Sligo’ goals prove too much

The old saying that goals win games certainly came true on Sunday last when the Déise girls suffered their first defeat of the 2017 LIDL National Football league when two Sligo goals proved the difference between winning and losing. Playing away from home and still short a number of influential players due to injuries, Waterford took on a very strong Sligo team who were buoyed by a great result over Westmeath last time out.

Waterford with the aid of a slight breeze opened brightly but it was Sligo’s full forward Ciara Gorman who opened the scoring with a pointed free in the 2^nd minute. This was cancelled out by a point for Waterford from play by Geraldine Power in the 4^th minute. Ciara Gorman repeated the dose with another pointed free a minute later, but Comeragh Rangers’ Geraldine Power added to her and Waterford’s tally with a well taken point to level matters in the 6^th minute. Three points in quick succession by Waterford, two from Lauren McGregor and one from Róisín Tobin left three between the teams at the end of the first quarter. Emma Murray added to this tally in the 17^th minute to leave the score Waterford 0-6 Sligo 0-2.

Sligo were handed a life-line when they were awarded a penalty in the 18^th minute, but the Sligo effort was brilliantly dealt with by Clashmore’s Jessica Fitzgerald, who was making her first competitive start for the Déise in place of injured Katie Hannon. Nicola Fennell and Aileen Wall tacked on two points for Waterford to stretch their lead to six points. Sligo’s Stephanie O’Reilly cut the gap with a Sligo point but Nicola Fennell replied in kind 40 seconds later to restore the gap. Coming up to half time both teams were guilty of some very easy misses and it was left to Sligo corner forward Karen Maloney to guide the ball over the bar to leave the half time score Waterford 0-9 Sligo 0-4.

Lauren Mc Gregor opened Waterford’s account with a pointed free after 2 minutes of the second half but two points in the 7^th and 8^th minutes of the second half from Ciara Gorman and Karen Maloney left three points between the teams. Waterford were rocked by a Ciara Gorman goal in the 9^th minute to level matters and the St Mary’s club player Gorman who was proving to be a real thorn in the Déise side goaled again in the 14^th minute to leave the home side with a lead that they would protect to the end of the game. Gorman scored another pointed free in the 16^th minute to stretch the lead to four. Try as they might Waterford found it hard to break down a resolute Sligo defence and the only reward was a consolation point for Abbeyside’s Róisín Tobin in the 24^th minute but it was too little, too late and the home team picked up two very valuable league points on the final score line Sligo 2-7 Waterford 0-11.

Waterford ---- Jess Fitzgerald, Mairéad Wall, Michelle McGrath, Kate McGrath, Dearbhaile Ní Aodha, Caoimhe McGrath, Megan Dunford, Karen McGrath, Hannah Power, Emma Murray(0-1),  Nicola Fennell(0-2), Geraldine Power(0-2), Róisín Tobin(0-2), Aileen Wall(0-1), Lauren McGregor(0-3).

Sligo ---- Noelle Gormley, Michelle McNamara, Gráinne O’ Loughlin, Jacqui Mulligan, Etna Flanagan, Elise Codd, Anne Marie Coleman Bernice Byrne, Stephanie O’Reilly(0-1), Rachel Monaghan, Karen Maloney(0-2), Ciara Gorman(2-4), Mary Ann O’Kennedy

This defeat means that Waterford sit mid-table on four points from three outings and will be looking to return to winning ways in their next league match which is at home on Saturday next 25^th against Kildare at 2:00 at a venue to be confirmed.