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)

All-Ireland Champions open league campaign against Tipperary in Co. Kilkenny

It’s unusual to see National League games played at neutral venues, but this is going to be the case on Sunday afternoon as Waterford and Tipperary clash in the opening series of games in this year’s Lidl National Ladies Football Division Three League as the south east rivals clash at Piltown in Co. Kilkenny.

Waterford will go into this game with the favourites tag around their necks but Pat Sullivan’s All-Ireland Intermediate winning charges from 2015 will know that Tipperary are likely to be one of their main challengers to get out of this league.

Tipperary this year are under the guidance of former Dublin All-Ireland winning manager Gerry McGill who has welcomed back into the panel for the year ahead a host of players that may not have been in contention for a place in the team in recent years.

The Premier County have also experienced some good years on the colleges front and in addition to the experienced players in the panel they will be looking to bring forward some emerging talent that have lines out for the likes of Scoil Mhuire from Carrick-on-Suir, the Loreto School in Clonmel and Colaiste Dun Iascaigh from Cahir in their set up this year.

Waterford have reached the final of this competition in the last two years but lost out to Armagh in the 2014 decider and to Sligo last year both at Parnell Park in Dublin.

With Waterford having achieved their aim for 2015 and winning the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship beating Kildare at Croke Park, the main aim for Waterford this coming year will have to be to establish themselves in the senior grade once more and more importantly to get out of the third division of the league.

12 months ago Waterford used the league to try and establish some new exciting young prospects in the set up something that worked as some more established players were held in reserved and introduced with terrific effect often in the last quarter of the game when experience was most needed to see the side past the finish line.

This year Waterford are without some of the side that helped them to win the All-Ireland final but this will lead to chances for others in the league to establish themselves in the team for the championship and will take heart from what they saw happen 12 months ago.

The sides clashed twice last year.

In the league game between the two sides at Ardfinnan, Tipperary really put it up to Waterford in the first half and turned around at the break leading 2-4 to 0-6, the goals coming from Laura Dillon and Aoife Ryan and they continued to be the better side in the early exchanges of the second half as Aoife Ryan hit a third goal for the home side, but as the game wore on and Waterford introduced some of their more experienced side, experience won out as Lauren McGregor and Michelle Ryan crashed goals for Waterford to win 2-12 to 3-5.

When the sides clashed later in the year at Fraher Field in the Championship, things were far more clear cut as Waterford ran out 6-18 to 1-4 winners.

While both sides are likely to contain youth and experience in their set up at Piltown, Tipperary will be looking to the likes of Lauren Fitzpatrick, Teresa McGrath, Louise Cadell, Bernie Ryan, Laura Dillon, Gillian O’Brien, Aisling McCarthy, Shauna Ryan, Sheelagh Carew and Niamh Lonergan to provide big performances.

While Waterford will be short the services of some of last years All-Ireland winning side for this years league opener, Pat Sullivan will still be able to call on some fine young players as well as very experienced players for this and other games in this years competition.

The Murray, Wall, McGrath and Ryan sisters, Katie Hannon, Megan Dunford, Caoimhe McGrath, Mary Kate Morrissey, Nicola Fennell, Kate McGrath, Maria Delahunty, Hannah Landers and Grainne Kenneally are all likely to play big parts this year and also help settle in any new players into the set up for the year ahead.

Tipperary will feel that they have a very good chance of winning this years Munster Intermediate Championship after Waterford who won the last seven finals will not be standing in their way this year, while Waterford will as already stated be looking to establish themselves in the senior grade which they play in for the first time since 2008.

For both the league is going to be vital. The best way to go into the championship is off a good run in the league. Both sides will feel that they can win it this year. Waterford will however be the early favourites to win this division at the third attempt. It’s important that both sides get off to a great start therefore and built up momentum.

There can only be one winner, but you have to feel that with the experience Waterford picked up last year in winning the Intermediate Championship they should have enough in them to begin this year’s league with a win here.

Waterford footballers travel to Aughrim for National League opener

Tom McGlinchey’s Waterford senior Football team will for the second year in a row begin their national league campaign with a game against Wicklow.

Twelve months ago the sides clashed at Fraher Field and the home side emerged 0-14 to 0-10 winners but playing away this year in Aughrim Waterford will know that they face a much harder task to collect the points on offer to both sides.

However that win as Waterford’s only win in the league, their next best result being a draw away to London, while Wicklow did not fair much better as their best result in last years league was a one point win over Leitrim in round two of the competition. Wicklow would draw with Carlow to finish on three points with Waterford and London who beat Wicklow on their own sod in the final round of games.

Johnny McGee’s charges have not had the best start to 2016 loosing all three games played in the O’Byrne Cup against Westmeath, NUI Maynooth and Longford.

The Garden County side have lost upwards of two dozen players that have played for the in the last two years.

Leighton Glynn who is one of Wicklow’s best ever footballers have decided to throw his lot in with the Counties hurlers of late, while in the last few weeks players like Patrick McWalter, Paddy Dalton, James Stafford and Alan Byrne who have all served the county well in recent years have retired from the inter county scene while Paul Cronin and Tommy Kelly have not made themselves available for selection.

Johnny McGee however without the players who have decided not to be  make themselves available will be able to call on some very good players, including Robert Lambert in goal, Dean Healy and Paul McLoughlin in defence, Rory Finn and Anthony McLoughlin in the middle of the field and Darren Hayden and Patrick Byrne in attack.

Waterford football made headlines in recent weeks when it was confirmed that no member of county senior football champions Stradbally are included in the panel that is currently together.

Tom McGlinchey pointed out recently that he contacted over 50 players in the last few months about their availability and that just over 30 of them had taken up the offer to go into training for this years league.

The loss of the Stradbally players to Waterford will be a big one, but the management team have named a very strong team to play against Wicklow on Sunday including some players making their debuts.

In the modern era positions mean very little when it comes to naming a team as sides are often very different to what appears on the programme by the time the game starts even if it is the same fifteen players named that start.

The Waterford management team have named the experienced Stephen Enright between the posts with Thomas O’Gorman at full back flanked by Tadhg Ó hUallachain and James McGrath.

Stephen Prendergast is named at centre back with Declan Allen and Ray Ó Ceallaigh either side of him while team captain Tommy Prendergast will be joined in the middle of the field by Conor Prunty.

Waterford have an exciting look to its forward line. Donie Breathnach who played with the senior hurlers in 2015 is named at centre forward with Maurice O’Gorman and Michael O’Halloran either side of him, while the full forward line sees JJ Hutchinson named at full forward with Gavin Crotty and Paul Whyte in the corners.

Getting out of the fourth division of the National League is Waterford’s main aim this year when it comes to football. For both sides its important that they get off to a winning start as a loss means that you are playing catch up on your main contenders from an early stage.

Last year Waterford won in Fraher Field. Can they win this year in Aughrim? If President Obama was asked, I’m sure he would reply yes they can.

De La Salle College to make return to Dr. Harty Cup Final

De La Salle College are just sixty minutes away from returning to a first Dr Harty Cup Final since 2012.

They play Our Lady’s from Templemore in the their first semi final since 2012 on Saturday afternoon with Bansha now set to host the game after it was moved earlier in the week from Cashel.

Not for the first time the Waterford City side will go into the game as the underdogs, but this is something that will not phase De La Salle manager Dermot Dooley who was involved with the college side when they won the competition two years running when current Waterford senior hurling manager Derek McGrath was over the team.

The Templemore College side will travel to Bansha on Saturday with a good string of results at their backs which may well make them favourites to advance to the final of this year’s competition, something that will give them plenty of confidence for the task ahead.

Pitted in Group B for the group stages of the competition, they played five games winning all five games.

They began the competition with a narrow 0-20 to 1-15 win over Charleville CBS and followed it up with a 2-14 to 2-8 win over St Francis College from Rochestown and a massive 4-31 to 1-9 win over Pobail Scoil na Trionóide from Youghal before rounding off their league campaign with another win over Cork opposition beating Gael Colaiste Mhuire AG on a 3-24 to 1-9 score line.

Last time out in the quarter finals against Castletroy Community College Lyndon Fairbrother was their leading player as the JK Bracken player hit 1-6.

But his side by no means are reliant on him for scores as in that same game the full forward line accounted for 1-9 of their sides tally of 1-17 and outside them Jamie Bergin who is outstanding all year when presented with chances from placed balls put over a further 0-4.

Others that could well cause difficulties for De La Salle on the day include full back Diarmuid Ryan, Brian McGrath at centre back, Paddy Cadell in the middle of the field as well as Gerry Kelly and Stephen Nolan in attack, some of whom have played minor for Tipperary in the last few years.

De La Salle also have qualified with an impressive run of results.

They opened with a 1-20 to 1-13 win over Blackwater Community School in Fraher Field and followed it up with another impressive 1-17 to 0-8 win over Hamilton High School from Bandon in Clashmore.

Their only loss in the competition was a big 4-11 to 1-6 defeat against Ardscoil Ris but ensured their qualification for the knockout stages of the competition with a draw against Midleton CBS in their last game at Carriganore and last time out had a 0-13 to 0-10 win over Nenagh CBS at Kilmallock.

When De La Salle last won this competition, some of the players involved have gone on to become household names and it would be no major surprise to see the same happen with this current group of players regardless of the outcome of the game.

Thomas Douglas, Harry Ruddle, Eoin Daly, Paul Hennebry, Michael Costigan, Michael Mahony, Cormac McCann, Billy O’Sullivan, Conor Gilles Doran, Lee Wall and Donie Power have all impressed for De La Salle all year and if they are to advance here they will need big performances again from these players and the others that will get a run out on Saturday afternoon in Bansha.

The De La Salle team will not be too worried that they will go into the game as underdogs. It might even be a plus for the side.

Expect this game to go right to the wire, but expect the Waterford city side to be the happier of the two sides by half three.

Why not give the Tommy Murphy Cup another go?

In the last few weeks a lot has been said and reported on when it comes to the All-Ireland Football Championship each year.

There is some that are looking for change. There is some that want to leave things as they are. There is some that want the inter county scene shortened somewhat to allow greater time to the club championships in each county.

There appears to be two different proposals that seen to generate most interest.

One is where the All-Ireland Championship is played off as a Champions League Style competition. And in allowing this to happen, Provincial Councils could continue to organise their Senior Football Championship, maybe at the demise of the secondary competitions such as the McGrath Cup, or claims have been made by some that the Provincial competitions could be played off quickly between the National League’s and the All-Ireland Championship.

Another idea that has some support is to restore the Tommy Murphy Cup, a competition first played for when Sean Kelly was President of the GAA, and a competition that no doubt has played a part in helping Tipperary move in the direction they are at present when it comes to football as it got young people interested in the game when the County won it in 2005.

To get people playing and interested in football, especially in the so called weaker counties, which of the two main proposals is the best?

There is some that will argue that to improve you have to play the best on a regular basis. If these people are correct, then the Champions League Style Competition is the way to go.

For this to happen, you will have to grade or seed teams. The likelihood is that GAA Chiefs would go with eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the first knockout round of the competition.

Teams would possibly be graded or seeded in accordance to what division they would play in the league.

So in 2016 if we had a Champions League style All-Ireland Football Championship, the eight top seeded teams would be Down, Donegal, Dublin, Kerry, Cork, Mayo, Roscommon and Monaghan.

The Second seeded teams would be Derry, Fermanagh, Meath, Armagh, Tyrone, Cavan, Laois and Galway.

Third seeded teams would be Clare, Sligo, Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and Kildare, while the fourth seeded teams would be Louth, London, Carlow, Antrim, Wexford, Leitrim, Wicklow and Waterford. And then don’t forget that both Kilkenny and New York will also have to be given the opportunity to compete, which means you could have six groups of four and two of five if all thirty four county boards decided to take part.

Looking at the different seeded teams if they were done as above you could well have a group where you Dublin, Tyrone, Kildare and Waterford in one group. OR you could have Kerry, Armagh, Tipperary, Kilkenny and New York in another group.

Would playing in such a group help football in Waterford? How many from Waterford would travel to Parnell Park or Croke Park to see Waterford play Dublin from outside of the capital.

While a visit from Dublin to Fraher Field or Walsh Park may ensure that the ‘Full House’ signs might be hanging outside the gates for a few days before the game when it comes to the sale of tickets, what would a possible twenty or thirty point defeat do for football in Waterford in the long term and how many at the full house from a game with Dublin would turn up to see a follow up home game with Tyrone if Waterford were to suffer a heavy loss to the current All-Ireland Champions.

If young boys of between say ten and fourteen were to see Waterford suffer heavy defeats to the stronger counties then surly it would put questions in their minds as to why they might want to play football for Waterford in the years ahead and give all their energy to developing their hurling skills, where Waterford are able to hold their own with the likes of Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cork.

In hurling we have different championships. Louth, Lancashire, Sligo, Warwickshire and Leitrim compete in the Lory Meagher Cup.

How many people would call for Louth, Sligo or Leitrim for example to play in a Champions League style hurling championship?

Imagine what kind of cricket score Waterford or Kilkenny would put up if they were to visit Dundalk or Carrick-on-Shannon for a game of hurling, even if the two south east county sides were to put out second string teams for the game, which in effect would make a mockery of the competition as sides should always play the strongest sides available to them in games.

If there is nobody calling for Waterford or Kilkenny to play Louth or Leitrim in hurling games, then why are there calls for Waterford to play the likes of Dublin, Kerry, Donegal or Mayo in football? Surly, the risk is there that the same damage would be done to the game in the long term as it would if Waterford or Kilkenny were to visit venues in Louth or Leitrim for a hurling game.

So maybe, if we are serious about developing football in the so called weaker counties, the restoration of a competition like the Tommy Murphy Cup is the way to go.

There is some that say that the competition should be restricted to the eight teams that take part in the fourth division of the National League.

But if you were to do that, you would have to give New York and Kilkenny both of whom do not play in the National Leagues the chance to play which would bring the numbers competing to ten.

And in recent years little separates the teams in division’s three and four. Sides that moved up from Division four in the league have shown that they are more than capable of holding their own against ‘stronger opposition’ the following spring.

If this is the case, why not then include all teams in division three of the National League with the exception of the two sides that win promotion to Division two for the following year in a new look Tommy Murphy Cup, making it a possible sixteen teams that could take part.

When the Tommy Murphy Cup was last played, whether people want to admit it loudly or not, the competition was helping to develop football in the weaker counties.

Like in all walks of life, there was some out there who worked hard to knock the competition and ensure that it did not receive the recognition it deserved.

Competitions like this need time for it to be built upon. It’s no good for anyone in Croke Park or on a County Board to say we will play it on a two or three year trial basis. It needs a lot more time. The competition needs to be played for a minimum of five years and the GAA need to pump big money into promoting the competition with the final played before the All-Ireland Final or one of the semi finals in August.

Come Congress time at the end of February, County Boards up and down the length of the country and overseas as well as those that have votes from different positions that they hold within the GAA could surly do a lot worse than to give competitions like the Tommy Murphy Cup another chance if they are fully interested in developing football in the so called weaker counties.

After all, don’t people say ‘What’s good for the Goose it good for the Gander’, and if its good for Hurling to be played at four different levels, surly it can only be good for football to go down the same route and be played at two levels.

Waterford to play Limerick in Munster Senior Hurling League at Carriganore

The Waterford Senior hurlers have their first competitive outing of 2016 on Sunday afternoon when they take on Limerick in the second round of games in this years inaugural Munster Senior Hurling League at Carriganore.

Traditionally these pre-season competitions have been used by managers to give new players in their extended panels or fringe players from the previous year the chance to try and stake a claim for a place in the team for the year ahead and from time to time many take this chance with some impressive performances.

The Waterford panel have been back in training now with a couple of weeks and while there was no ‘December Series’ in 2015 which served the panel so well twelve months earlier even if results were not always what Waterford supporters would have liked to see, the side have played a number of challenge games against college sides as well as the likes of Offaly and Wexford and these will have helped the side prepare for this competition which in the bigger picture is not the most important on the G.A.A. calendar but also for the National League which starts in a few weeks time and which Waterford will be hoping to defend the title they won for only the third time last May in Thurles.

Both sides were in action last weekend.

Limerick in the first round of games had a 2-24 to 0-18 win over Kerry in the first round of this year’s Munster Senior League.

The hurlers from the Kingdom are back playing hurling at the highest level again this year after their Christy Ring Cup win last year, but will not play in the Munster Championship, instead playing in the Leinster Championship which is kind of mind boggling. The cynics amongst us could be forgiven for maybe the move to get them playing in the Leinster Championship is a move to dispense with the Provincial Championships in the near future. If there as it should be that G.A.A. Chiefs want to develop hurling in the Kingdom further would it not be better to have them playing in Munster and have Waterford, Cork, Tipperary, Limerick and Clare visiting Killarney or Tralee on a regular basis than to send the Kingdom’s hurlers to Kilkenny, Carlow or Portlaoise for Championship games.

In their game last weekend Limerick were without their Na Piarsaigh contingent of players who are preparing for an All-Ireland Club semi final against Wexford side Oulart-the-Ballagh next month and will be without them again this weekend.

Limerick fielded lest than half of what you would call regulars in the win over Kerry last week, but it should be noted that in the last few years, Limerick have produced some excellent minor teams and last year won the Under 21 Championship and in recent years they have also had some very good colleges sides most notably Ardscoil Ris in the city and Doon CBS and Castletroy College from the county and many of the players involved in these sides will in this competition be given the chance to shine and stake a place in the team for the rest of the year.

Waterford last weekend drew 0-15 to 1-12 with UCC at the Gold Coast Complex outside Dungarvan fielding what was in effect an experimental side, even if many of those have played for the county in the past.

Players like Ian O’Regan, Shane McNulty, Kieran Bennett, Harley Barnes, Paudie Prendergast, Jordan Henley, Shane Bennett, Tommy Warning, Andy Molumby, Seamus Keating, Thomas Ryan and Colm Roche all started in this game and most if not all could well be given another run out this weekend, while more experienced players like Colin Dunford, Maurice Shanahan, Jake Dillon, Shane Fives and Stephen O’Keeffe were given game time and again could be given a run from the start this weekend, while others that may get a run out at some stage include Barry Coughlan, Darragh Fives, Philip Mahony, Kevin Moran, Shane O’Sullivan, Michael Walsh, Noel Connors and Brian O’Halloran.

Little will be or should be read into how this game will end. Who wins the competition after all will not be remembered by most by the time we enter the knockout stages of the league in a few months time let alone by the end of the year.

This and the subsequent games against Kerry, Cork and Clare should be seen as a chance to get some game time in ahead of the league and championship in the weeks and months ahead and also to work on their touch for the bigger games to come.

While the full time result of this game may not be entirely important, a win all the same would be nice, as winning breaths confidence and the more confidence the side has going into the bigger games the better it will be for Waterford, who may have a good chance this year to collect some silverware as many of their main rivals this year are under new management set ups for 2016 and will need time to work on new ideas that these set ups will bring.

Playing at home and possibly in front of a good support, let’s go for a home win in this game, but if its not to be we wont be too disappointed.

WATERFORD FOOTBALLERS LOOK FOR SECOND WIN IN 12 MONTHS OVER CORK

Waterford’s quest to win back to back McGrath Cup competitions begins on Sunday afternoon next when they take on Cork at the An Rinn Club grounds in Ring.

Twelve months ago in winning the competition, Waterford pulled off a major shock when they beat Cork in the semi finals at Clashmore and that win against the odds will give the side plenty of confidence heading into this weekends game and the side sent out by Waterford Manager Tom McGlinchey will be hoping that history can repeat itself.

The Waterford management team have said that getting out of the bottom tier of the National Football League is their primary target for the year. For that to happen they will have to put together a good string of results together and it would be made easier if that string of results could start this weekend as winning breaths confidence in any side.

Tom McGlinchey has made changes to his set up this year with former Clare Senior Football coach Ephie Fitzgerald coming in to do a similar job with his fellow county man in Waterford after he was overlooked for the Cork Senior Football job last year as officials in the Rebel County opted for Peader Healy to lead them for the year ahead.

He has also brought in Laurence Hurney as a selector and the Ballinacourty man will also add to the management team with his many years experience playing at the highest level within the county and helping his side to win silverware in the last number of years.

Cork will come into this game with the advantage of a competitive game at their backs. Last weekend in a new look McGrath Cup which sees the six counties play a league style competition in two groups of three with the top side in each group advancing to the final towards the end of the month.

Last weekend Peader Healy put out a very experimental looking side in which just two players involved in the All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Kildare last year featured in the 1-10 to 0-12 win over Limerick at Mallow.

The Rebels needed two late points from the experienced Daniel Goulding in that game to ensure they collected the brace of points on offer and will as a result know coming to Ring on Sunday afternoon that a win again this weekend will secure the place in the final from Group B.

What side Waterford sends out this weekend remains to be seen but it is envisaged that it will be along the lines of recent years, with the goalkeeping spot fought out between Ballinacourty’s Stephen Enright and Ardmore’s Sean Barron.

Further out the field Waterford are expected to have an experienced look to it with the likes of the O’Gorman brothers from The Nire, Donie Breathnach and Tadhg Ó hUallachain from the host Club, Tommy Prendergast, Joey Veale and Paul Whyte from Kilrossanty, as well as Ballinacourty’s Brian Looby, Mark Ferncombe and Conor Prunty all set to feature at some stage.

Two experienced players that look set to miss out this weekend are Kilrossanty’s Stephen Prendergast and Ballinacourty’s Patrick Hurney both of whom got married over the Christmas to New Year Period.

A win for Waterford at the Ring venue would set the side up nicely for a big game against Limerick a week later where a second win would give the side confidence heading into the league which the management side has set their eyes on getting out of the bottom division this year as the sides biggest challenge.

Cork however, will travel to Ring as favourites. The new players brought in for last weeks game with Limerick will be hoping to get another run out and to impress this weekend and will then hope that they have done enough to stake a place in the team for the remainder of the year.

Waterford will have to be confident going into this game. If Waterford are to get out of Division four in the league it’s important that from the start of the year that a good string of results is put together to build up confidence and playing competitive games right up to the league is far better than all the challenge games that could be fitted in.