Intermediate

By Michael O’Leary

St. Canices Credit Union Intermediate Camogie championship Quarter-finals

Piltown v St. Annes.

Piltown had an excellent league campaign with three wins from three matches, but they suffered a reality check in the league semi-final as they were destroyed by Dicksboro. Katie Power is working her way back to full fitness and its touch and goes as to whether she’ll appear on Saturday.

Karen Duggan is currently in training with the Irish Senior women’s Soccer for two Euro 2013 qualifier games and like Power her appearance at the weekend is likely to be in doubt. If Piltown are minus those two influential players, it would represent a massive blow to their chances of progressing in the Championship. 

St. Annes had a contrasting league campaign to Piltown as they lost all three matches, but the 2009 Intermediate champions eased relegation worries as they recorded a comprehensive 10- point victory over Clara. 

Like St. Lachtains at Senior level, the Galmoy/Johnstown contingent maybe just coming into form at the right time. They have a good balance to their side. Clair Phelan in defence has experience of playing Inter-county senior, while her namesake

Jean-Anne is an outstanding defender. The midfield pairing of Siobhan Corcoran and Edel Maher combines a mixture of youth and experience, while Inter-county full-back Catherine Doherty will pull the strings at either centre-forward or full-forward, where of course she played inter-county senior earlier in hear career.

Sarah Dermody and Catriona Brennan who were inter-county senior panelists last year have won All-Irelands at under-age level. Despite Piltown possessing home advantage, both sides are heading in opposite directions momentum wise, and St. Annes should advance to an Intermediate semi-final.

Verdict: St. Annes
 

Paulstown v Rower-Inistioge in Paulstown

This is an eagerly anticipated contest. Paulstown lost out in a classic epic 8 goal thriller to Tullaroan 8-8 to 6-11 in the league semi-final, while Rower-Inistioge Intermediate finalists for the past two years have struggled to recapture the consistency of their performances in the build up to last years county final.

Their goal-scoring exhibition against James Stephens where they found the net on 8 occasions wasn’t a surprise. On a line through Tullaroan would be fancied, but surely there is a big display in Rower-Inistioge yet. They are so determined to make the breakthrough at Intermediate level after heartbreak over the past two years. However, they are going to have to work harder to do so.

Intermediate is more competitive this year with St. Annes dropping down after been relegated from Senior last year, and an ever improving Tullaroan who won junior last year causing a stir in the Inter ranks and are one of the favourites for the title. A very close contest is expected, and a replay maybe required after extra-time.

Verdict: Draw

St. Canices Credit Union Intermediate league final

Tullaroan v Dicksboro

The Junior champions of the past two years battling it out for honours, and earlier in the season, in the second round of the group stage of the league, the two teams served up an epic thriller with Tullaroan emerging by a solitary point. 4-5 to 3-7. 

Tullaroan have made massive strides over the past years. Progressing from Junior B to Junior A champions, they are strong contenders for Intermediate glory. They have serious young talent with a wealth of All-Ireland medal winners in their ranks at Inter-county and colleges.

Grace Walsh, cousin Miriam, Noelle Maher are all superb young players, while the experienced Aine Fahey will have a vital part to play. Dicksboro will be relying on the likes of Niamh Kelly, the highly skilled Orla Hanrick, and the experience of Sinead Maher, Niamh O ’Donoghue and Jenny Dillon.

Both sides know where the goalposts are. Both teams have bagged 20 goals in their 4 matches to date including 8 goals apiece in one of their respective encounters. Dicksboro scored 8-6 against Rower-Inistioge, and they led 4-1 to 0-0 after just 6 minutes.

Tullaroan meanwhile scored 8-8 in that 14 goal epic thriller against Paulstown in the league semi-final. However, a more telling statistic is that in the 4 games played so far, Dicksboro have conceded 6 goals, and Tullaroan have conceded 14. That is evidence to suggest that the Boro defence is more watertight.

It may be significant.

Verdict: Dicksboro