Waterford Ladies Prepare for Tipp Tussle

Waterford Intermediate Ladies face Tipperary in Munster championship.

Following a short break for the state exams, the Munster championship returns with round 2 of the round robin games. Waterford face near neighbours and close rivals Tipperary in Fraher Field on Saturday next at 4:30 in what promises to be a tense encounter. The two counties had contrasting results in the opening round with Waterford overcoming Limerick and Tipperary narrowly losing out away to championship favourites Clare in the dying minutes.

Waterford have now put the league final performance behind them and are intent on winning the Munster crown for an unprecedented seventh time in a row. Tipperary have settled back into playing impressive football this year and gave Waterford a major fright in Ardfinnan when the two sides met in the league earlier in the year. The Waterford team will probably be on expected lines and will not show too many changes from the side that beat Limerick. The Premier County will look to girls of the calibre of Aisling Mc Carthy, Lorraine O Shea, Sarah Everard and Gillian O Brien in the forward line to make life difficult for the Deise girls. Bernie Ryan and Breda Feeney are a formidable mid field pairing and their duel with the Waterford midfield pairing will be worth the admission alone. An interesting feature of the match will be the fact that three of the Tipperary team play their club football with  Ballymacarbry so club  training sessions in the Mill Field for the last two weeks must have been very interesting to say the least.

Waterford are progressing well at the moment the backs look strong with Megan Dunford, Elaine Power, Linda Wall and the Mc Grath sisters Karen and Michelle playing some excellent football at  the moment. Up front the Waterford forwards are capable of racking up some high scores. Mary Foley has a new lease of life scoring a goal and two points on the team’s last outing. Aileen Wall’s tireless running along with the accuracy of Maria Delahunty and Sinead Ryan from play and placed balls will ensure that the Tipperary defence will have a busy day at the office.

Saturday promises to be a great game of football between two committed and well prepared teams and there will not be more than a couple of points between the sides. Waterford’s form since the start of the year has been impressive and their experience should stand to them in what promises to be a thriller. Throw-in, in Fraher Field on Saturday next June 20^th is at 4:30.