Waterford determined to put best foot forward against Derry

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,"