Waterford bow out to powerful Premier

All Ireland Senior Camogie Quarter Final

Tipperary 1-14 Waterford 1-7

 

A devastated Déise left the field to a loud cheer from the travelling support upon their All Ireland championship exit to Tipperary on a sunny Saturday evening. A terrific opening twenty minutes gave the Premier County the platform to reach their first All Ireland semi final in ten years.

Tipp lost the three previous quarter finals and they made that experience count against an edgy Waterford who started slowly and failed to score for the last 24 minutes. Déise boss Donal O’Rourke admitted they were below their best. They lifted the tempo either side of half time however and the game hung in the balance until Cait Devane’s 62nd minute free drifted over Ciara Jackman and into the back of the net. Another Devane free at the death gave Tipp a rather flattering seven-point winning margin.

The blue and gold set their stall out in the first half as they outmuscled their opponents and led by seven on two occasions. Waterford crowded the middle but Tipp bossed that sector. They also pressurised the Déise backs and forced errors. Captain Orla O’Dwyer was named player of the match for her work rate, darting runs and three points from play. Ciardha Maher equalled that total. The Tipp defence limited the Waterford attack to three scores from play and only gave away four dead ball chances to Beth Carton.

The Déise leaders rose up to reduce the gap to two points. Centre back Aine Lyng got stuck in, Lorraine Bray lit up the second half at midfield while Niamh Rockett shot two points, won two frees and supplied a point for Bray. Carton was watched closely by her UL team mates in the Tipp defence but still imposed herself at centre forward. With 3-36 in five championship matches, she is a cert for an All Star.

O’Rourke made one change from the win over Clare as Aoife Landers replaced Claire Whyte. Waterford deployed Lyng as sweeper with Kaiesha Tobin and Carton up top. Mary Ryan was left loose for Tipp.

Waterford enjoyed a seven-point head start against Limerick and Clare but they played catch-up this time. This was a step up in intensity and the scoreboard read 0-8 to 0-1 after 20 minutes. Six Tipp players raised white flags including five members of the attack. O’Dwyer was a prominent figure on the left wing. Grace O’Brien also had a goal disallowed by referee Owen Elliot as Cait Devane barged into Lyng in the build-up. Tipp’s main markswoman was responsible for three first half points (two frees). Carton contributed a seventh minute free after Rockett threatened a goal.

With the inside forwards working off scraps, Carton moved out to centre forward. They matched Tipp’s physicality for the rest of the half. Carton’s 45 was Waterford’s first score in fourteen minutes. Rockett followed that up with a spectacular effort after Carton grabbed a Jackman puckout and sprayed the ball out to the left wing. Lyng then broke a hurley off Devane as she advanced but Elliot signalled a free out. Carton put in a block and earned a free that she sent between the posts. Waterford were at the pitch of the game at last.

On the half hour mark, the chasers got a lifeline. Carton fended off two defenders to squeeze in a point attempt off her left side and the sliotar dipped under Burke’s crossbar to leave them only two behind. In the three additional minutes, Tipp answered that goal with two points via O’Brien and O’Dwyer (0-11 to 1-4).

Claire Whyte and Mairead Power were introduced at half time for Landers and injured captain Shauna Kiernan. Within thirty seconds of the restart, Carton and Rockett featured in a move which Bray finished off. The Cappoquin midfielder then claimed a Tipp puckout and sent Rockett into space. The Déise vice-captain closed the gap to two again. O’Dwyer responded with her third point from 45 metres. Tipp sub Sarah Fryday stung the side netting before Carton dispatched her fourth placed ball on 39 minutes, Waterford’s last point of the evening (0-12 to 1-7).

Between that score and Devane’s injury time free, only Ciardha Maher managed to register as a wasteful Tipp struggled to close this game out. They were guilty of seven second half wides and ten in total. Miriam Campion palmed the ball wide with the goal at her mercy while O’Dwyer and Devane saw points ruled out by the hesitant umpires at the City End.

Off limited supply, Waterford searched desperately for an equalising goal but couldn’t break down the Premier wall. With nine minutes left, Carton’s flick was batted away and Kate McMahon’s follow-up effort was blocked down. Lyng dropped two frees around the square but both came to nought.

Only a goal separated them when Devane addressed a late free at midfield. It flew into the net and Tipp were back in the last four. Waterford can reflect on a season of progress where they mixed with the top teams in both league and championship.

Scorers for Tipperary: Cait Devane 1-4 (1-3fs), Orla O’Dwyer, Ciardha Maher 0-3 each, Grace O’Brien 0-2, Laura Loughnane, Caoimhe Maher 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: Beth Carton 1-4 (3fs, 1 45), Niamh Rockett 0-2, Lorraine Bray 0-1.

Tipperary: Caoimhe Burke; Julie Anne Bourke, Gemma Grace, Clodagh Quirke; Caroline Mullaney, Karen Kennedy, Mary Ryan; Laura Loughnane, Ereena Fryday; Ciardha Maher, Caoimhe Maher, Orla O’Dwyer; Grace O’Brien, Cait Devane, Roisin Cahill.

Subs: Sarah Fryday for Cahill, Miriam Campion for Caoimhe Maher, Casey Hennessy for Loughnane, Eibhlis McDonnell for O’Brien.

Waterford: Ciara Jackman; Kate Lynch, Iona Heffernan, Sibeal Harney; Lorraine Bray, Aine Lyng, Shauna Kiernan; Deirdre Fahy, Aoife Landers; Annie Fitzgerald, Fiona Morrissey, Niamh Rockett; Orla Hickey, Beth Carton, Kaiesha Tobin.

Subs: Aisling Power for Morrissey, Claire Whyte for Landers, Mairead Power for Kiernan, Kate McMahon for Hickey.

Referee: Owen Elliot (Antrim)

 

Déise minors rule Munster

 

Munster Minor A Camogie Final

Waterford 2-11 Cork 1-11 

The Waterford minors celebrated their first Munster A title in Fermoy last Wednesday night after a hard-fought win over All Ireland champions Cork.

Two Abby Flynn goals sent them seven points up after sixteen minutes but Kevin Barry’s charges had to survive a second half onslaught to get their hands on provincial silverware. A crazy pitch invasion from management, subs, parents and fans followed the full time whistle before captain Shauna Fitzgerald raised the cup.

When Cork piled on the pressure, Gailltir’s Kate Lynch stood firm and carried her team out of danger. The number five, who deputised for regular centre back Mary Kate Curran, deservedly collected the player of the match award. The strong and skilful Flynn thrived both at full forward and further out the field. Kaiesha Tobin’s accuracy from frees was also a decisive factor. Cork squandered four dead ball opportunities and had three different free takers.

Waterford started training last November and Barry knew all along that this talented group could produce a trophy. Flynn (2-1) and Tobin (0-7) starred up front but all six forwards rolled up their sleeves. Clodagh Carroll hit a point in each half, Ciara O’Sullivan put in unselfish work, Sarah Lacey made her presence count in attack and defence and Annie Fitzgerald was fouled persistently. Midfielders Keeley Corbett Barry and Clara Griffin scavenged for dirty possession all night. The six defenders and goalkeeper Megan Foran threw their bodies in the way during a testing second half.

Referee Mike Flannery surprisingly didn’t have any linesmen for this final and only three umpires were on duty. Cork centre forward Saoirse McCarthy converted a 45 inside a minute. It took Waterford seven minutes before Flynn and Tobin created a point for Clodagh Carroll. Flynn then won a free which Tobin struck over. After Megan Foran denied the lively Aoife Hurley, McCarthy nailed another 45.

On 12 minutes, Tobin chased a long ball from Clara Griffin. The Dungarvan attacker couldn’t control the sliotar but Flynn arrived on the scene. She beat two defenders before she delivered a hand pass to the roof of the net. Annie Fitzgerald drew a free in the right corner and Tobin punished Cork’s indiscipline. Griffin then secured possession at midfield and passed to Kate Lynch who aimed another delivery towards Flynn at the edge of the square. The De La Salle forward kept her cool to drive home a low shot. Two goals in four minutes and the old scoreboard in Fermoy displayed a seven-point lead (2-3 to 0-2).

Jerry Wallace rearranged the Cork fifteen and they bounced back with three white flags. McCarthy also pulled two scoreable frees wide. Tobin interrupted that purple patch with a free at the other end. After making a double substitution, Cork cut the deficit to three. Sarah Lacey and Ciara O’Sullivan manufactured late frees however and Tobin slotted both to leave Waterford five in front at the break (2-6 to 0-7).

Cork were keen to make inroads at the start of the second half but Moira Barrett and Cliona Healy wasted easy point chances. Shauna Fitzgerald then blocked down Barrett and Foran smothered Aine Keating. McCarthy was off target with another free before the ladies in red got the goal they deserved on 38 minutes. Foran was hooked after she gathered a stray Cork shot and Ellen Murphy fired to the net. Fiona Keating pointed off the next attack (2-6 to 1-8).

Waterford reacted with the next two scores. Tobin popped over her sixth free after she was brought down. O’Sullivan’s stick pass then found Carroll who sidestepped her marker and shot her second point. Cork used Laura Hayes as a sweeper in front of Tobin, Flynn and Fitzgerald but Waterford stayed patient. Tobin added her first from play before Lynch’s solo run out of defence led to a Flynn point. 2-10 to 1-9 entering the last ten minutes.

Rebel sub Cliona Healy, who impressed at full forward, left only a goal between them. Sarah Lacey made the ball stick throughout the second half and eased the pressure on her colleagues. A late point was just reward for her endeavours. Healy saw a shot batted away for a 45 which she directed between the uprights.

There was goalmouth activity at both ends in a frantic finish. Tobin collected a last gasp free deep in her own half to keep Cork at bay. Flannery played five additional minutes but Waterford’s three-point advantage remained intact and a historic result was secured.

Scorers for Waterford: Abby Flynn 2-1, Kaiesha Tobin 0-7 (6fs), Clodagh Carroll 0-2, Sarah Lacey 0-1.

Scorers for Cork: Ellen Murphy 1-2, Cliona Healy 0-3 (1f, 1 45), Saoirse McCarthy (2 45s), Fiona Keating 0-2 each, Emma Murphy (f), Aoife Hurley 0-1 each.

Waterford: Megan Foran; Izabella Markiezch, Shauna Fitzgerald, Hannah Flynn; Leah Sheridan, Kate Lynch, Roisin Dunphy; Keeley Corbett Barry, Clara Griffin; Clodagh Carroll, Ciara O’Sullivan, Abby Flynn; Kaiesha Tobin, Sarah Lacey, Annie Fitzgerald.

Sub: Aoife Fitzgerald for Carroll.

Cork: Sarah Ahern; Ciara Murphy, Miriam Cotter, Emily Buckley; Ellen O’Regan, Laura Hayes, Lucy Wallace; Moira Barrett, Emma Murphy; Suzanne Bateman, Saoirse McCarthy, Sally McCarthy; Ellen Murphy, Fiona Keating, Aoife Hurley.

Subs: Orla Keating for Wallace, Aine Keating for Sally McCarthy, Cliona Healy for Bateman, Ciara O’Sullivan for Ellen Murphy.

Referee: Mike Flannery (Limerick)