2019 Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship – Waterford 1-11 Dublin 1-5

Waterford defeated Dublin by 1-11 to 1-5 in the 2019 Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship on Saturday June 22nd at Walsh Park Waterford.

🎥📺 VIDEO: Check out the highlights from yesterday's @LibertyIRL All-Ireland Senior Championship clash as @deisecamogie beat @CamogieDublin ➡️ https://t.co/Oa4M2ZYZlm #GoTogether pic.twitter.com/J3fE0Jgmv5

— Camogie Association (@OfficialCamogie) June 23, 2019

O’Rourke hails “postgirls” Rockett and Carton

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

BETH CARTON has been Waterford’s key attacker since bursting onto the scene as a 17-year-old in the Déise’s Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Intermediate Championship-winning season in 2015 but the evidence of the last 12 months indicates that the De La Salle destroyer of defences is getting the kind of support that can take Senior Championship Quarter-Finalists to another level.
Niamh Rockett earned an All-Star nomination along with Carton, who claimed her county’s first award, and this year, Rockett has found another level befitting her status as captain.

She excelled in the home side’s 1-11 to 1-5 Senior Championship defeat of Dublin at Walsh Park, scoring a goal and two points, including the definitive 52nd minute major. Her trademark industry and aerial ability was to the fore as well and with Carton slotting eight points, Waterford were able to pull away late on.
Manager Donal O’Rourke had high praise for the duo, and was satisfied with the result, if not all aspects of the performance.

“That’s what we expect out of them” said O’Rourke of the Rockett and Carton. “They’re leaders of the team, we demand that out of them every day but in fairness to them, they’re like two good postgirls, they always deliver.

“A win is a win. We didn’t hurl brilliantly today but we’re happy to get out of here with two points and that’s all that mattered.”
Rockett, whose brilliant half-volleyed goal on the run came with the teams level, after Kerrie Finnegan had struck the net for Dublin in the first half, revealed the difficulty in processing last week’s events, when Waterford were leading by four points late on before the abandonment of their game with Tipperary due to an injury to Premier star Nicole Walsh.

“It was touch and go there until the goal in the last 10 minutes” Rockett declared. “We always knew we were going to come into a good fight with Dublin, so it was great to win, especially with the way last weekend went.

“I was talking to Nicole during the week and she said she was okay, she had a concussion and hopes to be back soon. It’s very hard for both teams, you’re so psyched up and you prepare for all eventualities, draw, lose, win and to come away with nothing is hard but we’ll look forward to meeting them again and they’re always up for a good match.

“We’re training really hard since October and coming out on Walsh Park, the pitch is brilliant compared to last year as well. No matter how bad your game is going or how good your game is going, workrate is what you’re hoping to get.”

Another key feature of the tie was the excellence of Waterford legend Trish Jackman, who only returned to the county colours after a three-year absence against Tipperary and was playing just her third competitive game of Camogie in over two years due to her job as lecturer at the University of Lincoln.

Match Preview

All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, Group 2
Waterford v Dublin, Walsh Park, 4pm (C. Egan, Cork)

The Déise will be delighted with their performance against Tipperary last weekend before the match was abandoned due to a serious injury to a Tipperary player as Waterford led by four points with only a few minutes remaining. The Dubs were made to work hard before eventually pulling away from Meath last weekend and will look to build on their performance in what could be a crucial tie for two sides with aspirations of reaching the knockout stages.