Waterford determined to put best foot forward

Beth Carton says Waterford are determined to take the positives from the last 12 months as they try to go one better than they did in 2023.

The Déise reached just their second All-Ireland final ever last year but it ended in big disappointment as they shipped the biggest decider margin of defeat since 1959.

Carton still shone in the 5-13 to 0-09 loss to Cork at Croke Park last August, hitting seven of her team’s scores on the day despite missing an early penalty. And she would ultimately be rewarded with the player of the year award at the Camogie Association’s All-Star awards last November.

The De La Salle clubwoman admits though that the nature of the All-Ireland defeat stung.

“It was a few very hard weeks afterwards, just in general,” she said this week after winning another award, the PwC GPA Player of the Month award for May.

“We were lucky in that club wasn’t too long in coming. We went away for a few days and then went back into club.

“You’re into a new set up and you’ve no choice but to get on with it. The club girls were great to rally around and we’re lucky we’ve such a good club to go back to.

“We went on and won the county title so that certainly helped over that winter.

“But there was a tough few days after, and for that week after you don’t want to see or talk to anyone because that’s all they’re talking about. Even at home you’d be avoiding it slightly.”

Returning to the All-Ireland All-Ireland knockout stages involves avoiding defeat against Derry on Saturday at Walsh Park.

Doing so will see them finish third in group 2 and face Galway in a quarter-final the following weekend at Croke Park, on the same bill as one of the All-Ireland hurling semis.

“It’s absolutely massive, everyone’s dream is to play in Croke Park,” she says of the potential reward that preventing Derry winning would bring.

“You don’t get there often and you’d keep your season alive, so it’d be a massive one.

“We’re not looking to it quite yet but we know that it’s there and I’d love to get back there.”

Carton’s exceptional form of 2023 has continued into this summer with the 26-year-old hitting 1-11 in the Munster semi-final victory over Tipperary, and following it up with a 12-point haul in the decider against Cork.

While it was ultimately another decider defeat to the Rebels, the nature of the reversal was very different to last August, with Amy O’Connor goal critical in keeping Waterford at arm’s length in an eventual five-point victory for the defending All-Ireland champions.

“Obviously you want to win those games but we were competitive,” Carton points out.

“It was the first ever Munster final that I’d played in so that was massive; it was as big one for us as a group to get there.

“It brings that bit of belief, getting to a Munster final.”

Derry will come to Walsh Park on Saturday having shipped a 22-point defeat to Kilkenny last time out.

While Waterford were turned over by Tipperary the first day, they have impressed in victories over Limerick and Antrim, as well as a draw with the Cats, who face the Premier County for top spot on Saturday.

As such, Waterford are big favourites against the Ulster women, but the threat of elimination is enough to concentrate minds, according to Carton.

“That’s why all the hard work is done, for these games in Walsh Park,” she says.

“It’s what you’re dreaming of when you’re running in the winter. We’re certainly looking forward to it. You want to express yourself and show what we can do and the way we can play.

“It doesn’t always transfer but hopefully it can this weekend.”