Munster Express Online

Longford 1-16; Waterford 3-10

Waterford traveled to Emmet Park, Killoe on Sunday hoping to maintain their unbeaten record in their final round-robin match of the Intermediate Championship. At the final whistle they were very lucky to come away with a share of the points after a below par performance. Waterford will have to wait until next weekend to find out who their semi-final opponents will be, but most likely it will be either Donegal or Cavan.

Michelle Ryan opened the scoring for Waterford two minutes into the game after Sinead Ryan had been fouled and Ryan was on target to score a good point from play on six minutes. Waterford didn’t score again until the twentieth minute when Grainne Kenneally and Michelle McGrath got on the scoreboard in the space of two minutes. Waterford’s final score of the half was another Michelle Ryan free after Sinead Ryan had been cynically fouled as she headed towards goal in the twenty seventh minute.

The first half belonged to Longford with their players first to the ball on every occasion. The Longford tactics dragged the Waterford defenders all over the pitch leaving acres of space in front of the Waterford goal. Waterford’s keeper, Ciara Kearney, made a good save as early as the 4th minute to deny Longford and opening goal. Two minutes later Longfords Ann Marie Bratton got a goal on the counter attack after a Waterford attack had broken down. By the end of the first quarter Waterford were behind on a score line of 1-5 to 0-2. Waterford rang the changes with the introduction of Maria Delahunty and Anne Dunphy after 20 minutes and this helped to stem the Longford tide. Waterford went into the half time break 1-8 to 0-5 behind.

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