Kilkenny aim to upset champs

The Camogie League Division 1 semi-finals take place over the weekend, with last year’s runners-up Galway challenging Cork today in Sixmilebridge, while the four-in-a-row-chasing Wexford play Kilkenny at Carriganore.

The champions look as strong as ever, with last year’s winning captain Ursula Jacob continuing to shoot the lights out, while the incomparable Mary Leacy marshals a resolute defence. JJ Doyle has introduced the likes of Stacey Redmond and Tracy Nolan to the team with impressive results as Wexford were the only top-tier side to finish the group stages with a 100% record.

It is difficult to envision the Slaneysiders being derailed at this juncture but that’s what Kilkenny will try to do. They recorded just two wins from their four games but ran tomorrow’s opposition closest.

That will certainly give them hope but they will need Katie Power, Anne Dalton and Aoife Neary to be firing on all cylinders.

Today’s semi-final promises to be a cracker, as Cork are rebuilding, while stalwarts such as Gemma O’Connor, Anna Geary and Briege Corkery continue their excellent form. They are the highest scorers in Division 1 and it will be interesting how the likes of Katrina Mackey and Katie Buckley fare against a Galway defence that has yet to concede a goal.

The westerners have been desperately close in both league and championship in recent years but have seen their ambitions perish at the hands of Wexford. At the moment, they seem best placed to dethrone the Model County girls and have already beaten Cork this year.

With such an unyielding back line, they will be looking to Brenda Hanney, Veronica Curtin, Orla Kilkenny and Aislinn Connolly to fire them into the final.