Deise’s stunning comeback pips the Premier at Piltown
Dermot Keyes reports
True grit: Gráinne Kenneally attacks the Tipperary defence during Sunday's NFL Division Three opener at Piltown. | Photo: Joe Cashin
Waterford never led in regulation time during last Sunday’s National Ladies Football League Division Three opener against Tipperary at Piltown.
But when it mattered most, Pat Sullivan’s All-Ireland champions dug incredibly deep to secure a superb opening round (0-18 to 2-11) victory in a match whose quality levels matched the drama both teams produced during a wind-swept 65 minutes of play.
Sunday’s win wasn’t forged on the foundation of winter training which the team skippered by Sinead Ryan is still working on. Nor was it moulded purely by the manner of their magnificent All-Ireland Intermediate title last Autumn.
The crushing memory of that NFL Final defeat to Sligo at Parnell Park last May, the one blot on the 2015 copybook, is the cause they’ve built this year’s League campaign around. They’ve already got that lean and hungry look.
“I’m thrilled with the win,” said Waterford manager Pat Sullivan as his charges conducted a warm-down on one of the few playable pitches in the south east last weekend.
“Tipperary are seven to eight weeks ahead of everybody in this division in terms of training – they’ve been together since last October – they’d be fancying their chances of winning the League so to get the win, and to win it the way we did – with the last attack of the game – was very satisfying.
“They gained great experience from last year – you can’t buy that kind of experience for players and you certainly can’t coach it into them. But when you start winning tight games like we did last year, that gives a group great belief – it makes you feel like no-one can beat you.”
At half-time, having played into a strong wind, Waterford trailed by 1-10 to 0-7, critically landing two of the half’s final three scores to keep them in touching distance of an excellent Tipperary outfit.
Pat Sullivan added: “Even at half-time, I felt we were going to turn it around, even if we hadn’t played particularly well in the first half. But every one in that dressing room knew what they had to do when they came back out for the second half, and their work rate was immense.”
Michelle Ryan, Linda Wall and match winner Aileen Wall, along with superb wing back Katie Murray, ensured Waterford remained in the contest, ‘winning’ the second half by 0-10 to 1-1. And with captain Sinead Ryan punishing Tipp’s indiscipline by converting seven frees, this was a job brilliantly done by a team with massive ambitions in both League and Championship.
The Deise ladies’ success was a welcome ray of light for Waterford GAA, on a day when their male counterparts cruelly went down in their NFL opener in Aughrim, while De La Salle suffered Harty Cup semi-final heartbreak in Bansha 24 hours previously.
The women in white and blue have made winning a habit, and let’s hope they maintain that momentum in Offaly and Fermanagh over the next two weekends.