Waterford claimed their first piece of silverware in eight years on a wet and windy Easter Sunday at FBD Semple Stadium, with a convincing victory over South East rivals Wexford in the Very Division 1B final. The Déise were in fine form, with player of the match Beth Carton leading the charge with eight points in a superb display player of the match display.
Speaking after the game, Waterford captain Lorraine Bray praised her team's performance: "A brilliant win and a phenomenal effort from the girls out there today. We worked for each other the whole way through the game. Even when we knew we were ahead, we kept going, we kept driving and going at Wexford. That’s what you want to see, we didn’t let up at any stage."
This was Sean Power's first year in charge of the team, and he has already made his mark with their attacking style of play. "They’re as good as I’ve ever worked with," he said of his players. "Totally dedicated, they absorb information, they really want to improve, they’re so proud of their county and there’s a great camaraderie between them all. Everything you want in a county set-up."
Waterford won all six of their Division 1B games this season, racking up a total of 91 points and earning promotion back to the top flight for 2024. "That’s where we want to be playing camogie," Bray said. "Hopefully, this is the start of it now."
In the final, it wasn't just Beth Carton who starred for Waterford. Lively corner forward Annie Fitzgerald also put in a standout performance, firing five points from play and causing problems for the Wexford defence all afternoon. Abby Flynn raised a green flag in the first half, while 2020 All-Star Niamh Rockett struck three points. Nine different players got on the scoresheet, showcasing the team's strength in depth.
Waterford keeper Brianna O’Regan made a big save early on, while defenders Vikki Falconer and Clodagh Carroll also caught the eye with their solid performances.
Despite a strong start from Wexford, who were dealt a blow before throw-in when top scorer Ciara O'Connor was ruled out through injury, Waterford took control early on. Carton hit back with three points in a row from play, while Fitzgerald and Bray also split the posts as Power's side opened up a 6-1 advantage. On the quarter hour, Fitzgerald and Carton set up Abby Flynn for a well-worked goal, her fourth of the Division 1B campaign.
Wexford replied straight away as full forward Chloe Foxe goaled at the other end, but the next four points belonged to Waterford with Anne Corcoran, Flynn, Fitzgerald, and Rockett all on target. The Déise team's heads-up camogie caused the Wexford defence all sorts of problems, and Laura Brennan denied Fitzgerald late in the half, but Carton popped over the 45 that followed. A Carton free, her sixth point of the afternoon, gave Waterford a 1-12 to 1-3 advantage at the break.
The second half was all Waterford, as they piled on the pressure and put the game out of reach for Wexford. Fitzgerald was on fire and added three more points to her tally, while Rockett tagged on two further singles. Nine points on the spin put this South East decider to bed. Power had the luxury of using all eight subs, with Roisin Kirwan and Mairead O'Brien getting in on the act before the final whistle.
Waterford 1-22
Wexford 1-6
Scorers for Waterford: B Carton 0-8 (4fs, 1 45), A Fitzgerald 0-5, A Flynn 1-1, N Rockett 0-3, M O’Brien, R Kirwan, C Griffin, A Corcoran, L Bray 0-1 each.
Scorers for Wexford: C Foxe 1-0, A Curran 0-3 (2fs), L Bolger, A Neville, C Cashe (45) 0-1 each.
Waterford: B O’Regan; V Falconer, I Heffernan, K Lynch; M Power, C Carroll, O Hickey; L Bray, C Griffin; A Corcoran, R Walsh, B Carton; A Fitzgerald, A Flynn, N Rockett. Subs: M O’Brien for Corcoran (41), A Landers for Lynch (49), R Kirwan for Walsh (51), K Corbett Barry for M Power (52), T Power for Griffin (52), N Curran for Falconer (56), O Whelan for Rockett (56), M O’Regan for Flynn.
Wexford: L Brennan; M O’Dowd, E Walsh, R Cooney; A Dunne, C Storey, O Sinnott; S O’Connor, C Cashe; K Kirwan, A Curran, A Lacey; L Bolger, C Foxe, L Walsh. Subs: M Byrne for Walsh (HT), M Sinnott for Cooney (41), E Tomkins for Leacy (47), A Neville for Cashe (48), E O’Connor for Curran (64).
Referee: J Dermody (Westme h)
