Waterford reach final to end 78 year wait after enthralling encounter against Tipp
HISTORIC DAY: The Waterford team celebrates after defeating Tipperary to reach the counties first final in 78 years. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Waterford’s breakthrough women scored a famous semi-final victory to secure the county’s first All-Ireland camogie final appearance since 1945.
That defeat to Antrim all of 78 years ago had, until 4.55pm early on Saturday evening, represented the county’s one and only final appearance.
Against that backdrop, this was a seismic victory. And an equally seismic breakthrough.
Most impressive of all was the manner in which Sean Power’s charges got the job done.
Trailing by 1-7 to 0-3 after 19 minutes, Waterford’s comeback effort involved holding their opponents to just two points in the ensuing 37 minutes. During that period, they themselves struck 1-9 to turn a seven-point deficit into a three-point lead. A 10-point turnaround.
Karen Kennedy’s point on 57 minutes to reduce the gap to two was Tipperary’s first score in 18 minutes. Having been completely swamped in attack and subdued across the remainder of the field for so much of the second period, the Premier pressed intensely at the finish to force extra-time.
A Cait Devane injury-time free left the minimum between them, but no equaliser could they find.
On top of their second half disappearing act, Denis Kelly’s side will rue an Eimear McGrath missed ‘45 and Karen Kennedy blocked goal effort at the death.
Today’s result marks the county’s fifth All-Ireland semi-final defeat in six seasons.
The final whistle scenes were something special. An eruption of white in the two main stands. Of the four counties involved, the Déise had travelled in the largest numbers.
At the root of this win was the scintillating and unmarkable Beth Carton.
Of the five unanswered points Waterford hit between the 46th and 57th minute to go from two behind to three in front, centre-forward Beth hit all bar one. Two of her four were frees, one of which she won herself.
The other standout Waterford player was tireless midfielder Lorraine Bray. It was rather fitting that this pair jumped straight into each other’s embrace when referee Liz Dempsey sounded for full-time.
Waterford’s second half short passing game was superbly executed. There was so little wastage of possession. They packed the middle third and then utilised the pockets of space further up to allow Carton and her supporting cast thrive.
Nineteen minutes into the first half, Waterford were in grave danger of being cut adrift. Their afternoon was in danger of being over before it ever really began.
Come half-time, Waterford had closed the deficit to the minimum. Come half-time, Waterford had all the momentum.
Waterford’s concession of a 19th minute goal was self-inflicted. During a first half where the rain poured, faffing around with possession close to your own 20-metre line was the worst course of action to be taking.
And when Vikki Faulkner’s short pass didn’t stick to a fellow white shirt, Tipperary pounced and punished. Roisin Howard put Cait Devane in the clear. From there, there was only going to be one outcome.
Tipp’s now 1-7 to 0-3 lead had a couple of soft frees included in it. Nonetheless, they were the more clinical side in possession. They were the more threatening pressing forward. Eimear McGrath and Devane did their bit from the dead ball. Howard, Caoimhe Maher, and Grace O’Brien were on target from play.
But instead of building on their 19th minute goal and their seven-point advantage, Tipperary didn’t score for the remainder of the half.
The Waterford goal that pressed the green button took an age to be finished. A point attempt dropped short spent a lifetime in the Tipperary large rectangle before eventually Mairead Power found the net.
Annie Fitzgerald and the irresistible Carton (0-2, one free) added logs to the spreading Déise fire. 1-7 to 1-6 the interval scoreline.
From bossed to buoyant. From outsiders to camogie's breakthrough bunch.
: B Carton (0-8, 0-4 frees); M Power (1-0); A Flynn (0-2); B O’Regan (0-1 free), A Fitzgerald (0-1 each).
: C Devane (1-3, 0-3 frees); E McGrath (0-4, 0-4 frees); K Kennedy, R Howard, C Maher, G O’Brien (0-1 each).
B O’Regan; V Faulkner, L Forrest, K Lynch; O Hickey, C Carroll, K Corbett Barry; A Flynn, L Bray; M O’Brien, B Carton, R Walsh; M Power, N Rockett, A Fitzgerald.
: C Griffin for Walsh (40); A Corcoran for O’Brien (52); A Landers for Carroll (58); R Kirwan for Griffin (62).
: Á Slattery; E Loughman, M Eviston, K Kennedy; T Ryan, J Bourke, A McGrath; K Blair, C Hennessy; R Howard, C Maher, E McGrath; G O’Brien, C McIntyre, C Devane.
: C McCarthy for Blair (36); C Quirke for Hennessy (39); N Treacy for E McGrath (62).
: L Dempsey (Kilkenny).
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