Déise Ladies To Take On Dub’s At Walsh Park.

The curtain comes down on this year’s All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship for Waterford on Saturday afternoon when they take on Dublin at Walsh Park.

With Dublin having beaten Clare in the first round of games and Waterford not having won any of their three games to date, Ray O’Brien’s charges will be hoping that they avoid the wooden spoon by collecting all three points on offer in this game and then hope that near neighbours Kilkenny can do the Déise County a favour the following week and beat Dublin.

Waterford however will be confident that they can get a win in this game and end the year on somewhat a bit of a high as they have already beaten this weekend’s opponents this year when the two side met in the league back in February.

Waterford under Ray O’Brien have very much a settled look to their team this year, even if they are short a number of players which were part and parcel of the set up in the last number of years.

When the sides met in the league, Waterford ran out 0-11 to 0-7 winners with Beth Carton the star player for the Déise County on the day striking all but two of her sides scores on the day.

On that day Ali Maguire opened the scoring for Dublin but Beth Carton put over four points in a row, three from frees in a ten minute spell.

Ali Maguire with two frees followed with efforts from Miriam Twomey and Siobhan Keogh followed up to put the Dub’s back in front, but another Beth Carton free soon followed to level matters at five points each at the break.

Ali Maguire like she had done at the start of the first half got the first score of the second half putting over another free giving Dublin the lead.

Fiona Morrissey put over a long range free with the aid of the strong wind at her back before Kate McMahon put the Déise noses back in front, but Maguire would soon level matters once more.

This however would prove to be the home sides last score of the game as Waterford send over the last four scores of the game, all off the stick of Beth Carton all from placed balls.

For this weekend’s game however both sides are likely to show a number of changes in personnel from that game for this weekend’s clash.

Dublin for their part will once again expect Ali Maguire to be their main player in attack and she is likely to be well watched by the Waterford full back line, who will know that if they can curb her influence then Waterford will stand an excellent chance of winning here.

Others that they will be looking to in this game could well be Miriam Twomey, Emma Flanagan, Aisling Maher, Siobhan Kehoe, Eve O’Brien, Hannah Hegarty, Eva Marie Elliott, Áine Woods and Grainne Quinn.

Waterford in their last three games have just used twenty players which includes subs that were used on the day.

The Waterford management team are likely to stick with the tried and tested players for this weekend in what is a must win game, even if Waterford’s chances of reaching the knockout stages of the competition have long gone.

That will mean that Brianna O’Regan will continue in goal with Marie Russell, Fiona Morrissey, Claire Whyte, Mairead Power, Shauna Kiernan, Iona Heffernan, Aoife Landers, and Jenny McCarthy all vying for the six defensive positions with one of them plus maybe Áine Lyng in the middle of the field.

In attack it’s expected that Kate McMahon, Caithriona McGlone, Beth Carton, Niamh Rockett, Lorraine Bray and Becky Kavanagh could well be the sextet of players chosen, while the likes of Niamh Ahearne, Valerie O’Brien and Annie Glavey could also be in with a shout for a start.

Meanwhile elsewhere this coming weekend in Camogie the Waterford Junior team are away to Westmeath on Saturday afternoon. They play in a curtain raiser to the All-Ireland Football qualifier between Westmeath and Armagh at Cusack Park in Mullingar. This begs the question which often is asked in Waterford and for which an unsatisfactory answer is available, why can’t G.A.A. Supports in Waterford get to see double headers involving our Camogie teams and Ladies Football teams with our Senior Hurling and Football teams or even why we can’t see our Senior Footballers playing at the same venue on the same day as our senior hurlers.

Meanwhile on Sunday Waterford and Clare do battle in the All-Ireland Under 16 championship in Walsh Park at 1pm.

Waterford And Kerry Do Battle For Munster Title

It’s said a few times in the last few weeks, by myself included that this year’s Munster Senior Ladies Football Final as somewhat a novel look to it as it does not involve Cork, the reigning All-Ireland Champions and the side that has dominated the game in the last decade and a bit, winning so many Munster and All-Ireland Finals as well as National League Finals.

But on closer examination, this year’s final between Kerry and Waterford is not all that much of a novelty final.

The two sides have met in twelve previous Munster Finals; the most recent at this stage of the championship came back in 2003 when Kerry ran out 2-12 to 2-10 winners.

For a Waterford win between the two at this stage of the championship you have to go back nearly a decade further, to 1995 when Waterford won 2-12 to 3-7, largely because this was the time when the great Kerry side of the 80’s had broken up or was breaking up and Clare became Waterford’s main rivals in Munster as Ladies Football at the time was not that strong in Cork.

The two sides have met frequently in the last two years. This Saturday’s meeting in fact is the fourth championship meeting between the two in the last twelve months or so and at present its the side from the Kingdom lead two one.

When the sides met at Brosna in the round robin series of games last year it was the home side that ran out 1-14 to 1-7 winners to book a place in the Munster Final against Cork, who had beaten Waterford earlier in the competition at Fermoy, while the home side went into that game with a five point win over Cork a week earlier under their belts.

On that day, Maria Delahunty kicked an early score for Waterford but her score was quickly cancelled out with points from Sarah Houlihan and Bernie Breen and when Laura Rogers passed to Sarah Houlihan on eight minutes and beat Katie Hannon, Waterford knew that they were going to be in for a tough encounter.

Waterford won’t need any telling this weekend that Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh, Laura Rogers and Sarah Houlihan will need to be closely watched in the Waterford half of the field and in the first meeting of the two sides last year, they shared three points before Waterford cancelled it out with a fine goal as Grainne Kenneally found Michelle Ryan who finished to the net.

Cassandra Buckley followed up with a point before Maria Delahunty hit a brace of frees but Kerry went in leading 1-8 to 1-3 as Jane Lynch and Sarah Houlihan landed late first half scores.

Waterford began the second half brightly as Maria Delahunty pointed which was followed with a brace of points each first from Jane Lynch and Maria Delahunty to keep Kerry in front by four.

Kerry however weathered the storm and Sarah Houlihan kicked three more points and Lorraine Scanlon hit one to open up an eight point lead, and while Waterford kicked a late score from Maria Delahunty, Waterford on a learning curve back in the senior grade for the first time in eight years had to settle for second best on the day.

Two losses in the Munster Championship meant that Waterford entered the All-Ireland Series at the first round and after beating a fancied Armagh side they were pitted against Kerry once more with Birr chosen as the venue for the game.

Waterford that day once again had to settle for second best but Pat Sullivan’s charges got off to a great start when Lauren McGregor found Caoimhe McGrath who fed the ball to Gráinne Kenneally who despatched to the net with less than thirty second played.

Kerry however quickly responded with a brace of Laura Rogers points and one from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh to level matters.

Maria Delahunty put Waterford back in front but a brace of scores from Sarah Houlihan followed. Róisín Tobin who is having a very good year with Waterford this year levelled matters on thirteen minutes after which Sarah Houlihan and Maria Delahunty swapped scores.

A goal on seventeen minutes proved key for Kerry as Bernie Breen finished past Katie Hannon when she was set up by Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh. At the other end Edel Murphy did well to deny Caoimhe McGrath and Gráinne Kenneally goals, before Maria Delahunty put over a brace of scores.

Kerry however came back with three points from Lorraine Scanlon, Jane Lynch and Sarah Houlihan to go four up before Katie Hannon made a great save from Laura Rogers.

Waterford were well in contention at the break as they went in trailing 1-9 to 1-7 after Róisín Tobin and Lauren McGregor kicked late scores for Pat Sullivan’s side.

Waterford at the start of the second half had to deal with a lots of pressure from Kerry who kicked the first five scores of the half shared between Sarah Houlihan and Bernie Breen.

Things got even harder for Waterford when Emma Sherwood found the net for a second Kerry goal which was followed by points from Lorraine Scanlon and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh with eighteen minutes remaining.

Credit must go to Waterford and the belief that Pat Sullivan and his management team have instilled into this brilliant group of players as they never gave up.

Grainne Kennelly was pulled down for a penalty which was dispatched to the net by Waterford goalkeeper Katie Hannon. Kerry however would hit back with a Laura Rogers point and then a Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh goal but not before Katie Hannon had done well to keep an earlier attempt out. This score put Kerry well in command, going thirteen points up with fourteen minutes to play.

 Waterford kept fighting and kicked a third goal when Grainne Kenneally got her second of the game, but it was not to be for a Waterford team who were without the Ryan sisters on the day, as they went under 3-19 to 3-10, but remember, this was Waterford’s first year back playing senior and the side were very much on a learning curve.

When the sides met at wet and windy Fraher Field some weeks back in the first round of this year’s Munster Championship, Waterford put in a magnificent hours work.

Waterford that day set out their intentions from the off as Grainne Kenneally was unlucky not to have scored a very early goal.

Kerry were first to score through Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh but her score was cancelled out with a brace of scores from Maria Delahunty.

Kerry showed why they were favourites for this game when Anna Galvin and Amanda Brosnan put the size four over Jessica Fitzgerald’s crossbar which was followed by a brace of scores by Maria Delahunty to give Waterford a one point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Aileen Wall extended Waterford’s lead but points from Sarah Houlihan and Miriam O’Keeffe followed to level matters by the twenty first minute.

Another brace of scores from the brilliant Maria Delahunty followed which gave Waterford a two point advantage on the score board but the visiting side would go in at the break just one behind thanks to a late Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh score.

The first goal was going to be important in this game and it came two minutes after the restart when Maria Delahunty and Katie Murray combined to set up Michelle Ryan who used every inch of her towering frame to get the ball past Laura Fitzgerald in the Kerry goal.

Lorraine Scanlon and Katie Murray swapped scores before Sarah Houlihan made it a three point game. Jessica Fitzgerald on her debut at this level made a good save from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh before Maria Delahunty hit her seventh score of the game and then Waterford struck for a second goal when Róisín Tobin finished off an Aileen Wall delivery.

Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh pointed with four minutes remaining as Kerry began to put plenty of pressure on the Waterford goal. But they found a Waterford side that closed them down at every opportunity and then attack out of their own half with pace.

The visitors did however did manage to get through the Waterford defence late on but there was a degree of luck to it as Laura Rogers dipping shot managed to get in the top corner of Jessica Fitzgerald’s net.

 This is a Waterford side that will not go into Saturday’s game short of confidence. Pat Sullivan has done a fantastic job with the team since he took over, mixing young players he would have worked with on the underage scene together with more experienced players that he would have inherited from previous managers.

All going well he will name a very strong starting team on Saturday afternoon, but he will have a big decision to make along with his management team in does he bring the experienced Katie Hannon back into the team in place of Jessica Fitzgerald who has done well when called upon this year.

The rest of the team should prove to be straight forward in picking with Kate McGrath, Caoimhe McGrath and Megan Dunford in the full back line with Dearbhaile Ni hAodha, Karen McGrath and Michelle McGrath in front of them.

In the middle of the field Mairead Wall and Emma Murray have impressed up to now and should retain their places while in attack Katie Murray, Grainne Kenneally and Róisín Tobin form a good half forward line while the inside line of Michelle Ryan, Maria Delahunty and Aileen Wall would strike fear into many a side.

For Kerry Aisling Leonard is going to be key in their full back line, while Lorraine Scanlon and Emma Sherwood are a formidable centre field pairing while just like Waterford, Kerry have a dangerous full forward line in Sarah Houlihan, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Laura Rogers.

Nobody in the Waterford camp will need telling what sort of a task they face on Saturday afternoon. They are up against a very experienced outfit who will punish any mistake or lack of discipline shown in the Waterford defence.

But this is as has been said many times in the last two or three years, this is an excellent Waterford side.

If Pat Sullivan’s side can open up an early lead as they have done against both Kerry and Cork in the championship to date and maybe even raise an early green flag, then they will be very difficult to beat.

Derek To Smile This Time Around

Ahead of the draw for this weekend’s second round games in this year’s All-Ireland Hurling qualifiers, I like many others once the four teams that would be in the bowl for the draw on Monday Morning in the Morning Ireland Studio at RTE’s Radio Centre in Montrose, felt that Dublin would be the best draw for Derek McGrath’s side.

The reason for thinking this is that to win the All-Ireland Hurling Championship this year, you have to beat a number of good teams to do so, and if Waterford were to be paired with Dublin it would mean that Kilkenny and Tipperary, the other two sides in the bowl and the two sides that contested last year’s All-Ireland Final would be paired with each other and one of them would be gone out of the reckoning for this year’s championship.

But after the draw I and I am sure many others would have sat down and think things over in our heads and maybe come to the conclusion, getting Kilkenny might not have been the worst draw in the world.

Since 1998 when Waterford woke from a long sleep and became one of the leading lights of the game, even if we as a county have till now not fulfilled our true potential, Waterford and Kilkenny have met nine times in the championship, and taking the 2008 hammering in the All-Ireland out of the equation, if it is the one that most will remember because it is finals that are remembered most, the results against Brian Cody’s men are not all that bad.

Ok, I hear you argue that Waterford in this time have not won any of the games against Kilkenny in the championship and you have to go back to October 1959 for the last and only time Waterford have beaten Kilkenny in the championship, but in the last twenty years I ask you how many sides have held Brian Cody’s men to within two pucks of the ball in all but one occasion.

Twice the sides have finished level in recent years after seventy minutes. The first of these was back in 2013 in Michael Ryan’s last game in charge of Waterford, but in the extra twenty minutes the more experienced Kilkenny side held out for a 1-22 to 2-16 victory and last year Derek McGrath’s side drew in the All-Ireland semi final at Croke Park (1-21 to 0-24) and in the replay at Thurles, Waterford lost out by just two points, the smallest tally that Waterford have lost out to Kilkenny in a Championship game since they lost out 1-11 to 1-10 on August 16, 1998 when the two sides met in the All-Ireland semi final.

Since Brian Cody took over Kilkenny back in 1999 his side is the one that has proven most successful over the next fifteen years or so, in which time he was able to pick from players like DJ Carey, Henry Shefflin, JJ Delaney, Noel Hickey, Tommy Walsh and lots more of a similar standard.

All of these players have since left hurling on the big stage, and while those that have come after them are good, the question has to be asked are they as good as those that have come before them. Time will tell, but many will tell you that the present Kilkenny side is not as good as those from recent years, but is it fair to compare different teams from different eras and more over so as the way hurling is played changes.

Of Cody’s side in recent years it could be argued that in recent games only TJ Reid is playing anywhere near up to the standard that they are capable of doing so. (Let’s home there won’t be a commentator’s curse this weekend after saying that). Last weekend they had Richie Hogan and Ger Aylward taken off. Walter Walsh appeared at one point he was going to be withdrawn by Cody but he must have got the message before it happened and got better as the game went on.

The Kilkenny backs did not play up to standard against Wexford recently and were made to pay the price. How bad were the Kilkenny back’s that night? Well on Sunday last in the Leinster Final Davy Fitzgerald’s side looked nowhere near as good against Galway. But to be fair to Kilkenny last weekend they looked a lot stronger in defence against what could at times be a dangerous Limerick attack.

How good are Waterford. I don’t know do many of know right now. We certainly don’t know after playing what was a poor Offaly side last weekend.

Will Derek McGrath, Dan Shanahan and Eoin Murphy be happy with what they saw and give the side that beat Offaly a vote of confidence to start this weekend?

The management three-o will be happy with what they saw, that is for certain, but will they make changes. We will have to wait and see for another little while.

There was some who suggested that Kevin Moran came off last weekend after he picked up a knock. If this is correct and it was to force him out of this weekend’s game his loss would be a big one.

Of the rest of the players that were withdrawn none were because the players were playing below par, but more over to give game time to those that came in and those that did come in would have impressed the management team with the four that came into the attack all getting their name on the score sheet and will have done their chances of a starting place this weekend no harm at all.

We must also remember that Stephen Bennett comes back into the set up this week after sitting out last weekend’s game as a result of a ban picked up for an incident spotted by the TV Camera’s which was not spotted by the officials on the day against Cork.

For me, the De La Salle Club man is unlikely to make any great amount of changes for this game. If he does we might see Stephen Bennett return to the fold with the player to miss out anyone’s guess.

The Waterford management team could go with pacy players that are normally in reserve from the start this time, but maybe they might be better off held till the second half on Saturday and then send on around mid way through the half if Waterford are in with a chance of winning and hope that their pace will cause trouble to a Kilkenny defence that will be tiring as the game goes on.

This game is going to go right to the wire and every score chance that both sides will get will have to be taken.

Kilkenny may well go into the game as favourites and if they do it will favour Waterford.

As to the outcome of the game, Waterford’s championship results against our neighbours across the River Suir as it flows through Waterford city might not be the best, but something is telling me that this weekend is the one where we will see Waterford’s long wait for a championship win against Kilkenny come to an end.

 

Brick Moves Closer To Record Number Of Championship Appearances Total

It may have gone un-noticed to many on Saturday afternoon in Tullamore, but when Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh and the Waterford Senior Hurlers took to the field to play Offaly in the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers, a little bit of history was been made.

The Stradbally man is a vital member of the Waterford set up since 2003 when he was invited into the panel by then manager Justin McCarthy as a twenty year old and since then has gone on to win three Munster Finals, two National Leagues and three All-Stars as well as playing in one All-Ireland Final while along the way served as the captain of the team for a number of years.

On Saturday afternoon last he became the player that has made most championship appearances for Waterford, pulling on the county shirt 66 times one more that Tony Browne who played alongside the Stradbally man for much of his inter county career.

The Stradbally man is currently third in line when it comes to most championship appearances, a position he shares with Kilkenny great JJ Delaney and only another Kilkenny great Henry Shefflin and Tipperary great Brendan Cummins with 71 and 73 championship appearances respectfully have played more senior championship games than the Stradbally man.

For a long number of year’s Rebel Hero from Yesteryear Christy Ring was the player that appeared in most championship games, lining out in the red and white of Cork on 65 appearances between 1940 and 1962, but with the Championship restructured a number of times in the last two decades, giving players even more chances to wear their county colours, players like Donal Óg Cusack, Frank Lohan, Davy Fitzgerald, Lar Corbett, Ben O’Connor and Eoin Kelly have all edged closer to the appearances made by the Cork great but only five players equalled or passed the appearances record that he held for so long.

While the Stradbally man is known nationally as a fine footballer, it’s worth remembering that he is an equally as accomplished as a footballer.

It was in football that Michael or Brick as he is known to Gaelic Games supporters first got his big chance to play with Waterford, playing in the Minor and Under 21 grades for Waterford, helping the Déise County to win an Under 21 Football Championship in 2003 beating Cork and Kerry en-route but failed to get past the All-Ireland semi final.

In this time he managed to line out on two occasions for the Waterford Senior Football team between 2002 and 2003.

He made his Munster Senior Hurling Championship debut that same year, coming on for Tony Browne against Kerry. The following year he won the first of his Munster Final medals, beating Cork in the final but were knocked out of the All-Ireland Championship against Kilkenny.

In 2007 he was captain of the Waterford team that had possibly its best year in recent years, as they beat Kilkenny in the National League Final at Thurles and a few weeks later he captained Waterford to beat Limerick in the Munster Final. Waterford however would lose out to the same opposition in the All-Ireland semi final, where they played three weeks in a row, something the Shannon-siders did earlier in the same year to get past Tipperary in the Munster Championship.

After he completed his primary and secondary education locally, he went to Waterford Institute of Technology where he won Fitzgibbon Cup titles in 2003, 2004 and 2006 while studying Business and Finance at the college.

For many when they finish their playing career it is what they managed to win at club level, playing alongside those that they grew up with, those that they looked up to growing up and those that looked up to them is what matters most, and when the Stradbally man hands back the Red and White shirt for the last time he can do so with some pride.

Since the turn of the millennium Stradbally are the dominant football team in the county winning an impressive nine county senior football titles since 2001, with Ballinacourty and The Nire the only other clubs to win the Conway Cup in this time.

He was part of an impressive Stradbally outfit that won five Conway Cups in a row between 2001 and 2005 inclusive.

When The Nire and Ballinacourty shared the next three titles between them, some would have wondered if the Cove Men would come back and add to their roll of honour. With Walsh still part of the set up this is exactly what they did winning back to back titles in 2009 and 2010.

They failed to retain the title in 2011 but won it back again in 2012. The Nire and Ballinacourty shared the next two titles, before Walsh and Stradbally came back in 2015 to win what some might claim to be their most controversial win, as they were asked to play the County Final on a Friday night and were asked to take on the Cork champions less than twenty four hours later in the Munster Club Championship at Fraher Field.

Walsh and Stradbally will be looking to add to what they have achieved in recent years later on this year.  They safely got through the first round of a new look Senior Football Championship some months back now and in the draw for the second round they were pitted with the 2016 champions The Nire.

The result of Saturday evening game will determine when Stradbally will play that big game. If Waterford win it will be put back about a month at least, while if Waterford were to lose it could be played much sooner, but depending on how much of a rest those involved with the senior inter county panel will be given before they are back in action with their club sides.

Galway Prove Too Strong For Waterford

There was no joy for Waterford on their travels for the second game in a row, and the third game in all, having played All-Ireland Champions Kilkenny at Walsh Park in the first round of games in this year’s All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship on Saturday afternoon as they lost out to what is a very strong Galway side in Athenry.

Galway went into this game as huge odd’s on favourites to win this game and from what we saw over the course of the hour, the Tribes Ladies will be well in contention when it comes to find out where the O’Duffy Cup will find a home for the next twelve months when it is contested for in the middle of September.

They went into this game off the back of a good win over Dublin in round two of this year’s championship having had a bye in the first round of games. Their next game is against All-Ireland Champion’s Kilkenny and is another home game for the Tribe’s Ladies and they will know after that game how good a side they are.

Waterford has just one game to play, that against Dublin which is to be played in Waterford next weekend. Waterford’s chances of winning a place in the knockout stages of the competition are over, but they will want to end their campaign on somewhat of a high, and will want to beat the only side that they have beaten this year, having beating the Sky Blues in the League at Coolock at the end of February.

Maybe the G.A.A. and the Camogie Association will be given a big chance to promote the game next weekend. With both Waterford and Dublin in the bowl tomorrow morning for the second round of the All-Ireland qualifiers and if the two were to be paired to play each other, and Waterford were to be given home advantage for that game, it would be great to think that the Camogie Game between the same two counties could be a curtain raiser to the hurling game and even though many of the hurling supporters attending on the day might leave it late to try and get into the ground, hopefully a sizeable amount of people would show up for the Camogie game in its entirety and even if supporters do leave it late to get into the ground, that they would try and get in to see some of the Camogie and if they do I for one would hope that they would be impressed by what they see from the women, who let’s be honest put in the same commitment and sometimes an even bigger commitment to training and in match’s to what the men put in.

This was a game where Galway were always on top from the throw in to the final whistle, but great credit must go to Waterford who at times showed great skill and showed that they were willing to fight right to the end for every score they could get.

Aoife Donohue opened the scoring in the first minute with a point which was followed with an Ailish O’Reilly free moments later.

It was Waterford that had the first goal of the game when Becky Kavanagh for the second game in a row netted on five minutes when a high cross field delivery from Caithriona McGlone was fielded by the Saint Anne’s Club player who struck from close range giving Sarah Healy in the Galway goal no chance. 

The home side responded with a similar score two minutes later. Finola Keely found herself in space inside the Waterford twenty metre line after receiving a pass and once she was in control of the sliotar she composed herself and blasted low and hard past Brianna O’Regan from an acute angle.

Ailish O’Reilly and Niamh Rockett swapped scores on eight and eleven minutes, before the home side enjoyed as period of dominance which began on twelve minutes with a second Galway goal scored when Ann Marie Starr dropped the sliotar over the Waterford full back line into the path of Ailish O’Reilly and when she found herself one on one with Brianna O’Regan she made no mistake.

Maria Cooney and Niamh McGrath landed points for Waterford which was followed with a Waterford point from Niamh Rockett at the midway point in the opening half.

Ann Marie Starr and Niamh McGrath with a brace of scores helped extend the home side’s lead, before Noreen Coen hit three in a minute to put her side well in the driving seat.

Lorraine Bray and Áine Lyng landed points for Waterford with Aoife Donohue hitting a single response in between before Lorraine Bray and Maria Cooney swapped scores with five minutes of the opening half remaining.

Galway as they were for much of the opening half continued to be the better of the two sides in the time that remained as Maria Cooney and Niamh McGrath landed points before

The home side added a third goal on the stroke of half time, this time Ailish O’Reilly was to have the umpire reach for a green flag and while Beth Carton pulled a point back in added time at the end of the first half to leave her side tailing 3-16 to 1-7 at the interval.

Galway started the second half as they ended the first.

Aoife Donohue put over three points in a three minute spell before Ailish O’Reilly put over a free on thirty six minutes.

The two Niamh’s Rockett and McGrath swapped scores before Beth Carton hit her second of the game at the end of the third quarter.

Aoife Donohue, Jessie Gill, Noreen Coen and Ailish O’Reilly from a free landed further scores for the home side with ten minutes still remaining.

Galway got their fourth goal six minutes from time when Noreen Coen got the first of her goals of the game and she added a second three minutes later. In between Ann Marie Starr pointed for the home side.

Ailish O’Reilly from a free followed with a similar score from Beth Carton followed before Ailish O’Reilly got the final score of the game deep in stoppage time.

Despite the heavy defeat, Waterford at times looked impressive and amongst the side in White and Blue’s best players on the day included Brianna O’Regan in goal, Shauna Kieran in defence while Niamh Rockett, Beth Carton and Lorraine Bray all once more impressed in attack.

Galway: Sarah Healy; Therese Manton, Sarah Dervan, Róisín Black; Lorraine Ryan, Rebecca Hennelly, Heather Cooney; Ann Marie Starr, Niamh Kilkenny; Finola Keely, Maria Cooney, Niamh McGrath; Noreen Coen, Ailish O’Reilly, Aoife  Donohue. Subs: Clodagh McGrath for Rebecca Hennelly (HT); Jessie Gill for Finola Keely (35); Orlaith McGrath for Niamh Kilkenny (38); Emma Helebert for Heather Cooney (49).

Scorers: Ailish O’Reilly 2-6 (0-5f), Noreen Coen 2-4, Aoife Donohue 0-6, Niamh McGrath 0-5, Maria Cooney 0-3, Ann Marie Starr 0-2, Niamh Kilkenny, Jessie Gill 0-1 each.

Waterford: Brianna O’Regan; Marie Russell, Fiona Morrissey, Claire Whyte; Mairead Power, Shauna Kiernan, Jenny McCarthy; Aoife Landers, Áine Lyng; Caithriona McGlone, Niamh Rockett, Kate McMahon; Beth Carton, Lorraine Bray, Becky Kavanagh. Subs: Niamh Ahearne for Aoife Landers (38); Valerie O’Brien for Áine Lyng (48); Annie Glavey for Niamh Rockett (49); Ciara Twoomey for Becky Kavanagh (55).

Scorers: Beth Carton 0-4 (2f), Becky Kavanagh 1-0, Niamh Rockett 0-3, Lorraine Bray 0-2, Áine Lyng 0-1.

Referee: Cathal Egan (Cork).

Experience Tells In Walsh Park Against Waterford

Waterford’s first game in the All-Ireland in the Premier Junior All-Ireland Camogie Championship since winning the competition back in 2011 and the first that Waterford Second String XV played in ended in a defeat at Walsh Park on Saturday afternoon.

The success of Waterford’s underage teams in recent years coupled with the likes of Lismore and Gailltir in the club championships, not forgetting what Saint Augustine’s College, The Ursuline and the Mercy Secondary Schools in the City has meant that there is more girls and women playing Camogie in the county more than ever and the County Board to their credit have tried and keep many of these players as actively involved as is possible by entering a second team in this years championship.

The side had only one competitive game under their belts going into this game, that a narrow defeat to Kerry in the Munster Junior Championship back in early May, but the management team still were able to put together a strong panel and one that we will see more of in the weeks, months and years ahead with maybe some of the players going on to play in the senior set up with the county.

Dublin for their part would have gone into the game as the warmest of favourites, with an impressive League campaign behind them, where they won the Division Three final, beating Roscommon in the final who would have members of the very successful Four Roads Club in their ranks.

The Sky Blues were the better of the two sides throughout the hour and at the break they held a 1-8 to 0-5 lead on the score board with their goal coming on twenty six minutes when Emer Keenan tried to beat Katie O’Keeffe at the second attempt after the Déise net minder did well to keep her initial effort from crossing the her goal line.

 In that opening half, Dublin had further scores from Laoise Quinn who put over three points, while Róisín Baker and Evelyn Twomey hit a brace of scores each while Emer Keenan also added a point to her goal, while Dungarvan’s Kaiesha Tobin landed all of Waterford’s scores.

The Dungarvan player hit the first score of the second half with a free which was cancelled out with a brilliant Laoise Quinn goal.

Katie O’Keeffe did brilliant to keep an Evelyn Twomey from crossing the line but the rebound fell to Laoise Quinn who rifled the sliotar through a crowded goal and into the corner of the Waterford net.

On forty three minutes Evelyn Twomey made up for her earlier miss five minutes earlier when she hit a third goal for the Sky Blues. Laoise Quinn when from score getter for her sides second goal to score provider for this one as she picked out Evelyn Twomey with a perfect pass who turned the Waterford defence and blasted past a helpless Katie O’Keeffe in the Waterford goal.

With nine minutes remaining Ruth Geogheghan minutes after coming on as a sub broke free and bore down on the Dublin goal and blasted hard as we have seen her for Lismore and indeed the county in the past, beating Aisling Spillane who had no chance in the Dublin goal.

Waterford had Áine Crotty sent off late on when she collected a second yellow card following a foul on Róisín Baker.

With a player advantage, Dublin stuck a late point from a Laoise Quinn free to give her side a ten point victory.

Next up for Waterford in this championship is an away game with Westmeath next Saturday.

Dublin: Aishling Spillane; Ciara Buchannan, Laura Walsh, Róisín McLoughlin; Emma Barron, Deirdre Johnstone, Grainne Free; Grainne Power, Róisín Drohan; Aoife Dooley, Róisín Baker, Evelyn Twomey; Laoise Quinn, Kate Mulvey, Emer Keenan. Subs: Niamh Gleeson for Laura Walsh (38), Sinead Nolan for Kate Mulvey (49), Caoimhe Ni Mhaolagain for Grainne Power (49), Emma O’Flynn for Róisín McLoughlin (56), Ciara Carolan for Emer Keenan (57)

Scorers: Laoise Quinn 1-5 (3f), Evelyn Twomey 1-2, Emer Keenan 1-1, Róisín Baker 0-2.
Waterford:  Katie O’Keefe; Aoife Shanahan, Áine Crotty, Sarah Morrissey; Taylor Murray, Shauna Fitzgerald, Sadie Mai Rowe; Kate Hahessey, Clara Griffin; Grainne Heffernan, Áine Power, Abby Dunphy; Margaret Ann Boylan Kaiesha Tobin, Fiona Ni Bhrian. Subs: Siobhan Morrissey for Grainne Heffernan (44), Ruth Geogheghan for Fiona Ni Bhrian (44), Sinead Morrissey for Aoife Shanahan (48). Scorers: Kaiesha Tobin 0-06 (4f), Ruth Geogheghan 1-0

Referee: John Horgan (Cork).

Offaly Prove No Match For Waterford

If ever there need showing that there was a gulf in the standards of the top five or six hurling counties and those a step or two below them on the ranking ladder, it was clear to be seen a O’Connor Park in Tullamore this afternoon as Waterford easily accounted for Offaly with a massive twenty four points between them when referee Alan Kelly sounded his full time whistle at the end of seventy minutes.

What this defeat does for Offaly hurling is hard to know. There can be no disputing that they have fallen back a lot since they were at their peak in the 80’s and to a lesser extent in the 90’s, but after big defeats against Tipperary, Galway and Waterford in their last three big games, it is bound to have a lot of people asking many soul searching questions.

For Waterford it was always going to be a no win situation. If Waterford won by a small margin questions will be asked of Derek McGrath and the defensive game he favours, while if Waterford (as they did) won big, people were going to say that it was only Offaly.

Nobody in the Waterford camp will need telling that regardless of who they draw in Monday’s second round draw for the qualifiers, it will be a much tougher test than this game. However all involved in the set up will be happy with this result, getting the defeat against Cork in the Munster semi final out of the system and in doing so put up a very impressive score on the board.

The management team will also be happy that they had twelve different scorer’s on the score sheet on the day and also game time was given to some of those knocking most hardest for a place in the starting team that start most games on the bench all got some match time under their belts, the four forwards sent on all getting their name on the score sheet which will give Derek McGrath and his selectors Dan Shanahan and Eoin Murphy something to think about for next week’s game, especially when you consider that Stephen Bennett who missed this game due to suspension will be back in contention for a place in the side once more.

Waterford played with the aid of the wind in the opening half and turned around leading 1-18 to 0-8, but in the first quarter of this game, the home side made things very difficult for the visitors.

Five times in the opening twenty minutes the sides were level in this game and there was a six minute spell either side of the mid way point of this spell that the home side lead.

However Waterford hit eight points in a row in a ten minute spell to go eight in front from which Waterford looked back and when Shane Bennett cracked the only goal of the game three minutes from the end of normal time in the opening half, the game was well and truly over as a contest.

Pauric Mahony opened the scoring for Waterford with a free in the first minute but it was quickly cancelled out with a similar effort by Shane Dooley. Kevin Moran and Dooley then swapped points before a brace of Dooley points gave the home side a 0-4 to 0-2 lead with 12 minutes played.

Waterford however were quickly back on level terms as Jamie Barron and then Kevin Moran with his second of the game landed scores.

Pauric Mahony edged Waterford back in front only for James Mulrooney to point for the hosts. Mahony and Dooley then swapped scores to level matters for a fifth time on twenty minutes and some might have been wondering at this stage if Offaly were going to really put it up to Waterford, especially when you consider that they would have the wind in the second half.

However, Waterford would up their game a gear or two as Michael Walsh, Pauric Mahony with a hat-trick of scores, Tadhg De Búrca, Maurice Shanahan and Austin Gleeson with a brace of scores all found the range to give Waterford a 0-14 to 0-6 lead which they were full value for with four minutes of the first half plus stoppage time still to play.

Shane Kinsella brought Waterford’s run of scores to an end with a point on thirty two minutes, but from the resulting restart, Waterford net minder found Shane Bennett with a long delivery and the Ballysaggart man made no mistake in putting the sliotar past James Dempsey.

Credit must go to the Kinnity Club man in the home goal as without him the margin of victory would be much bigger for Waterford as he made a number of good saves throughout the game to keep the tally of green flags waved to the minimum.

Waterford pressed on with points from Austin Gleeson and Jamie Barron before Emmett Nolan pointed on thirty five minutes, and in stoppage time Waterford tagged on two further points through Darragh Fives and Maurice Shanahan to go in at the break leading by thirteen points.

Points from Joe Bergin, Oisin Kelly, Austin Gleeson and Pauric Mahony were swapped at the start of the second half but Waterford were soon back in the swing of things.

A brace of Pauric Mahony points was followed with a single response from Ben Conneely which saw Derek McGrath begin to empty his bench.

Jake Dillon was not long on the field long when he pointed after which Mahony put over a ’65 and then Colin Dunford another of the Waterford subs used in this game pointed.

Mahony and Gleeson added to their already impressive tallies on the day, before Darragh Fives and Joe Bergin swapped scores.

Thomas Ryan another of the Waterford subs brought in got his name on the score sheet with thirteen minutes to go and two minutes later Patrick Curran another of the Waterford subs brought in for Mahony and took over from the Ballygunner man on free taking duties got his name on the score sheet.

Bergin and Dunford swapped scores before Curran and Pauric Guinan did likewise but this was to be the home sides last score and in the time that remained Patrick Curran put over another three points and Austin Gleeson hit one to give Waterford the most comfortable of comfortable of wins.

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Conor Gleeson, Tadhg De Búrca, Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron, Kevin Moran; Michael Walsh, Austin Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; Maurice Shanahan, Shane Bennett, Darragh Fives. Subs: Colin Dunford for Maurice Shanahan (49), Jake Dillon (De La Salle) for Michael Walsh (49), Stephen Daniels for Kevin Moran (52), Thomas Ryan for Shane Bennett (55), Patrick Curran for Pauric Mahony (60).

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-11 (8fs), Austin Gleeson 0-6, Patrick Curran 0-4 (2fs, 1 65’), Shane Bennett 1-0, Darragh Fives, Colin Dunford, Maurice Shanahan, Jamie Barron, Kevin Moran 0-2 each, Michael Walsh, Tadhg De Búrca, Jake Dillon, Thomas Ryan 0-1 each.

Offaly: James Dempsey; Ben Conneely, Dermot Shortt, Pat Camon; Sean Gardiner, Aiden Treacy, David King; Sean Ryan, Joe Bergin; Paddy Murphy, Shane Kinsella, Emmett Nolan; James Mulrooney, Shane Dooley, Oisin Kelly. Subs: Sean Cleary for Shane Dooley (H-T), Enda Grogan for Aidan Treacy (H-T), Michael Cleary for Emmett Nolan (54), Peter Geraghty for Shane Kinsella (54), Padraic Guinan for Paddy Murphy (58)

Scorers: Shane Dooley 0-5 (5fs), Joe Bergin 0-3 (2fs), Shane Kinsella, Emmett Nolan, James Mulrooney, Oisin Kelly, Ben Conneely, Padraic Guinan 0-1 each.

Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway)

Two Camogie Sides In Championship Action This Saturday

Great credit must go to those that line out for our Camogie and Ladies Football Inter County teams. We are all aware of the commitment given by our hurlers and men’s football teams when it comes to the Inter County team and indeed by those that are over the team and those that work in the back room team, but I think most of us are not aware that our Ladies are putting in the exact same effort and even at times put in an even bigger effort.

To run the men’s county board each year is not an easy task as money has to be found each year to pay the bills and it would appear that with each passing year these bills are getting bigger and bigger, and credit must go to the supporters of the G.A.A. in the county who help in their own way to generate funds, supporting different fund raising events each year.

The Camogie and Ladies Football County Boards each year have their own fund raisers which while would be supported they would not be supported the same way as a fund raiser the way one for our men’s team would be, because maybe they don’t get the same exposure.

These fund raisers are often a joint effort by the players and the relevant county boards, who deserve huge amount of praise for what they do.

The officers of the county boards try and look after the players as best as they can with the limited resources they have available to them and the players in return appreciate what is done for them.

One former county player a few years ago was telling me how the players knew the county board were working off limited money did not make demands of the board. She told me how for one away game played in Limerick the players car pooled to travel to the game rather than ask for a bus, as they knew there was games further away that year to be played and hoped that by driving to Limerick the money would be available for a bus for longer journey.

This weekend while the most with an interest in the G.A.A. in Waterford will have their attention on the big game in Tullamore on Saturday, it would be interesting to know how many others within the county are aware that two more of our inter county sides are in action on the same day around the same time.

The two teams are our Senior and Junior Camogie teams who have games against Galway in Athenry and against Dublin in Walsh Park at the same time.

The Camogie County Board under the guidance of Chairperson Ita Murphy deserve great credit for the way they are promoting the game in the county and to get as many players as is possible into a county jersey.

For the senior team it will be their third game in the All-Ireland Championship and are heading West in search of a first win in the championship, having lost out to All-Ireland Champions Kilkenny in their first game and two weeks ago they lost out to Clare in Ennis on a very warm day.

Waterford will not need telling that they face a difficult task playing against Galway. They have played just one game in the championship to date having got a bye in the first round of game and last time out against Dublin they recorded a 3-18 to 1-12 win over Dublin in Coolock.

That day the winners had good performances from the likes of Ailish O’Reilly and Aoife Donohue who shared 2-14 of their sides tally on the day, and Waterford will know that if they allow them time on the ball they will again put up good tallies this weekend.

While Waterford has lost their two games to date, they are in fact playing some good Camogie. This is only Waterford’s second year playing in this grade and the side are still learning. It is going to take them a little time to get up to the speed of the game that the likes of Kilkenny, Cork, Wexford and Galway play but when they do, they too will be a match for any side, as the talent is available to the management team.

Waterford are without the likes of Jennie Simpson, Charlotte Raher, Trish Jackman and Aisling Power this year, players that two years ago won League and All-Ireland medals just two years ago, but there is still plenty of talent available.

In the likes of Brianna O’Regan, Fiona Morrissey, Claire Whyte, Aoife Landers, Shauna Kiernan, Áine Lyng, Beth Carton, Lorraine Bray, Aoife Landers, Niamh Rockett, Caitriona McGlone and Valerie O’Brien Waterford have a nice blend of youth and experience.

Galway will go into the game as favourites this Saturday, but you can expect this ever improving Waterford side to push the home side all the way.

The senior side however may well be travelling under the Shannon with a smaller than usual panel as some of the fringe players could well be lining out at Walsh Park with the juniors.

Their game against Dublin will be only their second competitive game of the year together, having lost out to Kerry at the same venue in the Munster Semi Final back in early May.

They did not take part in the National League, unlike their opponents this weekend who won all four of their games in the third division of the league, including against Kerry, and went on to beat Roscommon in the final in Kinnegad on a 0-12 to 0-7 score line.

Caragh Dawson and Laoise Quinn in attack are two players that Waterford will have to keep a close eye on, but they are likely to be strong straight down the middle of the field if they have the likes of Aisling Spillane in goal, Laura Walsh at full back, Deirdre Johnston at centre back, Eimear O’Riordan and Róisín Drohan in the middle of the field and Aoife Bulger and Emer Keenan in the central forward positions if all are available.

Waterford however are likely to put out a strong and youthful as well as some experience line up with the likes of Katie O’Keeffe, Colette Hogan, Ciara Toomey, Niamh Murphy, Sadie Mai Rowe, Sinead Cunningham, Shauna Fitzgerald, Clare Griffin, Abbie Dunphy, Kaiesha Tobin and Fiona Ni Bhrian.

Again just like the seniors this weekend, Waterford might go into this game as the underdog despite playing at home, but they will work hard and make things very difficult for the side from the capital.