Na Déise Claim Under 14 B Ladies Football County Final

The last of the under 14 finals was played on Friday night last when Ballyduff Upper and Na Déise contested the B final. This was a great game of football which ebbed and flowed with both sides playing excellent football and giving total commitment. Na Déise got off to a wonderful start and rattled in a number of early goals to leave the score at half time Na Déise 5-1, Ballyduff Upper 2-3.  Indeed the Na Déise lead could have been much more had it not been for the bravery of Ballyduff’s goalkeeper Leah Collins who made a number of outstanding saves in the first half.

Ballyduff urged on by their supporters took the game to Na Déise and clawed their way back into the game but the Na Déise girls held firm to record a very exciting victory on the final score line Na Déise 6-6 Ballyduff Upper 4-6. There were many outstanding performances from both teams with Maeve Daly, Emily Casey, Leah Collins Erin Flynn and Ali Brackett standing out for Balluduff while Aoife O Byrne, Catherine O Brien, Mairead O Brien, Laura Flynn, Ava Mai Tobin and Ellen O Byrne caught the eye for Na Déise.

Well done to both teams and a sincere thank you to the Clashmore club for the generous use of their facilities.

Munster Development Blitz

A Munster development blitz was held in Dungarvan club on Saturday morning last. In what could only be described as a feast of football. 27 teams and over 450 players from Waterford and Tipperary took part in under 8 and under 10 matches. It was a great occasion with everybody getting great enjoyment out of the day. Well done to county development officer Seán Tobin and his team for his excellent organisation of the day’s events. A sincere thank you to the Dungarvan club who provided the use of their facilities and the members of the Dungarvan club  for feeding the players and their parents, refereeing the games and ensuring that everything ran like clockwork.

Under 13 and 15 County Development Sessions

County under 13 and 15 development sessions have now started and are taking place on Saturday mornings for under 15 in Gaultier GAA  club for girls in the east of the county and in Abbeyside for the west of the county. Under 13 development takes place on Tuesday evenings in Erin’s Own for the East and Dungarvan for the West. This is an ideal opportunity for girls to develop their football skills and get to know players from other clubs.

Adult competitions

The adult competitions have now reached the business end of things with semi finals being played in Senior Intermediate and Junior competitions. In the senior competition Comeragh Rangers overcame a brave challenge from Stradbally to advance to the County Senior Final where they will meet reigning champions Ballymacarbry in what promises to be a thriller.

In the Intermediate grade Comeragh Rangers intermediate team had a wonderful two point win over Clashmore and advance to the final where they will meet the winners of the Abbeyside v St Pat’s semi final. In the Junior A grade Dungarvan have home advantage in one semi final against Ballymacarbry while Na Déise meet Killrossanty Brickey Rangers in the other.

Under 12 Finals

The finals for the under 12 competition are as follows

A -- Stradbally v Ballymacarbry

B – Erin’s Own v Kilrossanty Brickey Rangers

C – St Oliver’s v Ballysaggart

D – St Anne’s v winners of Dungarvan and Shamrocks.

Wins for Minor and Intermediate teams

Well done to our U-18 girls who had a good win away to Tramore-Butlerstown in round 3 of the championship played on Tues 16th Aug.

Final Score: Tramore-Butlerstown 0-4 De La Salle 7-9.

Our Intermediate squad had a good win at home to Dungarvan-Brickeys in round 1 of the championship played in wet & windy conditions in Gracedieu on Friday evening the 19th August. Final Score: De La Salle 5-10 Dungarvan-Brickeys 0-1.

Congrats to our U-16 squad who played Tramore in the championship on Sun 21st August in Gracedieu. We emerged 1 point winners 2-6 to 2-5. The girls have now qualified for the semi finals away versus Dungarvan.

Training:

U-8, 10 & 12 age groups continue Weds 24th August @ 6.30pm in Gracedieu.

U-16, 18 & adult on Weds 24th August @ 7.15pm in Gracedieu.

U-13 & 14 tbc.

Fixtures:

U-8 & 10 blitz on Sat 27th August in Tramore @ 11am.

U-13 round 2 on Thurs 25th August @ home v Lismore throw in 6.30pm in Gracedieu.

U-18A championship round 4 on Tues 30th August away v Gailltir throw in 6.30pm.

Intermediate championship round 2 on Sat 3rd Sept away v Butlerstown throw in 6.30pm. 

Leaving Cert Results

Well done to all our girls who recently received there Leaving Cert results & we hope ye all enjoy yere Debs.

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De La Salle are County Intermediate Camogie League Champions

Congratulations and well done to our adult squad who won the 2016 County Intermediate League final (13 a side) played on Friday 12th August in Saint Saviours GAA club Ballybeg. Played in windy conditions our girls started brightly playing with the breeze and held a nice lead at half time. Butlerstown stormed back in the second half but we ran out winners on a score line of De La Salle 7-16 Butlerstown 2-10. Ciara Twomey our vice captain received the cup afterwards from Ita Murphy chairperson of the Waterford Camogie County Board.

Panel: Brianna O'Regan, Taylor Healy, Hayley Cox, Rachel Butler, Courtney Healy, Emma Fitzgerald, Niamh Murphy 0-1, Caoimhe Drohan 0-2, Katie O'Keeffe 2-0, Beth Carton 3-10, Chloe Dempsey 0-1, Liz McEnaney 0-1, Ciara Twomey 2-1, Becky Roche, Sinead O Donnell, Katie Ryan, Patricia Farrell, Ciara Flynn, Nicola Robinson. Other panel members who missed out due to holidays and injury were Majella Tebay (capt), Colette Hogan, Rachael Daniels and Aisling Madigan.

Training:

U-10 & 12 training resumes this Weds 17th August @ 6.30pm in Gracedieu after the summer break. Enjoy girls

Fixtures:

U-8 & 10 blitz on Sat 27th August in Tramore @ 11am.

U-18 A championship Round 3 on Tues 16th August away v Tramore-Butlerstown throw in 7pm.

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Kerry Lady Footballers prove too strong for Waterford

Kerry’s lady footballers duly qualified for the All Ireland Ladies Football quarter finals with a nine point win in Birr over Waterford on Saturday last. Playing with the aid of a strong breeze, Waterford got down to business immediately when a long diagonal foot pass from Lauren Mc Gregor to Caoimhe McGrath was quickly fed into Gráinne Kenneally and the Ballyduff girl had no hesitation and despatched the ball to the Kerry net after only 29 seconds to give Waterford a dream start. Kerry opened their account in the 3^rd minute with a point from Laura Rodgers and points in quick succession from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Laura Rodgers tied the game up after 6 minutes of play. Waterford were having difficulty in creating scoring chances at this stage as Kerry were deploying two sweepers in an attempt to starve the inside forward line of possession.

Maria Delahunty put Waterford in front with a pointed free in the 9^th minute, when Kerry goalkeeper Edel Murphy was penalised for delaying the kick out. Sarah Houlihan opened her account with a brace of points in the 11^th and 12^th minutes to put Kerry back in front before Róisín Tobin levelled matters with a well taken score in the 13^th minute. Kerry edged in front with a free from Sarah Houlihan on 14 minutes, but this was quickly cancelled out when Maria Delahunty kicked a great point from 30 metres out following some excellent inter-play by the Waterford forwards.

Kerry’s crucial first-half score, a goal came from midfielder and former captain Bernie Breen, who was on hand to slot the ball home from close range after an extremely patient build-up. Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh provided the killer pass and Breen stayed cool to side-step a defender and find the net in the 17^th minute, to put Kerry three points in front. Waterford hit back and it took an incredible double save by Edel Murphy to prevent Caoimhe McGrath and then Gráinne Kenneally from scoring what would have been a vital Waterford goal. Maria Delahunty expertly pointed the resulting 45 with ease, but it was scant reward for the Waterford efforts. Delahunty narrowed the gap to the bare minimum with a free in the 20^th minute but 3 quick unanswered points courtesy of Lorraine Scanlon, Jane Lynch and Sarah Houlihan left Kerry four ahead with 24 minutes gone in the half. It could have been more as Katie Hannon made a wonderful save from Kerry’s number 10 Laura Rodgers in the 25^th minute. Waterford came back and added two points, which could on another day ended up as goals, from Róisín Tobin in the 27^th minute and Lauren Mc Gregor on the stroke of half time to leave the Kingdom with their noses in front at half time on a score-line Kerry 1-9 Waterford 1-7.

Kerry opened the second half with an added intensity and four points in quick succession from player of the match Sarah Houlihan and one from midfielder Bernie Breen left Waterford with a mountain to climb, seven points down after only nine minutes of the second half. Waterford’s task got even harder a minute later when Emma Sherwood goaled from close range to leave ten between them. Lorrainne Scanlon and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh added salt to the Waterford wounds with points in the 11^th and 12^th minutes.

Waterford, however never gave up, a strong run by Gráinne Kenneally resulted in her been taken down in the square and captain for the day Katie Hannon came up from her goalkeeping position to despatch the ball to the net for Waterford’s second goal in the 13^th minute. Kerry’s reply was strong and decisive, a point from Laura Rodgers and a goal from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh following a point blank save by Waterford goalie Katie Hannon left Kerry 13 points to the good in the 16^th minute. Waterford kept fighting Maria Delahunty kicked over another point and the Kerry post was hit for the third time in the game. Sarah Houlihan kicked her 9^th point of the match for Kerry. Sub Nicola Fennell kicked another point for Waterford with 6 minutes to go and Maria Delahunty and Kerry sub Andrea Murphy exchanged points in the closing minutes to leave the final score Kerry 3-19 Waterford 3-10.

Kerry now move on to play Monaghan in the quarter finals in two weeks time, while the Waterford girls exit the championship. After the match Kerry manager Alan O Neill was fulsome in his praise for the Waterford efforts stating that the Déise girls give his team two good battles in the championship and the “rub of the green” favoured Kerry in the match. Waterford manager Pat Sullivan was disappointed with the result but was delighted that Waterford had put in some excellent performances during the year against top class opposition. He was delighted that Waterford won the league and would be playing at a higher level in the league next year. He was happy with the level of development over the year and confident with hard work in the winter the team would continue to show progress.

Scorers for Waterford: G Kenneally 2-0, K. Hannon(1-0pen) M Delahunty 0-6 (3f, 1 45), R Tobin 0-2, L McGregor & N Fennell 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kerry: S Houlihan 0-9 (2f), L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 1-2, B Breen 1-1, E Sherwood 1-0, L Rogers 0-3, L Scanlon 0-2, J Lynch & A Murphy 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: K Hannon; L Wall, M McGrath, M Dunford; A Mullaney, M Wall, H Power; K McGrath, C McGrath; E Murray, M Delahunty, R Tobin; L McGregor, G Kenneally, A Wall.

Subs: K Murray for McGregor (39), S Dunphy for Mullaney (42), N Fennell for K McGrath (50), C Hurley for L Wall (54), C Fennell for Power (60).

KERRY: E Murphy; A O’Connell, A Desmond, K O’Sullivan; D Hallissey, C Kelly, E Lynch; B Breen, E Sherwood; L Rogers, L Scanlon, J Lynch; S Houlihan, A Brosnan, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh.

Subs: A Galvin for Brosnan (39), A Leonard for E Lynch (48), C Buckley for J Lynch (54), A Murphy for Rogers (54), C O’Sullivan for Houlihan (54).

Referee: M Kenny (Mayo).

Waterford Lady Footballers face Kerry in All Ireland series

After their stunning win over hotly fancied Armagh in the TG4 All Ireland senior championship in Clane two weeks ago, Waterford ladies hope to take another notable scalp when they face up to Munster finalists Kerry in the next round of the competition. This will be the counties second meeting in competitive action this season with the girls from the Kingdom coming out victors in the Munster round-robin series of games on a score-line of Kerry 1-14 Waterford 1-7.This game was played in Brosna Co Kerry in June and both teams have been in action once in the championship since then, Waterford had that wonderful win over Armagh and Kerry were defeated by Cork in the Munster Final.

In the previous game between the teams Waterford were over-reliant on Maria Delahunty for scores, she kicked all of her teams seven points with a goal by Michelle Ryan being the only other contribution on the score board by a Waterford player. Normal service has been restored with a better distribution of scores against Armagh with Aileen Wall, Sinead Ryan and Caoimhe McGrath ending up on the scorers list as well as Maria Delahunty and Michelle Ryan.

Kerry are a very strong side who would have ambitions of winning the All Ireland this year and have many marquee players. Bernie Breen, Sarah Houlihan and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh are top class players as is All Star defender Aislinn Desmond. Kerry reached the semi-final of Division 1 of the LIDL league where they were narrowly defeated by Galway. They play a nice brand of football and move the ball quickly from defence to attack. Waterford play a very skilful type of football also and pride themselves in having a high work rate and a determination to help each other out at all times. Katie Hannon in goal is the first line of defence and is assured and inspires confidence in her team mates. In the back line Mairéad and Linda Wall along with Michelle McGrath, Louise Ryan and Megan Dunford are hard-working and set up numerous attacks. Karen McGrath, Hannah Power and Emma Murray work tirelessly up and down the field to ensure quality possession for the forwards. Up front Aileen Wall and Maria Delahunty top scored against Armagh with a total of 2-10 between them with many of these scores being made by the incisive running and support play of the other forwards around them notably Grainne Kenneally, Michelle Ryan, Lauren Mc Gregor and Caoimhe McGrath who was making a welcome return to inter- county action after a long lay-off due to injury.

Saturday’s game looks to be intriguing, on paper Kerry are the hottest of favourites to win, but Waterford have the capabilities to make life tough for the Kingdom and take a second notable scalp in the Senior championship. Throw-in in Birr on Saturday next 6^th is at 3:45 with Mel Kenny from Mayo in charge of proceedings and the game is part of a double header with Cavan and Laois featuring in the first game at 2:00.