Gaelic Games

Division 1B: Waterford get promotion hopes back on track

Déise prove too strong for Laois while Dublin made it two wins from too outings with victory over Westmeath

Waterford’s Jamie Barron and Donnchadh Hartnett of Laois in action during the Division 1B clash at Walsh Park. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Waterford’s Jamie Barron and Donnchadh Hartnett of Laois in action during the Division 1B clash at Walsh Park. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Sun Feb 09 2025 - 18:18

After their shock defeat at the hands of Carlow a week earlier, Waterford made a return to winning ways against Laois at Walsh Park, where Padraig Fitzgerald was the game’s top scorer with 13 successful placed balls (12 frees and a 65) in a 10-point victory (1-27 to 0-20).

Following an untypical error by Laois goalie Enda Rowland, an early goal from Patrick Fitzgerald (who finished the game with a tally of 1-4) settled the home team.

However, Laois rallied well, with Tomás Keyes in top form, and they remained well in contention when trailing by just four points (1-13 to 0-12) at the break.

Laois could have been closer as the second half progressed, but wasteful shooting was to prove costly. The impressive Jamie Barron ended with four points from play and Waterford never really looked like being on the receiving end of a second consecutive shock result.

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Dessie Hutchinson entered the fray just past the hour mark, and two late points from Peter Hogan and Kevin Mahony secured a relatively straightforward victory for the Déise men.

In Mullingar, a wasteful Dublin still maintained their 100 per cent start to life in Division 1B with a seven-point win over Westmeath (1-22 to 0-18), the winners having to play the last 22 minutes a man down.

The visitors were 0-3 to 0-2 ahead when Conal Ó Riain buried the sliotar past Jack Gillen in the 10th minute, and when they led by 1-6 to 0-4 after a quarter of an hour they seemed set for a facile win.

However, the wind-assisted home team rallied well with David Williams in top form in attack, and they trailed by just a goal (1-12 to 0-12) at the interval.

The third quarter was a poor spectacle with only four points scored in total – three to the metropolitans from the sticks of Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing (two frees) and Fergal Whitely (one from play), and one to Westmeath from Eamon Cunneen.

The red-carding of Ó Riain for an off-the-ball incident in the 52nd minute gave the home fans hope with Williams (who ended the game with 0-10, 0-5 from play) still their main attacking threat, but Dublin always looked to have a bit in hand and they finished the stronger with three late unanswered points from David Purcell, Daire Gray and Whitely to keep their promotion hopes very much on track.