Last weekend was one best forgotten for the good folk who serve on the local Junior League committee. Due to the weather all of the fixtures due to be played on Saturday had to be called off on Friday (as had all schoolboy football) and following the frost which arrived late on Saturday night-Sunday morning all but a few of the remaining games due to be played on Sunday also went by the board.
To be fair not a lot of games have been lost due to weather conditions this year, but nevertheless this was a disappointing weekend. Waterford also made their exit from the Ocscar Traynor Trophy last weekend, although they did not kick a ball and that fact raises a very tricky question. Kerry and South Tipperary played out a 1-1 draw in Kerry on Saturday night last; that result meant that Waterford bowed out of the competition due to the fact that Kerry topped the group with 7 points and Tipperary finished second with 5 points, which was also good enough to see them through to the knock-out stage of the competition.
Surely all third series of games should kick off on the same day and at the same time?!
Waterford were due to play their third game on Wednesday of this week against the Defence Forces but the result in Kerry meant that game was of no real interest to either side at that stage. Surely a major national competition should be treated with some dignity by the FAI Junior Council and not treated in this shambolic manner.
It is now down to the Waterford Youth League team to bring honours back to Waterford this season. Following good home victories over Clare and Kerry they travel to Cork on Saturday and a draw will be good enough to see them through to the knock out stage. Anthony Brown, Jim Whelan and Paddy Ryan have got a delightful squad of players to work with and they will make like very difficult for the Leesiders.
