Waterford Camogie prevail in extra-time Ennis epic
Waterford Camogie get over Clare challenge in Munster Senior Championship battle in Ennis. Photo: Noel Browne
Waterford marched on to the Munster Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals, but they did so by the skin of their teeth - coming out the right side of a titanic tussle at Cusack Park as they saw off Clare by the minimum after extra-time.
The sides were level ten times as they simply couldn’t be separated, before a late, late winner from Róisín Kirwan ensured Déise delirium and broke Banner hearts.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Waterford brought their own brightness from the off. They took the lead after 50 seconds when Máiréad O’Brien teed up Lorraine Bray, but the hosts responded quickly through Áine O’Loughlin.
A superb run and score through the middle from O’Brien re-established the advantage, but a fine point from Lorna McNamara made it honours even once more. The Déise were then dealt a blow as Orla Hickey succumbed to a knee injury, but they responded well, reeling off four on the spin.
A Niamh Rockett free was followed by two in quick succession by Abby Flynn as she combined with De La Salle teammates Beth Carton and Keeley Corbett Barry, before Rockett judged the breeze perfectly to make it 0-6 to 0-2.
The game roared back into life on 22 minutes when Clare struck the opening goal. A ruck emerged outside the Déise penalty area, and Andrea O’Keeffe broke free from Clodagh Carroll before belting the sliotar into the right-hand corner, and it was a one-point affair.
Captain Bray did her utmost to settle growing nerves, but a deft flick and a dead ball from McNamara levelled matters approaching half-time.
Ellen Casey then teed up the Feakle-Killanena star to give the Banner the lead for the first time, but a Ciara Sherlock ensured the sides were locked together at the break, 1-5 to 0-8.
Annie Fitzgerald and McNamara traded blows upon the resumption, before another Rockett free was responded to by a well-taken score from substitute Aoife Anderson. Clare were hitting a purple patch by this point, and struck oil for a second time on 37 minutes.
A McNamara attempt cannoned off the upright but dropped down fortuitously to the onrushing O’Loughlin, who gratefully slid to find the net. She then turned provider to Anderson, and Clare found themselves four in front.
Waterford looked for an instant reply as Flynn teed up O’Brien, but her goalbound effort was blocked well by Doireann Murphy. Rockett brought the gap back to three from the requisite 45, but she and Fitzgerald were getting very little to say the least from referee Colm Maher, who let the hosts away with persistent ill-discipline.
Substitutes Róisín Kirwan and Bevin Bowdren made an immediate impact upon their introduction, Kirwan teeing up the superb Alannah O’Sullivan before Bowdren was promoted from a Lorraine Bray pass to reduce arrears to one.
Andrea O’Keeffe and Bowdren both found the target, either side of McNamara and Rockett frees, before the impressive Róisín McMahon got in on the act for the Division 1B champions.
Trailing by two with five minutes left, Waterford needed inspiration. Carton teed up Rockett, before the St. Anne’s star knocked over another dead ball, and the sides were level for a seventh occasion.
Both sides were keen to go for it with little left on the clock, and it looked like Waterford had finally got over the line when Annie Fitzgerald provided a fantastic turn and score, but a 59th-minute free from McNamara under pressure made it 2-12 to 0-18 going into added time.
As extra time loomed, Waterford’s provincial campaign very nearly ended, but for an incredible hook by Alannah McNulty on McNamara which helped bring about the additional 20 minutes.
Zi Yan Spillane put the Banner in front at the beginning of extra time, but patiently worked moves were capped off by O’Sullivan and Fitzgerald, and Waterford again edged in front.
A spill from Doireann Murphy then presented Rockett with a golden opportunity to raise a green flag, but her effort was brilliantly blocked by Niamh Mulqueen, and the Déise had to settle for a point. Mulqueen then fouled Rockett, and she picked herself up to tap over, before another from Spillane kept Clare on their heels.
More Rockett precision from frees made it 0-23 to 2-14 at the extra-time interval, and when Carton finally wriggled free of the attentions of the fantastic Abby Walsh, it started to look like this would finally be Waterford’s day.
A McNamara free made it a three-point affair with three minutes left, and the same player was then presented with a free as the clock was against Clare. On 78 minutes - she dropped a beautiful ball into the area, and Aisling Cooney rose highest before swivelling and striking through the crowd to billow the net. 3-15 to 0-24, level for a tenth occasion and extra extra time loomed.
The character displayed by the Déise amidst adversity was admirable all day long - and with the last play, they engineered a precise move from Brianna O’Regan’s puckout. Mick Boland’s side worked the ball through the hands all the way up to Kirwan, and she clipped the sweetest of strikes to bend back between the uprights to finally bring this pulsating contest to a close.
81 minutes of enthralling action, but Waterford live to tell the tale. Kerry stand in the way of the Déise and a place in the provincial final on May Bank Holiday weekend.
Lorna McNamara (0-8; 0-4f); Áine O’Loughlin and Andrea O’Keeffe (1-1 each); Aisling Cooney (1-0); Aoife Anderson and Zi Yan Spillane (0-2 each); Róisín McMahon (0-1)
Niamh Rockett (0-10; 0-7f; 0-2 ‘45); Annie Fitzgerald (0-3); Abby Flynn, Lorraine Bray, Alannah O’Sullivan and Bevin Bowdren (0-2 each); Máiréad O’Brien, Ciara Sherlock, Beth Carton and Róisín Kirwan (0-1 each)
Doireann Murphy; Susan Daly, Sinead O’Keeffe, Niamh Mulqueen; Muireann Scanlon, Abby Walsh, Clare Hehir; Róisín McMahon, Danielle Griffin; Zi Yan Spillane, Andrea O’Keeffe, Ellen Casey; Lynda Daly, Lorna McNamara, Aine O’Loughlin.
Aoife Anderson for Susan Daly (13, inj); Caoimhe Carmody for Ellen Casey (43); Aisling Cooney for Aoife Anderson (55); Maeve Millea for Lynda Daly (60); Ellen Casey for Áine O’Loughlin (70); Áine O’Loughlin for Sinead O’Keeffe (78)
Brianna O’Regan; Alannah McNulty, Keeley Corbett Barry, Vikki Falconer; Rachael Walsh, Clodagh Carroll, Ciara Sherlock; Orla Hickey, Lorraine Bray; Mairead O’Brien, Beth Carton, Annie Fitzgerald; Abby Flynn, Niamh Rockett, Maggie Gostl.
Alannah O’Sullivan for Orla Hickey (15, inj); Róisín Kirwan for Abby Flynn (40); Bevin Bowdren for Maggie Gostl (40); Laoise Forrest for Ciara Sherlock (56); Abby Flynn for Mairead O’Brien (72); Sarah Lacey for Annie Fitzgerald (76)
Colm Maher (Cork)
