Ulster Senior Camogie Championship final
Sunday, 2pm in Clones
Down v Antrim
IT was being confidently predicted before the semi-finals that the key game in the race to become the 82nd Ulster senior championship winner would be last Saturday’s semi-final clash in the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.
That was because neither of the other semi-finalists Armagh or Antrim had done anything of significance in the league nor looked as if they had improved significantly from last season.
Derry had beaten Antrim in the league and were going to be strengthened again by the Slaughtneil contingent for the summer season while Down had been competitive in their league campaign without the Clonduff girls or the injured Niamh Mallon.
Down were full value for their 1-11 to 1-6 success in Armagh as they were the much more aggressive, hungry team and arguably could have won by more as they managed to run up a wides’ total of 14. Their defence restricted the Derry attack to just 1-1 from open play and they were also disciplined enough in their aggression, not giving away a lot of frees in scoring range.
Down also sprung a surprise or two with Karen McMullan starting the game just four weeks after returning from three and a half years in Australia, while the selection of minor Sorcha McCartan at centre half forward for her championship debut really paid off with two first half points and enough possession and battling to leave any defender worried.
Tactically the Mourne girls got it right in Armagh with Fionnuala Carr playing sweeper and hoovering up everything Derry managed to get past the halfway line. The Derry attack simply could not find room and Down’s goal-line patrolled by veteran forward Catherine McGourty was never really threatened.
The flip side of having seven defenders is that the five forwards have to work harder and that happened although shooting from distance didn’t really pay off at times.
Antrim played Down in a challenge match a few weeks ago and were not too far off the mark although the change in date has robbed them of the Cushendall players and tigerish close-marking defender Colleen Patterson will be particularly missed.
The final was originally set for June 9th before being brought forward a week with Cushendall already committed to an international Tournament in New York this weekend.
On the plus side, the four Saffron players who represented Ulster in the inter-provincial success of a fortnight ago all impressed and Antrim will look to something similar from Chloe Drain, Maeve Connolly, Niamh Donnelly and Katie McAleese, although the latter has not trained since that win after picking up an injury in a club game two days later.
On the basis of last Saturday’s semi-final performance, defending champions Down are a lot stronger than they were in their journey to Croke Park last summer. They are more experienced of course from that run, but the four or five new faces that have come in seem to have pushed the team forward.
Derry suffered because of Down’s aggression and appetite. Antrim need to match that hunger to have any chance in Clones. But it looks like Down’s to lose.