Allianz Corn Gobnait All-Ireland Junior A Camogie Championship final
St Patrick’s, Maghera v Presentation, Kilkenny (Saturday, Castleblayney, 3pm)
A NEW name will go on Corn Gobnait this Saturday evening. Last year at the semi-final stage, St Patrick’s, Maghera slew the giant that was Loreto, Kilkenny, but couldn’t finish the job against Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig.
This year, Presentation, Kilkenny beat Loreto in the Leinster final with three goals and three weeks ago hit eight more goals to overcome Coachford Community School in their All-Ireland semi-final.
Five of those goals came in the opening half, with Niamh Drennan claiming a hat-trick inside four-and-a-half minutes. She went on to grab a fourth goal towards the end.
Coachford scored 1-9 in that game. They weren’t totally outclassed, but the goals did all the damage.
By contrast, Maghera slugged it out with Presentation, Athenry in Swatragh. The visitors never looked likely to run up a huge score, but when they scored the first two points early in the second half to go ahead, the challenge had been thrown down to the Ulster champions.
Maghera responded well, six unanswered points, for the school to reach their third successive final. And that experience should stand to the school against Kilkenny.
Their defence is fairly solid, although they might need to cut down on the number of frees conceded to keep Athenry in the hunt. The same happened in the Ulster final against St Killian’s, Garron Tower.
They created plenty of chances in both those games – and took enough of them to win. However, had they been more clinical in front of goals, they might well have run up big scores in both. Their final opponents seem to be very clinical up front, even to the point of going for goal with a point simply a second option.
Midfielders Aoife McWilliams and Emma Quinn played in the senior decider a fortnight ago and are probably still hurting after a narrow defeat. If they and the rest of the team can channel that hurt into driving their team forward and staying on the front foot, they have a great chance of become the third school from the province to lift Corn Gobnait
Neighbours St Mary’s, Magherafelt were the first in 1996 – like Maghera this weekend in their third successive final – and a dozen years later Cross & Passion, Ballycastle went all the way. CPC beat first year finalists in St Bridget’s, Loughrea.
The stars would appear to be aligning for another Ulster success.
Allianz Corn Aoife Junior C Camogie Championship final
Laurel Hill College, Limerick v St Pius’ X, Magherafelt (Saturday, Kiltale, 3pm)
ST Pius’ X, Magherafelt are aiming to follow St Colm’s, Draperstown (2020), St Killian’s, Garron Tower (2022) and St Mary’s, Magherafelt (last year) to the Corn Aoife All-Ireland when they face Laurel Hill College from Limerick.
St Pius X showed a significant improvement on their Ulster final performance when they faced Mercy Roscommon in the Corn Aoife All-Ireland semi-final three weeks ago.
They were much sharper that their Connacht opponents in almost ever area of the Owenbeg pitch and were quickly on top on the score-board. That wasn’t the case against Keady in the Ulster final where they conceded early scores and struggled to take control of the game. They dominated the second half and were comfortable winners – but it was a far from confident performance.
They will not need to hear that a good start in this final is imperative if Corn Aoife is to remain in the south Derry town. Last year’s final – between St Mary’s and the Munster champions – went score for score throughout and the Cup ended up in Magherafelt because the Convent forwards hit winning scores in the final minutes. That the template for St Pius X.
In the other semi-final Laurel Hill College were also convincing winners with two goals in the opening nine minutes of the second half from Hazel Ní Ghliasáin key to a ten points’ victory, 2-11 to 0-7, over Castlecomer Community School.
Ní Ghliasáin had good support from Cáitlín Ní Riain and Orla Ní Fhreaghaile in the semi-final. Ní Riain was the free-taker on the Limerick side that beat Galway to win the All-Ireland under 16 title for the first time last summer, while a couple of others were on the panel.
Munster schools have won ten of the 18 finals in this grade and always seem to play with confidence when it comes to finals. If St Pius X allow their opponents to get a score or two ahead, a gap can open and it will take a huge effort to keep Corn Aoife in Magherafelt.
Allianz Corn Úna Junior D Camogie Championship final
Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara v St Dominic’s, Belfast (Saturday, Castleblayney, 1pm)
THE first Belfast school to reach an All-Ireland camogie final.
Quite a label, but St Dominic’s were well worth their semi-final victory. Indeed they should have won it a lot easier than the margin of five points between them and Holy Cross, Tuam at the end.
They totally dominated play, without posting enough scores and a repeat performance in the final would prove fatal. Nevertheless, it is always good to get over a first-ever semi-final and still feel that there is a lot more in the team.
While they will have been focussed on their own play in the three weeks since the semi-final, St Dominic’s will need to keep an eye on Aoibhín Ní Dhubhshláine in Castleblayney.
The Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara full-forward cracked home 3-5, including two late points that tilted the game in their favour, against Ardscoil na Mara from Waterford. That game finished 3-9 to 2-10. The other five points came from Alex Nic Solaimh. So there is a twin scoring threat to St Dominics’ title aspirations.
That should really focus their defence which stuttered for a period of time in the first half of the Ulster final against Loreto, Cavan, allowing them to fall behind by six or seven points. That they hit two goals right away helped them back into the game and then another couple of strikes put them in charge.
With players such as Ní Dhubhshláine and Nic Solaimh around, a switch-off would probably be fatal, while management will look for a better spread of scores than from the joint-captains Amy Gault, a defender, and Aoife Fitzsimons.
At this grade a good start usually defines what the outcome will be. St Dominic’s need that good start and then a sustained effort like the last day – with more scores resulting.