Kildare ladies denied crucial Division 1 win after late Waterford goal

Despite leading for most of the game Kildare Ladies were held to a draw in this Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1 clash when Áine O’Neill struck a late goal at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field in Dungarvan as Waterford fought from behind to claim a share of the spoils with Kildare in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League.

Waterford created early daylight in this contest with points from Hannah McGrath and Kellyann Hogan, Kildare soon replied with fine efforts courtesy of Molly Aspell and Alannah Prizeman.

Hogan did find the target for a second time after an Aoife Rattigan free had briefly put their opponents into the lead, but the Lilywhite outfit flexed their muscles with a powerful second-quarter showing that put them in command.

Having already joined Mayah Doyle, Aoife Murnane and Rattigan (two) in kicking unanswered points, centre-forward Ciara Wheeler seized upon a short kick-out in the 29th minute and proceeded to chip Waterford netminder Gemma Corcoran for a superbly-taken goal.

Waterford had lost Laura Mulcahy to a yellow card not long before this green flag strike and even though Brid McMaugh responded with a two-point salvo, Kildare brought a healthy 1-8 to 0-5 cushion into the interval.

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Second half
They reasserted their authority on the resumption with Rattigan’s fourth point of the game, but Waterford came roaring back into life when Hogan used the element of surprise to rattle a close-range free to the net on 35 minutes.

This reinvigorated the Deise challenge and Hogan was also on hand to cancel out another Molly Aspell score at the opposite end in advance of Mulcahy returning to the fray.

The Lilies were still four ahead in the 51st minute thanks to a brace of Rattigan points matching the contributions of Hogan and substitute Lia Ní hArta for the Munster side, but Waterford brought the gap down to two when Katie Murray and Hogan split the posts in quick succession.

While a Ciara Wheeler point offered Kildare some much-needed breathing space, O’Neill embarked on a strong run before unleashing a powerful shot to the net at the end of normal time.

Despite coming away with something to show from this encounter, third-place Waterford will miss out on a final spot in Division 1 due to victories elsewhere for Cork and Galway ensuring their places in the upcoming showpiece decider.

The point garnered from this game could yet prove to be vital for Kildare, but former Waterford manager, Pat Sullivan, now at the helm in Kildare, have now slipped back into the relegation spots ahead of their home showdown with Kerry tomorrow week.

Scorers: Waterford: K Hogan 1-5 (1-3f), Á O’Neill 1-0, B McMaugh 0-2, K Murray, L Ní hArta, H McGrath.
Kildare: Aoife Rattigan 0-6 (4f), Ciara Wheeler 1-2, Molly Aspell 0-2, Mayah Doyle, Alannah Prizeman, A Murnane 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: G Corcoran; R Browne, L Mulcahy, R Casey; Á O’Neill, K McGrath, C Murray; E Power, E Murray; K Murray, K Hogan, B McMaugh; A McGrath, C Walsh, H McGrath. Subs: M Daly for Walsh, K Gardiner for Corcoran (both h-t), L Ní hArta for H McGrath (42), C Fennell for Daly (49), L Cusack for A McGrath, T Ní Chrotaigh for McMaugh (both 58).

KILDARE: Corla Nallen; Áine Mernagh, Mia Doherty, Hazel McLoughlin; Lisa Shaw, Ruth Sargent, Laoise Lenehan; Nanci Murphy, Gillian Wheeler; Aoife Murnane, Ciara Wheeler, Molly Aspell; Aoife Rattigan, Mayah Doyle, Alannah Prizeman. Subs: Megan Cooney for Prizeman (46 minutes), Aoife Mahon for Shaw, Meabh McDonagh for Murphy (both 49 minutes).

Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).