"We know the league is all about hard work and we knew Limerick would bring a right battle with them. The whole squad there, you can see girls running at the end and that's what it's all about really - building a squad and building that comradery and effort throughout." - Beth Carton.
Victory over Limerick means that Waterford are now three wins from three in Division 1B of the Very Camogie League.
Offaly, Wexford and now the Treaty have all been felled by Sean Power's team who now stand two points clear of Antrim at the top of the table.
Abby Flynn (2) and dual star Annie Fitz (1) got the goals on Saturday, with Beth Carton sending ten points between the sticks, while Niamh Rockett was not left wanting; she scored five and Mairead O Brien put over three.
It's been a tremendous start to the campaign for Waterford who look sharp and well-drilled in their early games. Their stick passing and short play are tidy and scores are coming from several lines of the team.
Responding well
While they were good value for their win in Gracedieu with 21 points to spare over Limerick, it was not all plain sailing. An early gut check was called for when Limerick full forward Claire Keating rattled the back of the Waterford net inside ten minutes. The home side came back with five unanswered points to return some semblance to the scoreboard.
"We know throughout this there will be setbacks," said Carton. Adding, "There is going to be teams that score a goal on us. We need to try to limit it and how we react to it. Trying to get that mentality of 'next ball' and see what you can do to pull back from it. We'll have to look back and see where they're leaking as well, but overall I suppose our response was quite good. A lot to work on, but hopefully we're getting there."
Playing for the full game
Having had a good second-half showing against Wexford last weekend, it was more of the same this time out. Waterford outscored Limerick 3.09 to 1.03 in the second stanza with a three-goal flurry in five minutes from Abby Flynn and Annie Fitz proving too much for Limerick to overcome. While it was a real show of force from the home team, Carton was quick to remark that they are "nowhere near a full 60 minutes of where we want to get to, but slowly getting there and the hard work is being put in now. We're enjoying it, and that's the main thing."
New management
If the team are having fun in training and playing games this year, a large part of that must be marked down to the manager Sean Power. The All-Ireland minor and U21 winning hurling manager is now in his first season in charge of the camogie team with all the early signs pointing toward what may well be another box office year for the county.
"He's brought that professionalism," says Carton. "We've been really enjoying it and bringing girls together from all over the county to see what we can do and see if we can do something special." She added that they have "a long way to go if we want to get to where we want to, but it's great to have a full panel there and seeing girls enjoy it again and enjoying their hurling."
The next hurdle
With three games down, the biggest challenge is on the horizon next weekend. The side heads to Antrim on Saturday (March 11th) for a clash of first versus second. The Saffrons are yet to be beaten in their campaign having notched wins over Limerick and Down, while they drew (2.09 each) with Offaly this past weekend. One more win nails Waterford on as the top team in Division 1B, and it's a challenge that Carton et al are very much looking forward to.
"Each game has been a test in its own way. I think everyone in the GAA knows going up to Antrim is never easy. It will be a big one. Look, we're looking forward to it. It's why we play. We'll train twice this week and then head off the weekend. We'll give it everything, see how we go, and hopefully, we can get another win on the board."
