Waterford Ladies
football team continue their journey in the All Ireland series on Saturday next
with a quarter final encounter with Leinster champions and raging hot
favourites Dublin. Waterford come into this game on the back of a two point win
over Cavan two weeks ago. In a novel pairing the Déise meet the Dubs for the
first time in championship football in ten years.
In that game played in Carlow, Dublin came out narrow winners on a one point
margin 3-9 to 3-8.From that Dublin team two of their players are still in
action captain Sinéad Ahearn and Sinéad Finnegan while four of the Waterford
starting fifteen – Karen McGrath, Michelle McGrath, Michelle Ryan and Aileen
Wall are still performing for the Déise.
Dublin have reached
the quarter final as Leinster champions and indeed they had a very easy and
impressive passage through the provincial championship with comprehensive wins
over Laois and Westmeath respectively. Dublin reached the semi final of
division 1 of the National League where they were beaten by Cork by six points
on a score-line of Cork 1-16 Dublin 0-13.This Dublin team is strong throughout
the field—Ciara Trant has developed into a wonderful goalkeeper and defenders
of the calibre of Niamh Collins, Leah Caffrey and Sinéad Goldrick will make
life uncomfortable for any forwards. Midfielder Lauren Magee is exceptionally
strong in that position and provides a great supply of possession to the Dublin
forwards where Carla Rowe, Sinéad Ahearn, Nicole Owens, Siobhán Woods and
Lyndsey Davey, who incidentally has strong Dungarvan family connections, have
the ability to punish any team.
Waterford have had a
wonderful season so far, defeating Cork and Kerry in the round robin series of
games before narrowly losing to Kerry in the Munster final in early July. The
team has regrouped well since then and showed their mettle and determination to
come back after going behind to Cavan in the closing stages of the last round,
to pull it out of the fire with a well taken late, late goal to ensure the
victory.
The Waterford team
has a settled look about it, Katie Hannon returned to goals against Cavan
following an injury lay-off. In the full back line Megan Dunford, Caoimhe McGrath
and Kate McGrath have performed heroics against difficult and talented forwards
in all their games so far. Against Cavan, Dearbhaile Ní hAodha, Karen McGrath
and Aoife Murray, who slotted in seamlessly for an injured Michelle McGrath
were very impressive. The Waterford mid-field, Mairéad Wall and Emma Murray are
hard working and cover acres of the field. Up front the forwards have been in
very good form all through the championship campaign, all six starting forwards
scored against Cork and four of the starting players Katie Murray, Eimear
Fennell, Maria Delahunty and Michelle Ryan as well as Aileen Wall with her
golden goal all scored from play against Cavan. The Waterford forwards also
have an eye for goal, Róisín Tobin has netted three in the championship so far
and Gráinne Kenneally netted a vital one against Cork.
Waterford have a number
of injury worries ahead of the match against Dublin but hopefully these will
have cleared and manager Pat Sullivan will have a full panel of players to pick
from. This will be Waterford’s biggest test to date as Dublin are acknowledged
to be the strongest of favourites to lift the All Ireland title and erase the
heartache of last year’s controversial result. They have been runners up now
for three years in a row and have won five consecutive Leinster titles. This
impressive pedigree will not faze the Waterford management and players one bit.
Waterford already have taken three notable scalps already this year—All Ireland
champions Cork, Kerry and Cavan. They are a well prepared, resilient group of
players who know how to dig out a result in tight circumstances. They will not
be lacking in ability, determination and a self belief that they can beat any
team left in the championship.
This game takes
place on Saturday next August 12th
at a venue to be confirmed with a 4:45
throw-in.
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