As Antrim prepare to march into Croke Park for Sunday’s All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie final, they do so wearing the heavy—and sometimes burdensome—tag of overwhelming favourites. However, they will face a Laois side arriving in the capital with zero pressure, a tight-knit bond, and a dangerous underdog mentality.
While the Saffrons are widely expected to dictate the terms of Sunday’s decider, Laois captain Aimee Collier has issued a subtle warning: her side is more than happy to let Antrim deal with the weight of expectation.
Speaking after a recent training session in Borris-in-Ossory, the Camross clubwoman made it clear that Laois are embracing their underdog status.
“There’s a great auld buzz in the camp. I think we’re excited now,” Collier noted. “We’re under no pressure here; we’re completely underdogs. I think we’re relaxed enough and we’ll go to Sunday excited.”
Maeve Kelly and Roisin McCormick who were two of the stars of Antrim’s last All Ireland win over Kilkenny in 2021, Roisin scoring 0-09 and Maeve 1-05
The Danger of Complacency
Antrim cannot afford to be complacent against a Laois outfit that has spent the last three years meticulously building toward this moment. Their journey to this final has been anything but easy, requiring a level of grit that Antrim’s forwards will need to be prepared for.
Nowhere was this more evident than in their semi-final clash with Kerry. When the Kingdom raced into an early 1-3 to no-score lead and netted another goal early in the second half, a lesser team might have folded. Instead, Laois showcased exactly why they are a threat on the big stage.
“I’ve said this all along about this group: hugely resilient, and that’s one of the words we definitely use for this group,” Collier explained. “Everyone gets a purple patch and Kerry just happened to get one for the first few minutes… I thought the girls showed complete composure. Once we seen a sniff of it, then we just went for it. There’s no point panicking.”
Momentum and Pedigree
Three of the more experienced players on the team Lucia McNaughton, Nicole McAtamney and Amy Boyle
While Antrim are the team to beat, Laois have hit a dangerous run of form. After agonizing back-to-back defeats in previous provincial deciders, they finally conquered Leinster this season.
That breakthrough was followed by a definitive group-stage victory over Westmeath, a game Laois won by six or seven points. According to Collier, it was a turning point where the team simply refused to ease up in the final ten minutes, proving to themselves they had the engine to go all the way.
Furthermore, Antrim will be coming up against a squad boasting significant winning pedigree. Collier and her Camross teammates are remarkably chasing their third All-Ireland title in the space of just 12 months, having captured the Intermediate club crown last December. Although Collier admits a return to Croke Park seemed “unimaginable” at the start of the year, the experience of having been on the hallowed turf for a third consecutive year gives Laois a distinct edge in big-game composure.
A Clash of Ambitions
Behind the Laois campaign is a deeply unified 30-player panel that Collier describes as being “like a family” and “like sisters.” It is a bond forged through sacrifice and a collective desire to hear Lovely Laois ringing out across Croke Park at the final whistle.
As captain, Collier is fully aware that if she manages to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand on Sunday, it will be a historic first Intermediate title for her county.
Antrim, however, will have other plans. The Saffrons have the firepower, the tactical setup, and the favorite’s pedigree to finish the job this weekend. Sunday’s showdown promises to be a fascinating tactical battle: Antrim’s sheer quality against a Laois team with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.
It has been a really good season for the girls in Saffron so far but their two games against Down, one in the Ulster final in Toome and one in the All Ireland round-robin series in Ballycran showed they can be vulnerable in periods of games. They have started games very well but they appear to lose concentration at times when they build a lead. We saw that in Ballycran against Down and even in their win over Kerry in the group stages in Ahoghill. That day they were ten clear after ten minutes but for the rest of the game Kerry matched them score of score.
The semi-final against Meath had a different pattern and it was in the second half that the Saffrons played their best. Playing with the aid of a stiff breeze in the opening half Antrim took an early lead but Meath clawed their way back to level nearing the end of the half, though Roisin McCormick sent her team in at the break with a two point cushion, after firing over two late scores.
That two point cushion looked anything but safe, considering the stiff breeze they had to face after the restart, but an early Amy Boyle point settled the Saffron down. Meath came back with a point of their own but soon afterwards Eobha McAllister hit a vital score when she picked up a long delivery from Katie Molloy before breaking clear of her marker and riffling a brilliant angled shot past the Meath goalkeeper for her second goal of the game. From that point on it was reasonably straight forward, though it took a couple of late blocks by corner back Caoimhe McNaughton in the final minutes to deny their star player Aoife Minogue goal chances.
Three of the new faces who have made a big impression this season L-R, Eobha McAllister, Katie Molloy and Cliona Griffin
This team has been excellent all season, their work rate an togetherness has ben very impressive. There are still twelve players who were part of the All Ireland winnings side of 2021 on the current panel, so there is a wealth of experience in the team, but the young player who were introduced this season have lifted the mood in the camp. With the LGFA team winning a thrilling game last Sunday the mood within the county has been great. I would be nice to see the Saffron colours on the steps of Croke Park once again this Sunday.
Elaine Dowds (bottom centre) and members of her backroom team
The team to play Laois is the same as the one who beat Meath is the semi-final
1 Caitríona Graham, 2 Colleen Patterson, 3 Caoimhe Conlon, 4 Caoimhe McNaughton, 5 Clare McKillop, 6 Katie Molloy, 7 Shannagh Heggarty, 8 Amy Boyle, 9 Lucia McNaughton, 10 Maeve Kelly, 11 Roisin McCormick, 12 Nicole McAtamney, 13 Janey McIntosh, 14 Cliona Griffin, 15 Eobha McAllister