Kate Wall changes travel plans to play All-Ireland camogie final replay

It was back to training on St Stephen’s morning for the St Finbarr’s senior camogie side.

There wasn’t too much downtime as they prepare for their AIB All-Ireland senior camogie club championship replay against Athenry.

The game is scheduled for 5.15pm on Saturday, January 3, at FBD Semple Stadium at Thurles. It’s a familiar ground to the Barrs side as they got the better of De La Salle there several weeks ago in the Munster final.

There was good news for the Togher side ahead of the replay with star forward Kate Wall changing her plans and is now available for selection for the replay.

She was due to head to Australia before Christmas, but opted to stay in Ireland until after the replay, where hopefully she will be travelling with an All-Ireland medal in her pocket to add to the Cork and Munster ones.

Wall will relish returning to Semple Stadium as she will have happy memories of their clash with De La Salle.

She was named Player of the Game after the final and with a return of 2-4 on the day, it was easy to see why.

After a poor start by the Barrs she was one of the players that started to drive her side forward to first get back on level terms. Wall then scored a late goal go secure their win and, like all her teammates will be hoping for a similar result on Saturday. But they will be well aware of the challenge ahead of them and Athenry will go into this contest as firm favourites to come out on top.

In their clash at Croke Park the Barrs looked like winning but 1-3 from Athenry in the last five minutes or so ensured it went to a replay.

That last surge will see the Galway side go into the replay full of confidence and they will fancy their chances this time out.

They can only be congratulated for hanging in there when it looked gone and have quality players all over the pitch.

SPIRIT

Special mention must be made of Olwen Rabbitte who played the last day with an ACL injury and will line out again in the replay before surgery in the weeks following. But that spirit Athenry showed is also something that can be said about the Barrs all through this campaign as well. In the Munster semi-final and All-Ireland semi they looked like they were on the way out.

But the response from this Barrs outfit was simply outstanding.

Taken to extra, extra time on both occasions they never faltered in their belief in each other and that they would come out on top. They will need all that again and along with Wall they have plenty of match-winning players.

Their bench is also strong, where the likes of Liz O’Donovan and Hurley have been among those to impress when introduced.

They will all be needed if the Barrs are to come out on top on Saturday.