Limerick suffer heavy defeat to Waterford in Very Camogie League

“FOR the first 15 minuutes, I was happy with the workrate, we were keeping in contact as we'd hoped. But then Waterford upped their intensity and we just couldn't get back into contention.”

Still short half of last season's championship lineup despite Caoimhe Costello's first appearance of the season when coming on as a substitute just before the break, Limerick senior camogie manager John Lillis saw his side slump to a third successive Very National Camogie League defeat when losing by 21 points, 3-24 to 2-6, in the Waterford De La Salle grounds on Saturday.

Although Limerick had the tonic of an early goal and still held the lead coming up to the quarter mark, once Beth Carton and Niamh Rockett found their range in the Decies attack, there was only going to be one outcome to this Division 1B League contest.

As in their previous games, Limerick's biggest difficulty lay up front where only Claire Keating posed a consistent threat to the opposing defence. However, they also struggled throughout to make an impact in midfield where Lorraine Bray held the whip hand throughout and put in the donkey work for Carton and Rockett to share sixteen scores, twelve of them from play, between them.

With three wins out of three, the winners are all but assured of a place in the play-offs and, if they can carry through the form to the championship, they could seriously threaten the Kilkenny-Galway-Cork stranglehold on the O'Duffy Cup most of the past decade.

Out of the running for promotion to the upper section, Limerick are left to concentrate on their final two outings against Down and Wexford to avoid relegation and then hope that the chances their emerging talent have been getting in the league will stand to them as they set out to emulate reaching the 2022 championship play-offs.

SCORERS: WATERFORD: Beth Carton 0-10 (3 frees), Niamh Rockett 1-5 (0-1 free), Annie Fitzgerald 1-3, Mairéad O'Brien 0-3, Abby Flynn 1-0, Lorraine Bray 0-2, Keeley Corbett Barry 0-1; LIMERICK: Claire Keating 1-2 (0-1 free), Cliodhna Ryan 1-0, Caoimhe Costello 0-2 (1 free), Lizzie Boylan, Mairéad Ryan 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: Brianna O'Regan (De La Salle); Vikki Faulkner (Tramore), Kate Lynch (Gaultier), Orla Hickey (Dungarvan); Aoife Landers (An Rinn), Clodagh Carroll (Gaultier), Mairéad Power (Pilltown); Lorraine Bray (Cappoquin), Keeley Corbett Barry (De La Salle); Mairéad O'Brien (Modeligo), Beth Carton (De La Salle), Niamh Rockett (Saint Anne's); Rachel Walsh (Butlerstown), Tara Power (Tramore), Annie Fitzgerald (Gaultier). SUBS: Abbie Flynn (De La Salle) for Tara Power (41 minutes), Róisín Kirwan (Saint Anne's) for Rachel Walsh (48 minutes), Niamh Curran (Dungarvan) for Vikki Faulkner (51 minutes), Anne Corcoran (Gaultier) for Beth Carton (53 minutes), Anne Hickey (Modeligo) for Mairéad Power (57 minutes), Dearbhla Beresford (Abbeyside) for Annie Fitzgerald (59 minutes), Niamh Murphy for Lorraine Bray (59 minutes).

LIMERICK: Laura O’Neill (Na Piarsaigh); Teresa Dore l(Charleville), Muireann Creamer (Cappamore), Stephanie Woulfe (Templeglantine); Áine Ó Tiarnaigh (Na Piarsaigh), Ailbhe Larkin (Mungret St Paul’s), Marian Quaid (Bruff); Sophie O'Callaghan (Adare), Éle Madigan (Ahane); Mairead Ryan (Bruff), Áine Reynolds (Ahane), Lizzie Boylan (Na Piarsaigh); Cliodhna Ryan (Doon), Claire Keating (Cappamore), Ciara O'Riordan (Blackrock/Effin). SUBS: Caoimhe Costello (Adare) for Ciara O'Riordan (injured, 28 minutes), Orfhlaith Kelleher (Croagh-Kilfinny) for Éle Madigan (40 minutes), Mary O'Callaghan (Bruff) for Sophie O'Callaghan (43 minutes), Nóirín Lenihan (Croagh-Kilfinny) for Stephanie Woulfe) (51 minutes), Denise Mullins (Galbally) for Cliodhna Ryan (51 minutes), Aoife Nelligan (Monaleen) for Áine Ó Tiarnaigh (53 minutes), Emily O'Halloran (Monaleen) for Áine Reynolds (56 minutes), Megan Ryan (Crecora) for Teresa Dore (59 minutes).

REFEREE: Ray Kelly (Kildare).