All Ireland Intermediate Championship

Wednesday, 11th July 2012

Armagh 1-16 Waterford 3-10

Waterford travelled to Killeavy, Armagh on Sunday and were robbed of victory when Mags McAlinden scored the equalising point for Armagh from a very dubious free with the last kick of the game after 6 minutes of added time,

Waterford, playing with wind advantage in the first half, got off to the best possible start when Elaine Power netted after 2 minutes with a fine individual effort. Armagh responded with two points to narrow the gap before Waterford scored their second goal on 8 minutes. A long free kick from Michelle Ryan was well fielded by Shona Curran, who rounded her marker and found the net.

Armagh continued to chip away at the Waterford lead with Shauna O'Hagan asking a lot of questions of the Waterford defence. Points from Linda Wall, Michelle Ryan and Hannah Landers, kept Waterford ahead by the narrowest of margins. Aileen Wall back after her exams was on fire and set up sister Linda for the third of Waterford's goals on 25 minutes. Waterford went into the short break ahead on a score line of 3-4 to 0-10.

Armagh were all over Waterford in the opening 10 minutes of the second half scoring three points from play. Waterford's response was another Wall point and an excellent free kick from the in-form Ryan.

Disaster struck on 42 minutes when Waterford's keeper, Aimee Jordan was sin-binned. This seems to galvanise Waterford and two Ryan frees increased the Deise girls lead to 4 points. Waterford's ability to hold possession and the strong running of Elaine Power and Linda Wall worked well, as the Armagh resorted to fouling to hold the speedy duo.

Eimear Fennell replaced Hannah Landers and the Abbeyside girl's excellent score from a narrow angle cancelling out an earlier McAlinden point. An outstanding save from a point blank shot, by Ciara Carney kept the Deise girls in the game.

Things went from bad to worse on 50 minutes, when what looked like a free out to Waterford after a foul on Grainne Kenneally, turned into a sending off for the Deise girl. The referee held up play while an injured Armagh player was attended and then before restarting the match , following the intervention of the umpire, issued a red card to Kenneally.

Waterford really battled hard for the remainder of the match and a further Ryan point put Waterford four points up as the clock reached 60 minutes. Deep in injury time Armagh were thrown a life line when they were awarded a very dubious penalty which was duly converted, despite a brave effort by Carney in the Waterford goal. In the final minutes the Waterford goal lived a charmed life as Armagh hit the crossbar and post.

The sad irony of this heroic performance by the Waterford girls was that the match official having awarded a free to Waterford in the dying seconds of the match for a an obvious foul, awarded a free to Armagh as he deemed the Waterford player had fouled the ball in taking the free kick.

Waterford showed that they have the character and self belief to win in even the most adverse of situations. Having played for most of the second half with fourteen players the girls were bitterly disappointed not to have taken all three points.

Waterford play London next Saturday in the second round.

Waterford ; A Jordan, A Landers, G Enright, N Dunphy, R Tobin, G Kenneally, K McGrath, E Power (1-0), M McGrath (Capt), L Wall (1-2), M Ryan (0-5,4f), M Wall, A Wall, S Curran (1-1), H Landers (0-1), Subs used E Fennell (0-1) for H Landers, M Revins for S Curran, C Carney for A Jordan