The second weekend of July in recent years
has come to mean one thing. It’s Munster Final Weekend.
Many will associate the weekend with the
playing of the Munster Minor and Senior Hurling finals. This year’s big
provincial deciders are a repeat of the 2013 finals, with All-Ireland Champions
Waterford taking on the Munster Champions Limerick in the minor final, while
the senior final sees reigning champions Limerick take on last years beaten
All-Ireland Finalist Cork, the games going ahead at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, possibly
the largest games to be played at the ground first opened in the mid 1970’s
before it flattened and rebuilt.
However, a person could be forgiven for
thinking that these are the only Munster Finals to be played this weekend. The
Ladies football Senior and Minor finals are down for decision at Rathmore on
Saturday afternoon.
In the senior game old rivals Cork and Kerry
are again set to do battle while the curtain raiser will see Waterford take on
Limerick in the Intermediate final.
The Treaty County Ladies will go into this
game looking for a first Provincial win at this grade of football, while
Waterford will go into the game looking to record six finals in a row.
When the two sides clashed in the round robin
section of the competition recently at Adare, it was Waterford that came out on
top, but not before they were pushed all the way by a gallant Limerick side that
could well push Waterford hard again this time around.
The fact that Limerick are in the final may
shock some, but they are there on merit.
At the start of the year most would have
predicted that Waterford and Limerick would appear in the final for the third
year in a row.
However, as we are all aware, with some time
to ask for a repeat of the last two finals was going to be a big ask, as
Tipperary from near the end of the National League which was played during the
Spring played without a number of the players that got them to Croke Park last
year.
However, this is not and should not take from
the fact that Limerick are in the final.
Both Waterford and Limerick both recorded big
wins over Tipperary who while they started with some young players in their
starting line out, started the game with fifteen players, the same as their
opponents.
Over the past twelve months some great work
has been done in Limerick. They have brought in some new and experienced
players into their set up this year. Getting Marie Curtin into their set up and
as captain has proven to be a major plus for the treaty siders as she was free
from soccer duties which took her to Norway in the last few years.
They are by no means a one woman team either,
as in the likes of Janet Garvey, Kathryn Fahy, Niamh Richardson, Megan
Kelleher, Claire O’Riordan and Dympna O’Brien they have some quality players in
their line up.
When the two sides clashed in Adare a few
weeks back, seven points in Waterford’s favour separated the sides.
We have all heard the old adage that goals
win games and it was never truer than in this game. In fact the timing of the
goals in this game proved even more crucial.
Ballyduff Upper’s Hannah Landers struck for
an early goal in that game, which helped Waterford to a 1-7 to 0-7 lead at the
interval.
In that first half Limerick put a lot of
pressure on the Waterford defence. The experience amassed in recent years was
called upon in those opening thirty minutes to keep Limerick from raising a
green flag, and when they did manage to get past the Waterford backs, they
found there was no passing Aimee Jordan who was in outstanding form making at
least two top class saves.
In the second half, Limerick continued to
exert pressure on the Waterford defence and got the Waterford lead down to one
point, but in the end, a late goal by Linda Wall as well as some late points
from Liz Devine, Aileen Wall and Elaine Power proved crucial.
Over the past few years, Waterford has become
a very experienced team. The team has a very settled look to it and also has
plenty of experience in reserve.
The team is likely to line out in a similar
manner to which it has in recent games.
That will mean Aimee Jordan will start
between the posts. Nora Dunphy, Grainne Kenneally, Mary Foley, Grainne Enright,
Karen McGrath, Roisin Robin, Louise Ryan, Ciara Dunphy and Megan O’Connor
fighting it out for shirt number two to seven.
In the middle of the field, Michelle McGrath
and Elaine Power would be expected to be the selected partnership.
In attack Waterford manager Pat O’Brien will
have plenty of options including Linda Wall, Michelle Ryan, Mairead Wall,
Aileen Wall, Hannah Landers, Liz Devine, Shona Curran, Margaret Revins, Shauna
Dunphy and Lauren McGregor.
Limerick will be under no illusions going
into this weekend’s game as they attempt to win a first provincial final at
this level. They will know that Waterford will go into the game as the
favourites. However after pushing Waterford hard in the round robin game, they
will be looking to do the same again, especially after backing that performance
up with another good showing in easily accounting for Tipperary.
Last year they were competitive in the games
with Tipperary and Waterford but faded in the last quarter. This year they have
put in a lot of work to try and ensure that the same would not happen.
Waterford manager Pat O’Brien this year has
freshened things up in his panel. He is working with a relatively small panel,
but he has brought in some new young players into the set up and all got to
play during the league, making an impact.
Will Waterford make it six in a row of
finals? Well they go into the game as the favourites, something that does not
always sit well on the shoulders of Waterford teams.
The game is expected to be a close and in a
close game, experience is vital. What ever fifteen Pat O’Brien puts out will be
experienced, and as the game goes on and the need to introduce some fresh faces
into the game, then Waterford will have some experienced players to call upon.
Waterford should win a sixth title in a row,
something that would not be a record for Waterford as the great senior team in
the 90’s put seven in a row from 1994 to 2000 inclusive, but as pointed out
already it could be close.
Waterford
Panel:
Aimee Jordan (Abbeyside); Nora Dunphy (Comeragh Rangers), Grainne Kenneally
(Ballyduff Upper), Mary Foley (Abbeyside); Grainne Enright (Abbeyside), Karen
McGrath (Ballymacarbry), Roisin Tobin (Abbeyside); Michelle McGrath
(Ballymacarbry) Captain, Elaine Power
(Tramore); Linda Wall (Ballymacarbry), Michelle Ryan (Ballymacarbry), Mairead
Wall (Ballymacarbry); Aileen Wall (Ballymacarbry), Hannah Landers (Ballyduff
Upper), Liz Devine (Brickey Rangers). Grainne Costelloe (Stradbally), Shona
Curran (St. Pat’s), Margaret Revins (Old Parish), Louise Ryan (Ballymacarbry),
Ciara Dunphy (Comeragh Rangers), Aisling Hahesy (Comeragh Rangers), Amy Whelan
(Stradbally), Megan O’Connor (Brickey Rangers), Shauna Dunphy (Comeragh
Rangers), Lauren McGregor (Dungarvan), Lauren Guiry (Ballymacarbry), Caoimhe
McGrath (Abbeyside), Katie Hayes (Dungarvan), Aoife Landers (St Pat’s)
Limerick
Panel: Kristina Hennessy (Monagea), Alva Neary
(Old Mill), Siobhan Moloney (Oola), Janet Garvey (Fr Casey's), Vicky McMahon
(St Ailbe's), Emma McGuire (St Ailbe's), Aoife Meaney (Sliabh na mBan),
Kathryn Fahy (Monaleen), Niamh Richardson (Murroe Boher), Michelle Norris
(Monaleen), Megan Kelleher (Knockainey), Caroline Hickey (St Ailbe's),
Lisa Harnett (Fr Casey's), Marie Curtin (Mungret/St Paul's) Captain, Claire
O'Riordan (Monagea), Clodagh Kirby (Knockainey), Maeve Higgins (St Patrick’s),
Katie Fitzgerald (Gerald Griffins), Janet O’Carroll (Mungret/St Paul’s), Niamh
McCarthy (Drom/Broadford), Louise Ryan (St Brigid’s), Dympna O’Brien (Gerald
Griffins), Megan O’Shea (St Brigid’s), Megan O’Mara (Monaleen), Stephanie
Carroll (St Ailbes), Mai Kennelly (Old Mill), Laura Lyons (St Ailbes), Claire
Coughlan (Mungret/St Paul’s), Kate McSweeney (Adare), Leanne Garvey (Fr
Casey’s).
Paths
to the Final –
Round 1: Waterford 2-12 Limerick 0-11 (Adare)
Round 2: Limerick 6-13 Tipperary 1-13 (Claughaun)
Round
3: Waterford 4-23 Tipperary 1-8 (Carrick-on-Suir)
Leading
Scorers:
Marie Curtain (Limerick) 1-9
Hannah
Landers (Waterford) 2-5
Gillian
O’Brien (Tipperary) 0-11
Claire
O’Riordan (Limerick) 2-3
Dympna
O’Brien (Limerick) 2-2
Aileen
Wall (Waterford) 1-5
Linda
Wall (Waterford) 1-5
Michelle
Ryan (Waterford) 0-7
Aimee
Jordan (Waterford) 2-0
Marie
Kelleher (Limerick) 1-2
Liz
Devine (Waterford) 0-4
Elaine
Power (Waterford) 0-4
Laura
Dillon (Tipperary) 1-1
Niamh
Lonergan (Tipperary) 1-1
Mairead
Wall (Waterford) 0-3
Laura
O’Shea (Tipperary) 0-3
Aisling
McCarthy (Tipperary) 0-3
Michelle
Norris (Limerick) 0-2
Niamh
Richardson (Limerick) 0-2
Stephanie
Carroll (Limerick) 0-2
Louise
Ryan (Waterford) 0-1
Shauna
Dunphy (Waterford) 0-1
Caoimhe
Boles (Tipperary) 0-1
Megan
O’Shea (Limerick) 0-1
Kathryn
Fahy (Limerick) 0-1
Sarah
Everard (Tipperary) 0-1
