 and 1991 All –Ireland titles. He was also involved in 1988 and 1997.  

In total he played eight Munster Finals (excluding replays), winning five between 1987 and 1993. He helped the Premier County win the National League in 1988 and appeared in three other finals.

He won one Under 21 final with Tipperary (1985) winning the Provincial that same year and appearing in the two finals just before that and also contested unsuccessfully the All-Ireland Finals in 1983 and 1984, and he win a Munster and All-Ireland medal in 1982, as well as three Railway Cup Medals with Munster.

At club level he has also proven to be a successful player, winning the Tipperary and Munster Senior Club Championships with Cashel King Cormac’s in 1991, and finished as beaten finalists in the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship in 1990 and 1994.

After calling time on his playing career it was an obvious route for someone that was so successful as a player to get involved in coaching with the next generation of players, something he did after moving to live in Waterford.

Between 1999 and 2003 he worked alongside Gerald and Justin McCarthy when they were in charge of the Waterford Senior Team at the start of a great era for Waterford hurling, even if no All-Ireland’s were won.

He worked alongside Ken Hogan for a while with the Tipperary Senior Hurlers, and helped guide Waterford Institute of Technology to win four Fitzgibbon Cup titles.

In 2008 he took over the Wexford Senior hurling team, succeeding current Cork manager John Meyler, remaining in charge until the summer of 2011 when Wexford were knockout out of the senior hurling championship by Limerick.

In more recent times he was in charge of Ballyhale Shamrocks from Kilkenny, guiding them to the All-Ireland Club Championship in 2016, and later that year he took over the reins of the Carlow Senior Hurling Team.

In his time in charge of the most northerly of the South East Counties he helped them to Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh Cup successes in the last two years, the latter win coming recently when they beat a Westmeath side coached by Michael Ryan who has since resigned on a 2-26 to 1-24 score line at Croke Park, as a result of which they will play in the Leinster Championship in 2019 at the expense of Offaly, while the same two counties clashed in the Division two final of the National League earlier this year and again the outcome was the same, a win for Colm Bonner’s side, this time on a 2-19 to 2-12 score line.

There will be some that will feel that while much of Jason Ryan’s experience in the inter county scene has come in football, it must be noted that he was suggested in the recent past to be in line for a place in Michael Ryan’s Tipperary Senior Hurling Management team. He has also helped Wexford Youths in soccer and was believed to be considered to be in the reckoning to become the Wicklow Senior Football Manager since stepping down as Kildare Manger and he was also involved with Stradbally recently as a coach.

There will be some that will argue that much of what Colm Bonner has achieved on the inter county scene was with a Division Two side and that his stint with Wexford was not successful. But it is often harder to be successful with a weaker county than it is with a stronger county. Would for example Brian Cody if he stood down as Kilkenny manager this evening and took over someone like the Wicklow or Mayo hurlers would he achieve the same or half as much as he has with Kilkenny? I doubt it.

Both Jason Ryan and Colm Bonner in my eyes would make very good managers of the Waterford senior hurling team for 2019 and beyond. Will we see one of them in charge, or maybe one in charge with the other involved in some way in 2019; right now it’s too early to tell. Do we know if even there is a process in place to have the new man and his management team picked.

 One thing is for certain, the talent is there for the next manager to win an All-Ireland and more than that for Waterford, ending the long famine that stretches back to 1959. Surly it is only a case of getting the right person in as manager working alongside good hurling brains, who dare i say it are able to come up with more than the one plan when it comes to game.

Déise Ladies Head to Nenagh For Championship Opener

            A new look All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship begins for Waterford this coming weekend when Pat Sullivan’s charges travel to Nenagh to take on Westmeath in the first round of this year’s Round Robin qualifiers.

For the past few years where you started in the championship began for different teams depending on what stage you exited the provincial championship, but this year all 12 competing sides will begin at the same stage, with the 12 sides placed into four groups of three with two sides advancing to the All-Ireland quarter finals later in the summer.

The two of these sides had very contrasting league campaigns. The midlander’s played in division one while the Déise ladies played in Division two.

Westmeath won just the one game which was good enough to secure their place in the top flight next year. That win was against a Kerry side that were all over the place in the early part of the year, resulting in them getting relegated to the second tier for next year’s competition.

Kerry regrouped after that relegation with a new manager and beat Waterford in the Munster Semi Final a few weeks back, but subsequently lost to Cork in the Munster Final.

Waterford in the league played in division two, beginning with a loss on their travels to Tyrone, but won their next six games which booked them a semi final place as the best placed team in division two by virtue of beating Tipperary in the last round robin game. The Premier Ladies were unbeaten up to that point and so Waterford top the group by virtue of winning the head to head between the two sides.

But in the semi finals Waterford had to give second best to Cavan who they had beaten earlier in the competition.

Since then Waterford’s only other competitive outing was that Munster Final loss to Kerry at Killarney, but Waterford will have worked hard since that game and will be going into this game confident that they can collect all three points on offer in this game, which would set them up nicely for a potential group topper game with Galway who recently beat Mayo in the Connacht Final.

While Waterford have not had a competitive game in a number of weeks, for their opponents this Sunday they had their last competitive outing just over a week ago when they lost out to All-Ireland Champions Dublin at Dr Cullen Park on a 5-11 to 2-8 score line.

It can be assumed that the Waterford management team had their opponents in this game looked at closely in that game and will have had their homework done.

Westmeath have what appears to be a settled look to their team this year and there is not expected to be any major changes made to the starting team which lost out to Dublin.

That will mean Karen Walsh starting in goal with the six backs consisting of Lucy Power, Jennie Rogers, Rachel Dillon, Fiona Coyle, Karen McDermott and Nicole Feery filling the shirt numbers from two to seven.

In the middle of the field we can expect Vicky Carr and Fiona Claffey to partner each other while up front Annie Dolan, Leanne Slevin, Maud Annie Foley, Aoife Connolly, Laure Lee Walsh and Lucy McCartan would be expected to start.

Predicting the Waterford starting line up is a far more difficult task, because of the versatility and ability of the players at Pat Sullivan’s disposal.

One player that will not feature is Róisín Tobin. The Abbeyside Club player picked up a crucuite ligament injury in a league game earlier this year and is out of contention for some time, which will have come as a blow to the side as she was one of many members of the panel that was really impressing before she picked up the injury.

However there is some good news for Waterford in that Maria Delahunty and Emma Murray who missed out on starting against Kerry are back in contention while Caoimhe McGrath who missed the entire league is also back in contention and will strengthen this side massively. While all three are players of unquestionable ability, the latter in particular will be a massive plus to have in the side if selected as she is without doubt one of the most under rated defenders in the country who is no stranger at getting up field and hitting some important scores when needed.

A full strength Waterford side would see Gráinne Kenneally the counties new number one line out between the posts. In hurling many speak in glowing terms about the versatility of Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh to any side and how he can and would line out in any position asked of him by the manager of any team he is involved with and the same could be said of Gráinne Kenneally.

To many she is known as a forward, but in the past has lined out in the middle of the field and in defence and also been sprung from the bench from time to time and has helped grind out a result. She is a player whose bravery cannot be questioned either and will often put her body where nobody would think of, including in Camogie a game that she also excels in and holds All-Ireland medals for.

In defence Waterford can call from a number of players including the likes of Aisling Mullaney, Megan Dunford, Kate McGrath, Michelle McGrath, Emma Murray, Mairead Wall, Rebecca Casey and of course Caoimhe McGrath.

In the middle of the field Waterford would be expected to field Karen McGrath and Katie Murray but to see these pairing to start elsewhere on the field would not be a surprise to those that watch the games.

In attack Waterford have some real fire power and the management team will have to decide on what sextet that they are going to start with. Amongst the favourites to start will be Aoife Murray, Geraldine Power, Aileen Wall, Lauren McGregor, Eimear Fennell, Maria Delahunty, Michelle and Sinead Ryan, Kelly Ann Hogan and Liz Devine.

While most sides would love to start with their strongest fifteen players, in the last number of years we have seen Waterford start with some of their strongest players sitting in the stand, bringing them on as the game progresses and legs begin to tire, and when this happens Waterford can cause considerable damage to sides. Will we see the same happen again here?

If we study the results achieved by both sides this year, one thing immediately stands out.

The midlander’s on more than once occasion this year have conceded a high number of goals in the games which they have played. In their last game alone five went past Karen Walsh.

If Waterford can run at this Westmeath side and have a few attempts at having a green flag waved, they have to feel confident that it will happen for them, and in this Waterford set up there is the players to do that. Just look at the names of some of the forwards already listed the likes of Eimear Fennell who was on fire in the National League, Aileen Wall, Michelle and Sinead Ryan and Lauren McGregor to name but five.

It is important that both sides will start here with a win, as they will know that Galway are the most fancied side to advance from this group and therefore the winners here would join them.

But both of these sides will believe that they can upset the odds and top the group themselves.

While Westmeath have played a competitive game more recent to Waterford that should give them a little advantage when it comes to match fitness for this game, but in saying that Waterford will have worked hard since the loss to Kerry a number of weeks back and I for one will be expecting them to take all the points on offer in this game.

The Championship Starts Here For Waterford

It’s a case of two played and two to play for the Waterford Senior Camogie Team who this coming Saturday evening will host Limerick at Walsh Park for a 5pm throw in.

While Waterford put up solid performances in their last two games against Galway in their first game and against National League champions Kilkenny at Walsh Park list time out, the statistic that matters on the league table most for Waterford and indeed for the other four sides in the same section of the competition is that Donal O’Rourke’s side are the only side without any points after three rounds of games. Waterford had a bye in round one.

Realistically few would really have expected Waterford to get something from these two games and if something was got it would be seen as a bonus. All involved with the side would have known from the moment the fixtures for this year’s competition were released that it is from here that the championship really starts.

Limerick and Clare are the other two sides that make up the group that Waterford as involved in, and for Waterford there was some great news earlier in the competition when the two sides Waterford still have to play in the competition, the game ended in a draw, meaning that both sides dropped two of the three points on offer for the winners of the game.

While Waterford sit bottom of the group at the moment with zero points from a possible six, Donal O’Rourke’s side will know that if they can get a minimum of four points in their two remaining games including a must win game this weekend that they can win a place in the knockout stages of the competition, something many of the experts writing and reporting on the game would have predicted at the start of the competition.

Saturday’s game will be the second meeting of the two sides this year in competitive outings.

The sides met in the middle of spring (did we have one in 2018) in the National League at Ballyagran and that day shared the spoils drawing 1-9 each.

Waterford went into that game with an identical point’s value as Limerick on the league table and knew that if they were to win they would win a place in the semi finals. But because the spoils were shared, it was Limerick that joined Kilkenny from the group in the last four of the competition by virtue of having a better score difference to Waterford, a cruel way for any side to miss out on a place in the knockout stages of any competition, but all sides were aware of the rules before the competition started.

In the league only two sides from both groups advance to the knockout stages of the competition but in the championship three sides from the two sides advance, with the top side going straight to the semi finals with the second and third teams playing in the quarter finals.

Once the draws were made for this year’s championship it was fairly clear from the outset that both Kilkenny and Galway would be two of the sides in the group that they were drawn in, with little separating the other three sides, even if some of the experts in the National Media were saying that both Limerick and Clare were stronger than Waterford, even if Waterford had drawn with both in the League when they did not have a full side for the whole of the competition because of Lismore’s involvement in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship and after going out of the competition, some of the players took a short break from the game, to recharge the batteries so to speak ahead of the championship.

Both of these sides will be fairly familiar with one another having played against each other in different competitions in recent years.

Both sides have made a number of changes to their strongest fifteen in the last few years, losing and gaining some very good players along the line.

Nobody will need to tell the Waterford side that they will have to pay particular attention to Niamh Mulcahy in this game.

The brilliant Limerick lady is their top marksperson in the last number of years and will punish sides for any mistakes make or through ill-discipline shown within her shooting range from placed balls.

But to put all the emphasis on stopping Niamh Mulcahy could well cost Waterford as this Limerick team have players of the calibre of Caoimhe Costello, Rebecca Delee, Sarah Carey and Caoimhe Lyons all players of some renown within the Limerick set up.

Whatever, side Donal O’Rourke and his management team put out to face Limerick on Saturday evening will prove to be a very good one.

The Cappoquin Club man should be able to call upon Aoife Landers for this game after she sat out the defeat to Kilkenny because of suspension and if he can slot the An Rinn Club player and former Ladies Footballer into his starting fifteen he will strengthen the side.

He will however have to play without recently crowned Munster Long Puck Champion Brianna O’Regan for this game as she was dismissed in the loss to Kilkenny for giving away a penalty in the third quarter of that game.

However, while the De La Salle Club player who would be a loss to any side, he will have a readymade replacement in Ciara Jackman. The Gailltir Club net-minder is equally as an accomplished goalkeeper as Brianna and will come into the set up for this one.

Normally it would be hard for any side to have a change of goalkeeper for a big game, but this will not be the case for Waterford in this game as both Brianna and Ciara are sharing goalkeeping duties all year, playing every second game, showing that there is little between these two young players and the management team are unable to pick one over the other as their number one.

In defence Waterford will be just as strong and the visitors will have to be at their very best to get the better of whatever six are selected.

Waterford will be picking from the likes of Kate Lynch, Iona Heffernan, Sibeal Harney, Claire Whyte, Áine Lyng, Shauna Kiernan, Aoife Landers, Mairead Power, Marie Russell, Kate McMahon and Orla Hickey.

In the middle of the field it would be expected that Lorraine Bray and Niamh Rockett would continue to partner each other and again the visitors will have nothing soft from this pair who have been outstanding for club and county all year.

In attack Waterford have a lot of their scores coming from the stick of Beth Carton who once more is top scorer for the Déise this year, but there is more to this Waterford side when it comes to scores than the De La Salle Club players as they can pick from the likes of Annie Fitzgerald, Deirdre Fahey, Kaiesha Tobin, Fiona Morrissey, Aisling Power and of course Caithriona McGlone who always crops up with goals when the need arises more, and it will be none more so than in this game.

Should this game end in a draw just like the game between the two sides earlier this year, it would not mean that Waterford are out of the competition, but it would make it that little bit more difficult to reach the latter stages, as they would have to hope that Kilkenny beat Clare at a Kilkenny venue yet to be confirmed, and then hope that Waterford can beat Clare in the last round of games to qualify.

But Waterford will not want to rely on other scores as earlier this year they relied on Kilkenny to beat Limerick in the league, which if it happened would have meant a draw between Limerick and Waterford would mean that Waterford would advance to the knockout stages of the competition, but both Limerick and Kilkenny refused to read that script and Limerick emerged as victors on the day.

Waterford will know that they have the strongest two sides in the competition played, and while they gained no points, they did put up good showings in both games, even if they finished both with fourteen players, and that will give them confidence going into this game.

Can Waterford win here, the answer without doubt is a yes, and if they do and if Kilkenny were to beat Clare it would mean that Waterford will advance to the knockout stages of the competition with a game to spare in the round robin section of the competition.

It would be nice to see this happen and it would be equally as nice to think that with little else on this Saturday evening that the Waterford team would have a big backing in Walsh Park, surpassing the fine attendance that was present for the recent game with Limerick.

Déise Ladies Can Still Qualify Despite Second Defeat

Waterford are still awaiting a first win in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship after they went under to National League Champions and last year’s beaten All-Ireland Finalists Kilkenny at Walsh Park on Saturday afternoon last, where the Nore-siders had six points to spare at the end of an entertaining game played in front of a good attendance.

The visitors went into this game as the favourites to collect the points that were on offer and they duly obliged but not before given a stern test by an ever improving Waterford side that are showing great progress since Donal O’Rourke took over this team earlier this year.

While Waterford are currently pointless in the league table the panel will take heart from the fact that they have the hardest two sides in the group now played, and with Clare and Limerick to play, Waterford will feel that they can finish third in the table and in doing so win a place in the quarter finals of the championship, especially after the two sides that they have yet to play have already played and shared the spoils.

Waterford play Limerick in the next game in their next game on July 14 and will knock the Shannonsiders out of the competition if they were to win that game, while a share of the spoils in that game would mean that Waterford would have to win away to Clare in their last game of the competition and hope that Kilkenny would win maximum points when they play Clare on the same day that Waterford play Limerick.

Waterford began this game very bright with points from Annie Fitzgerald and Beth Carton inside a minute, but the excellent start was wiped out in the second minute when Michelle Quilty beat Brianna O’Regan to give her side the lead and they never trailed after this.

Beth Carton and Denise Gaule traded scores from frees after which Anna Farrell and Denise Gaule from a forty five pushed the visitors to Walsh Park three points clear with eleven minutes played.

Beth Carton from a free and former WIT Ashbourne Cup winning captain Katie Power swapped scores to keep Quilty’s early goal between the sides.

It was the visitors that finished the half the stronger of the two sides however. Miriam Walsh ad Beth Carton swapped scores before the visitors hit three points without response from Katie Power, a Denise Gaule free and Michelle Quilty to give the visitors a 1-8 to 0-5 lead at the break.

The second half proved to be as close as the first half was.

Anna Farrell opened the scoring for Kilkenny with a point six minutes after the restart and moments later the visitors looked as have stolen a march on the home side when Brianna O’Regan was sent off on a straight red card for a foul on Miriam Walsh.

The De La Salle shot stopper is one of the best keepers in the country and would be a loss to any side, but Waterford are extremely lucky to have not one but two outstanding goalkeepers at this level and were able to bring on Ciara Jackman as a replacement between the posts, and from the resulting penalty the Gailltir club player combined with her club colleague Áine Lyng to keep Denise Gaule’s effort from reaching the back of the net.

Anne Dalton pointed for the visitors on forty minutes putting Kilkenny 1-10 to 0-5 in front, but Waterford hit back with the next three scores, a brace from Beth Carton and one from Deirdre Fahy to leave a much more manageable five points between the sides.

Kilkenny hit back with points from Grace Walsh, Katie Power and Shelly Farrell between the forty eight and fifty second minutes, and while Waterford would add the next two scores courtesy of a Beth Carton brace, it was not to be enough for Waterford in this game as it was goals that were needed to get something from the game.

Kilkenny: Jacqui Frisby; Collette Dormer, Catherine Foley, Grace Walsh; Michelle Teehan, Anne Dalton, Davina Tobin; Denise Gaule, Edwina Keane; Shelly Farrell, Katie Power, Kelly Anne Doyle; Miriam Walsh, Anna Farrell, Michelle Quilty. Subs: Meg Farrell for Kelly Anne Doyle (32), Julie Ann Malone for Edwina Keane (35), Aoife Doyle for Denise Gaule (55)

Scorers: Michelle Quilty 1-1, Denise Gaule (2f, 1 ’45), Katie Power 0-3 each, Anna Farrell, Shelly Farrell 0-2 each, Miriam Walsh, Grace Walsh 0-1 each.

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Kate Lynch, Iona Heffernan, Sibeal Harney; Áine Lyng, Shauna Kiernan, Claire Whyte; Niamh Rockett, Lorraine Bray; Annie Fitzgerald, Beth Carton, Deirdre Fahey; Kaiesha Tobin, Fiona Morrissey, Aisling Power. Subs: Ciara Jackman for Fiona Morrissey (40), Caithriona McGlone for Aisling Power (40), Kate McMahon for Claire Whyte (53), Orla Hickey for Lorraine Bray (60).

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-8 (6f), Annie Fitzgerald, Deirdre Fahey 0-1 each.

Referee: Ray Kelly (Kildare)

Heartbreak for Déise Ladies Footballers

There was no joy for the Waterford Minor Ladies Football team on Saturday afternoon last in Nenagh in the All-Ireland B Semi final as Kildare win by a single point, thanks to a brilliant third quarter by the Lilly whites.

A disappointing small crowd made their way to the North Tipperary venue for this game, but while it is Kildare that advance to the All-Ireland Final the real winners are those that showed up on the day to see these two sides clash in what was a hugely exciting game where the outcome was in doubt right to the end.

Waterford opened brightly with points from Aoife Fitzgerald, Abbey Dunphy and Annie O’Neill after Sarah Doyle had given the Lilly whites an early lead.

Molly Aspel and the brilliant Neasa Dooley pulled points back to level matters before Kelly Ann Hogan put Waterford back in front.

But it was to be a short lived lead as Neasa Dooley with a brace of scores and once from Sarah Doyle gave Kildare a 0-6 to 0-4 lead.

Clodagh Carroll pointed for Waterford but it was followed with efforts from Leah Hayes and Neasa Dooley which put Kildare three in front.

But back came Waterford in fine style as Sarah Lacey rattled the Kildare net for the games first goal to level matters before the same player pointed to give Waterford the lead.

While Nanci Murphy soon levelled matters once more, Clodagh Carroll hit a second goal for the Déise Ladies to edge them back in front for a deserved three point lead.

Claire Nugent and Neasa Dooley made it a one point game but before the short whistle Sarah Lacey pointed for Waterford to give them a 2-7 to 0-11 lead at the break.

It was Kildare that had the better of much of the second half.

Aislinn Dooley and Kelly Ann Hogan swapped early scores before Nanci Murphy, Lara Curran, Molly Aspell, Neasa Dooley and Molly Dagg hit points in a row for the eventual winners.

But it was Waterford that finished the stronger of the sides.

Kildare finished the game with a numerical disadvantage as Lauren Murtagh was sin binned, and in the closing minutes Waterford kicked scores from Sarah Lacey, Aoife Brazil and Brigita Valuntaite, but the further score that Waterford needed to get something from this game did not arrive.

Kildare: Ciara Farrell; Ciara Regan, Lara Gilbert, Emily Birch; Hazel McLoughlin, Lauren Murtagh, Ali Cullen; Molly Aspell, Lara Curran; Claire Nugent, Neasa Dooley, Aislinn Dooley; Sarah Doyle, Nanci Murphy, Leah Hayes. Subs: Joanne Deasy for Claire Nugent, Ciara Downey for Hazel McLoughlin, Molly Dagg 0.02 for Leah Hayes, Eve Kehoe for Sarah Doyle.

Scorers: Neasa Dooley 0-6 (5f), Nanci Murphy, Sarah Doyle, Molly Dagg 0-2 each, Molly Aspell, Lara Curran, Claire Nugent, Aislinn Dooley, Leah Hayes 0-1 each,

Waterford: Rosie Landers; Cara Murray, Roisin Dunphy, Kirsty Green; Abby Dalton, Mary Kate Curran, Brigita Valuntaite; Kelly Anne Hogan, Keeley Corbett Barry; Annie O Neill, Sarah Lacey, Clodagh Carroll; Abby Dunphy, Aoife Fitzgerald, Kate Cliffe. Subs: Briona McGrath for Abby Dunphy, Aoife Brazil for Kate Cliffe, Sadbh Hallahan for Abby Dalton, Alanna White for Aoife Fitzgerald.

Scorers: Sarah Lacey 1- 4(1f), Clodagh Carroll 1-1, Brigita Valuntaite, Kelly Ann Hogan, Annie O Neill, Aoife Fitzgerald (f), Aoife Brazil (f) 0-1 each

Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).