Preview- Croke Park is within reach for in-form Kilkenny Camogs
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The Cats meet Clare in a pivotal championship fixture on Saturday afternoon
After three games in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, Kilkenny look in a good spot as they head in to a top of the table clash with Clare in UPMC Nowlan Park this weekend.
The Cats and the Banner County are both within reach of the All-Ireland quarter-finals in Croke Park and the winners on Saturday afternoon’s clash in the Marble City will have one foot in the knockout stages of the competition.
The two sides have won all three of their games in the championship thus far and the new structure which sees last year’s semi-finalists Waterford, Tipperary, Cork and Galway all placed in the one group has offered the chance for Jimmy Meagher’s outfit to work their way into the summer campaign.
Clare also have the distInction of winning Division 1B of the Camogie League at the expense of Dublin so the silverware and promotion to the top tier of camogie has them in great stead and it’s set to be a big day for the county as a whole with the game in Nowlan Park now moving to a 2.30pm throw-in with the Banner County’s hurlers taking on Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-final in Thurles later that evening.
Kilkenny go into Saturday’s meeting on the back of victories over Limerick, Offaly and Dublin and although Clare will be their biggest test to date, the Noresiders will go in as favourites as a trip to Croke Park veers ever closer.
The Noresiders narrowly missed out on a league final place earlier in the spring and after overcoming the shock of a Leinster final defeat to Wexford, they’ve dusted themselves down and put in a number of fine performances in succession.
Kilkenny’s winning run commenced when they overcame Limerick at home on a 3-19 to 1-11 final scoreline, with Aoife Prendergast netting twice and Sarah Barcoe also impressing with a goal.
Laura Murphy, Laura Greene and Caoimh Keher-Murtagh also put in big displays for the beaten Leinster finalists in that round one fixture but it was the following weekend’s success over Dublin that was more revealling.
The trip to Parnell Park looked a tricky one on paper as they collided with their Leinster neighbours, but it was a dominat display by Cats as they ran out eight-point winners.
Kilkenny blitzed the hosts with a free-scoring start to the game as they raced into a 0-9 to 0-2 lead after some 20 minutes of play with Aoife Prendergast, Sarah Barcoe, Emma Shortall, Asha McHardy and Steffi Fitzgerald all on target for the Noresiders.
Dublin hit back at the end of the first half before an Asha McHardy effort left Kilkenny leading on a double scores advantage at the interval.
Two well-taken second half Sarah Barcoe goals, which merited the Thomastown forward a nomination for player of the month, all but sealed the result in Jimmy Meagher’s side favour. Though Dublin responded with a consolation goal via a penalty by Aisling Maher, the side in Black and Amber were well clear on the scoreboard at that stage.
The Cats then moved on to a home fixture with Offaly a couple of weeks later, and they produced another fine display on home soil as they ran out 12 point winners over the Faithful County.
Kilkenny ran in five goals in the round three fixture with Aoife Prendergast, Steffi Fitzgerald, Emma Shortall, Sarah Barcoe and Emma Mulhall all finding the net in another resounding display. The home team trailed early on but once they got going, there was no stopping the 2022 All-Ireland winners as they swatted aside the Offaly effort and in this form they look like they will be a match for anyone.
We will know more about KIlkenny’s title credentials after this Saturday’s clash with Clare, and while the Cats still have an away fixture in a Leinster final rematch with Wexford, the team and management will be hopeful of getting their business done this weekend.
The Kilkenny squad looked to be entering a period of transition but with the likes of Aoife Norris, Laura Murphy, Laura Greene and Aoife Prendergast providing the leadership qualities to talented youngsters like Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Sarah Barcoe and Asha McHardy, anything is possible for this promising young side.
The way the other group is playing out, it looks like two from Waterford, Tipperary and Galway will provide the opposition should Kilkenny make the last six of the All-Ireland. That aim should become a reality come the end of business on Saturday.