By Michael O Leary….
It’s a busy weekend of Camogie action with the Kilkenny Seniors and Carlow Juniors in action as well as the Kilkenny and Carlow Under-16s.
The Kilkenny Seniors play Galway tomorrow afternoon(Saturday) at 2.30pm in Freshford and victory will guarantee them an All-Ireland Semi-Final spot as group winners.
It’s a repeat of the League Final in which Kilkenny won, and on home territory, Kilkenny will feel confident of victory tomorrow.
Since the League Final, Kilkenny suffered a heavy-defeat against Wexford in the Leinster Semi-Final, but as Kilkenny Senior captain Michelle Quilty told KCLR, morale was in no-way dented and they regroup and picked it up afterwards.
An easy victory up in Derry began the Championship on a winning note, and that was followed by victories against Dublin and a very impressive performance against Tipperary to set up tomorrow’s winner takes all clash.
Galway also won their three games against Derry, Dublin and Tipperary, but they endured a much stiffer test against Tipperary only winning out 1-13 to 1-10.
On current form Kilkenny are favorites for tomorrow’s game and they can book their Semi-Final spot with victory here.
Meanwhile, the Carlow Junior Team will be looking to respond from defeat away to Roscommon as they play Dublin at home in Fenagh on Sunday.
Despite defeat the last day, a Carlow victory on Sunday will guarantee them a Semi-Final spot, if both Kerry and Limerick lose at home to both Westmeath and Armagh respectively.
Carlow would feel confident of securing victory against a team that have lost all 4 matches.
They have games to come against Kerry away from home on Sunday week 24th July, before rounding off the group phase with a home game against Armagh on Sunday August 7th.
Meanwhile, the Kilkenny Under-16s are at home to Limerick in John Locke Park, Callan and they will be looking to make it two wins from two following victory in Waterford last Sunday, while the Carlow Under-16s have a very difficult task as they travel up North to play Armagh.
Both teams have been goal busy in their two games to date with Armagh scoring 11 goals in two games, while Carlow scored 10.
However, Carlow despite scoring 4 goals in their opening match against Kildare bounced back with a 6-7 to 1-1 victory at home to Roscommon last Sunday.
Roscommon have suffered heavy defeats in their two games against Armagh and Carlow, and speaking to KCLR earlier in the week, Carlow Under-16 manager Ger Power says that the Roscommon manager told him after the game that he thought Carlow were more impressive.
On a line through Roscommon, you couldn’t really argue with that statement as Carlow defeated Roscommon by 21 points(6-7 to 1-1), while Armagh defeated the Rossies 5-2 to 1-1.
It’s an important game for Carlow as they look to keep their Semi-Final hopes alive.
