VERY IRELAND CAMOGIE LEAGUE
SATURDAY
DIVISION 1B ROUND THREE
Offaly v Antrim (Banagher, 3pm)
ANTRIM couldn’t have asked for a better start to the league – two wins from two outings.
The points gained in Limerick last Saturday will be particularly cherished as Limerick effectively denied them a place last July in the All-Ireland senior quarter-final for the first time in 40 years.
Beating them in Rathkeale without the services of Róisín McCormick also shows that they are not relying on the Loughgiel score-getter to see them through games at this level.
I understand that McCormick had picked up an arm injury during the course of the Ashbourne Cup weekend, but still played in the final and then again in the opening league game against Down.
The injury does not appear to be causing discomfort, but she was still held on the sideline as a precaution.
Whether or not she plays this weekend against Offaly looks unlikely to effect the result. Antrim should win and the forward line, led by Caitrín Dobbin and Áine Magill, is capable of at least matching last week’s total of 2-17.
Offaly have struggled in both their games, losing by 22 points to Waterford and then by five last week in Liatroim against Down.
They don’t appear to have a scoring threat up front, certainly not one that a disciplined Antrim defence should fear.
In both games, the vast majority of their scores came from Siobhán Flannery frees, with the likes of Máiréad Teehan and Sarah Harding, who would have been a threat in the past, well off the pace at this level.
Two new young players, Cassie McArthur and Fionnuala Kelly, have got plenty of game-time with the Saffrons in the last couple of matches and both have impressed.
Elsewhere, there has been a number of positional switches with a completely new midfield pairing last week of Sionann Graham and Siobhán McKillop.
Graham only joined the panel a couple of months ago, but seems to be revelling in the challenge of playing at this level.
Antrim therefore carry too much experience and game management for Offaly. One suspects that their real challenge will come in the final two group games against Waterford and Wexford and the outing in Banagher might serve more as a place to experiment with players in different roles.
Wexford v Down (Gorey, 2pm)
DOWN have to be encouraged by their victory over Offaly last week. Those head-to-heads between the pair last year in league and championship resulted in victory each time for Down and meant that they were able to maintain their status at the top level in both competitions.
A win last week and a strong first half against Antrim in Portglenone probably means that they will be setting their sights on getting something out of this trip to Gorey.
There haven’t been too many meetings between the teams in recent years – apart from a Division Two semi-final two years ago.
That was a strange game in that Wexford dominated for the first quarter and were well in control of the scoreboard. Suddenly Down took over and scored about a dozen points without reply to edge ahead and they kept that narrow advantage until the final whistle when the Leinster side was coming back strongly.
Anais Curran and a number of other Oulart-The Ballagh All-Ireland club winners are in the Wexford line-up and they picked up a 0-13 to 0-10 win on the opening day against Limerick.
Last week, however, they really struggled in the south-east derby with Waterford and were comfortably beaten by 12 points.
Curran is a scoring threat, but it depends on what kind of support she has in the forward line. Last week showed that she cannot carry the game to the opposition by herself.
Down depend a lot on Niamh Mallon for scores, but Sara Louise Graffin has also contributed five points from play in the two games to date. They know they have to develop their scoring base and, like their opponents, have yet to hit the net.
If Down manage a goal or two today, you would sense that would be enough.
Waterford v Limerick (La Salle, 2pm)
WATERFORD look the team to beat at this level. They blitzed Wexford at home last week and should do the same to Limerick this week.
DIVISION 1A ROUND THREE
Dublin v Kilkenny (Parnell Park, 2pm)
Galway v Clare (Kilbeacanty, 3.30pm)
Tipperary v Cork (The Ragg, 3.30pm)
THERE is a top-of-the-table clash in The Ragg between Munster rivals Tipperary and Cork.
Both teams began their season with two wins on the trot, Tipperary’s opening day defeat of league champions Galway the stand-out performance of the four games.
Cork have a few changes in personnel this year due to injury and travel plans, but they still managed to record victories against Dublin and Clare. They would be expected to follow those up with a third straight victory despite being away from home.
Galway got back on track after that opening-day defeat by Tipp, when they battled their way to a four-point win over Kilkenny last Saturday. Kilkenny had lost to Clare the previous week. So Galway will be taking nothing for granted – but they should win.
Dublin look to be struggling at this level, but Kilkenny have also lost their opening two games. It is strange to see the All-Ireland champions propping up the table. It would be unthinkable that they would lose in Parnell Park.
DIVISION 2A ROUND THREE
Laois v Derry (Laois Hire O’Moore Park, 2pm)
BOTH Ulster sides in Division 2A are away from home this weekend. They met in Gulladuff on the opening day and Derry were comfortable enough winners, going on to record a second victory in Mullingar last week.
Derry were strengthened last weekend by first outings for Aoife Ní Chaiside, Áine McAllister and Mary Hegarty. Although they won by five points it was a tough enough game and it took a solid team performance to beat Westmeath.
Again defence was their strong point, while most of the scores came once more from Máiréad McNicholl in the half-forward line.
Derry have got their two ticks, now for the could do better – they didn’t look like opening Westmeath’s defence to score goals.
Opponents Laois fell to Cavan in Kingspan Breffni last week, but they should be a little stronger at home. Still you would still expect Derry to pick up the points once more.
Kerry v Cavan (Fitzgerald Stadium, 12pm)
CAVAN have a very difficult game ahead of them in Fitzgerald Stadium against a Kerry team that drew with Westmeath on the opening day and scored a 1-12 to 0-12 win over Meath in Trim last Saturday.
Although Kerry are relatively recent winners of the junior All-Ireland and Division Three league, they are still much more experienced than Cavan, who were surprise winners of Division Three last year.
Cavan do not have the range of scorers that Kerry have, nor a stand-out player like Patrice Diggins, who has been in excellent form in the two games to date and the injury during the second half in Kingspan Breffni to Niamh Keenaghan looks like keeping her out of the game.
The Ulster side will hope to stay in contention as long as they can and, in the circumstances, will be more than content if they get a draw from their adventure down south.
Meath v Westmeath (Trim, 2pm)
THE final game in the group is a derby fixture and one that Westmeath should win.
Key player Megan Dowdall, a star for TUD in their recent Ashbourne Cup success, posed plenty of problems for Derry last week.
Meath’s defence do not look as organised as Derry’s and Dowdall from frees and open play should run up enough scores to see her team pick up their first win.
DIVISION 2B ROUND TWO
Tipperary v Kilkenny (The Ragg, 1pm)
Galway v Wexford (Kilbeacanty 1.30pm)
CORK and Kilkenny were the teams with runaway wins last week. Kilkenny should continue where they left off against Galway and pick up a second win against Tipperary.
Wexford hadn’t a game last weekend, but will probably struggle against Galway.
DIVISION 3A ROUND ONE (2pm)
Group One
Armagh v Mayo (Middletown)
Tyrone v Kildare (Killyclogher)
Group Two
Wicklow v Roscommon
Louth v Carlow
THIS is the first week of games in this division which is split into two sections.
Armagh are in along with Kildare, Mayo and Tyrone and would be tipped to finish top of the group as they are more experienced than the other three teams. However, each of them could also be a banana skin.
Mayo have done a lot of work at developmental level and these players are starting to come through to the senior team. They will be improved on last year but shouldn’t really trouble a team that has appeared in the last three All-Ireland junior finals.
Kildare and Tyrone are similar in a few aspects. Both have had good underage teams over the few years, but were always struggling to put a team together at adult level.
If either or both manage to get some of that talent through and wanting to play for the seniors, they can be a threat to Armagh. How focussed they are will be evident after this game.
In the other section (Wicklow, Roscommon, Louth and Carlow), Carlow are the team with most experience, but Wicklow have shown the most improvement over the last two seasons.
Wicklow to beat Roscommon and Carlow to win in Louth.
DIVISION 3B ROUND TWO
Clare v Limerick (Fr MacNamara Park, 12pm)
Offaly v Antrim (Banagher, 1pm)
ANTRIM are a much changed team from last year, but their victory in Limerick last week bodes well for this campaign, where the main priority is to bring players through to compete at this level and then move beyond.
Offaly suffered a heavy defeat to Dublin last week. At home they may be a lot more competitive, but you would expect Antrim to pick up a second victory.
Clare were not in action last week, but would be expected to do well in this competition. They are at home and should beat Limerick.
