Cork camogie previews: Intermediate and minor teams face into tricky ties
Full-forward Hayley Ryan in action against Tipp's Ciara Ryan recently. Picture: Larry Cummins
THE clash of table-toppers in the Very Division 2B National League in Piltown on Saturday in a game that is the curtain-raiser to the Kilkenny versus Tipperary Division 1 tie.
Kilkenny, with three games played, have a 100% record with victories over Galway, Tipperary and Wexford.
Having got their campaign off to a great start with a 3-16 to 0-7 win over Galway they defeated Tipperary 3-10 to 1-8 before receiving a stern test last weekend from Wexford. The underdogs were unlucky not to have got something from the game, losing out by just a single point, 0-15 to 3-5.
This is Kilkenny’s last game in the group series and a win will see them top of the table with their place in the final secured. Cork with a game to come against Wexford will be hoping to maintain their good run and go into their last game on full points.
This weekend Wexford meet Tipperary and on form, they should have too much strength for Tipp. That means it’s Cork, Kilkenny and Wexford chasing the final spots.
Kilkenny have lots of experience. Danielle Quigley, Danielle Morrissey, Claire Doheny Afton Grace, Mairead Kennedy and Eimear Leahy have been to the fore in their three outings to date. With their senior side out of the running for a place in the Division 1 final, their second squad will be hoping they can go one better.
Cork had to battle hard on Saturday last to overcome a gritty and determined Galway side but they dug deep and showed huge character and determination to carve out a victory. Leanne O'Sullivan was hugely influential in defence while captain Rachel Harty worked tirelessly at midfield.
Fiona Nelligan started at corner-forward and she certainly put her hands up for a place in the starting line-up this time out. She showed huge pace as she took on the Galway defenders and helped herself to 1-2. She certainly has a lot to offer to Trevor Coleman and his selector.
Both sides with tough games under their belts last weekend will go into today’s clash in confident form, Kilkenny are always hard to defeat on home ground.
Cork face into round three and a meeting with Tipperary coming off the back of their seven-point defeat at the hand of Waterford last weekend.
Waterford came into that clash having lost out to Galway in their opening round game and they battled to the finish to get a result.
Cork must now put that defeat on the back burner and take on Tipperary side that lost their opening round game to Kilkenny by a point and overcame Dublin in round two.
With the top four advancing to the semi-finals any slip-up is going to be costly and with games to come against Kilkenny and Galway for Cork, they need a victory over Tipperary.
Currently, as we go into round three Galway head the group with two wins from two games.
Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford are all level having each lost a game. Dublin having lost two games have a lot of catching up to do.
It will go right down to the wire in the battle for the four semi-final spots.
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