Football

Oak Leafs facing Carlow in last chance Championship saloon

Cork captain Ciara O'Sullivan will be hoping to lead the Rebels to victory over Kerry on Saturday  
Cork captain Ciara O'Sullivan will be hoping to lead the Rebels to victory over Kerry on Saturday   Cork captain Ciara O'Sullivan will be hoping to lead the Rebels to victory over Kerry on Saturday   (Seb Daly / SPORTSFILE/SPORTSFILE)

TG4 All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championship quarter-final: Derry v Carlow (Sunday, Mullahoran, 2pm)

IT IS the last chance saloon for Derry this weekend as they aim to overcome Carlow in the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship quarter-final for the last semi-final berth.

The Oak Leaf county find themselves with the unfamiliar favourites tag for this game and, with the prize a semi-final clash with Scotland up for grabs, they will have serious designs on an All-Ireland final spot. And while Derry’s joint captain Ciara Moore admits the ultimate aim is to return to an All-Ireland final in Croke Park at the end of next month, they are not looking any further than Sunday’s quarter-final against Carlow.

“There are no second chances now, it really is do or die,” said Moore.

“It would mean a lot to us to get an All-Ireland semi-final, but we have to get past Carlow first, so it's one game at a time, but the aim is to be in Croke Park at the end of September.”

If Derry are to reach the decider, which will be against either Leinster champions Louth or Lancashire, they will need to improve on their performance that saw them lose out to Lancashire 2-8 to 0-6 in the first round two weeks’ ago. However, it was their first competitive game since their league campaign finished back in March and, with new personnel drafted in since then by manager Charlie O’Kane, it is understandable that it might take a game to get things right.

But as Moore says, it’s time now to get things right and they have had plenty to work on as a result of the Lancashire loss, most notably their shooting, having racked up a wide count which went into double figures.

“We didn't perform or play to how we know we can and our shooting wasn't great. We have been working on scoring since because, against Lancashire, we missed enough that would have won us two games.”

She added: “That said, it was our first game playing as a team, so it was hard to know what way girls played, but Charlie and the management team have learned a lot from that game.

“We definitely will not be taking anything for granted, but we need to go out and perform to the best we can. It's championship football and anything can happen on the day.”

Carlow did not participate in the league this year and their first and only game of the season ended in a heavy 8-18 to 0-7 defeat to Louth in the Leinster final last month. The sides have met previously in the past in both the league and the Junior Championship, with Derry prevailing.

“I remember playing them and it went our way but was never too easy, but if we go out with the belief and passion to win we will,” said Moore.

“The feeling is good among the team and everyone is up for it.”

The other quarter-final, which was meant to feature New York and Scotland, sees Scotland receive straight passage through to the semis after New York pulled out of the competition.

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship semi-final: Cork v Kerry


(Saturday, Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, 6pm, live on TG4)

MUNSTER big guns Cork and Kerry come face-to-face yet again on Saturday evening, this time with an All-Ireland final place at stake.

Both sides contested the provincial decider earlier in July, with the Kingdom overcoming the reigning champions just like they had done in 2013, but the Rebels came back to turn the tables in the last four of the All-Ireland series.

Since that surprise defeat in the Munster decider, Cork, who are chasing a 10th All-Ireland title in 11 years, have bounced back with victories over Mayo and Galway. Their win over Connacht champions Galway was impressive and yet again showed that they are the side to be beat this year.

This will be the sides’ second Championship meeting outside of Munster, with Cork winning both, along with that 2013 meeting they also defeated their neighbours in the final the previous year.

Kerry overcame a stiff test from Mayo the last day, but a strong second half saw them through. For long periods in that game, they struggled to get a grip of the contest and will know a similar performance could be punished by Cork.

A ding-dong tussle is on the cards with both sides littered with so many match winners. Cork captain Ciara O’Sullivan was a driving force against Galway along with the ever reliable Briege Corkery, Valerie Mulcahy and Bríd Stack. Kerry would love to stop their neighbours’ drive for five in-a-row and will be hoping Louise Ní Mhuirceartaigh and Sarah Houlihan can torment the Cork rearguard, while Bernie Breen can lay the foundations in midfield.

The game will be preceded by the meeting of Waterford and Leitrim in the first of the Intermediate semi-finals (4.15pm).

Meanwhile, the venue has been announced for the other semi-finals, with Parnell Park hosting the senior meeting of Dublin and Armagh and the Intermediate clash of Kildare and Offaly on Saturday, September 5 at 5pm and 3.15pm respectively.