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Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Footballers face stiff opener in Leitrim
BY PHIL FANNING
New Waterford senior football manager John Owens faces a difficult start to his league campaign as he and his charges make the long trip to Carrick on Shannon this weekend to face a Leitrim side whose manager Mickey Moran, formerly of Derry fame, insists should be in a higher division.
Last year it was Waterford who put paid to his promotion ambitions with a 3 – 7 to 1 – 10 win in Dungarvan, two of the goals coming from Liam O’Lionain and the other from a Thomas O’Gorman penalty, and no doubt that result will be used as a huge motivating factor for the home team on Sunday.
Waterford’s only serious outing this year to date was against Kerry in the McGrath Cup at Killarney and that was a game they game very close to winning against a strong Kerry side for whom Kieran Donaghy proved the saviour with two late goals.
It is probably safe to assume that the Waterford line up on Sunday will be very much along the lines of that which played in Killarney with Thomas O’Gorman moving into the starting fifteen on this occasion while it is hoped that Liam O’Lionain will have put his injury woes behind him to take his place in attack.
There is a wealth of experience in this Waterford side, most of whom soldiered under John Kiely and went very close to grabbing promotion over the past two years.
Thomas Wall continues in goal and he will be fronted by a defence that includes the O’Gorman twins, Shane Briggs, Paul Ogle and John Phelan, players who have been through it all before.
Mick Ahearne is likely to take up his customary position in midfield and his partner could depend on the line up in attack where there is serious competition for places with Wayne Hennessy, Liam O’Lionain, Brian Wall, Stephen Cunningham and Michael O’Gorman in competition with impressive youngsters in Conor McGrath, Michael Donnely and Robert Ahearne.
Leitrim suffered a disappointing defeat to neighbours Sligo in the Connacht FBD League last Sunday, going down by 1 – 12 to 0 – 9. It will be remembered that Waterford lost out to Sligo in a promotion game on their last visit to the Northwest, a game Waterford should have won, so there is obviously very little between the teams on that form line.
It must be remembered however that against Sligo the Waterford side included Gary Hurney, Shane Walsh and Liam Lawlor, all of whom are now totally committed to the county hurlers and their loss to the footballers is huge.
Sunday next is a real pressure game for the footballers whereas victory would put them in a strong position to challenge for promotion with a good series of home games to follow. Defeat would make it an uphill struggle from there on in.
The management and panel are working very well together and they have every chance of repeating last years win over the same opposition.
Sunday Next at Ballinamore Allianz N. F. L. Div. 4 – Leitrim Vs Waterford at 2pm
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