Lachtains ladies have Leinster title in sights

They achieved 5 Leinster titles in succession from 2003-2007, but St. Lachtains of Freshford will be attempting to get back into a Leinster final for the first time since 2008 as they face a daunting task against Wexford senior champions Oulart the Ballagh in the Leinster senior semi-final also this weekend.

The Freshford girls regained the Kilkenny title in emphatic style destroying Windgap and Mullinavat in the semi-final and final respectively. There is plenty of experience still involved who have been through the mill of winning Leinster and All-Ireland titles, and they will be quietly confident of reaching a Leinster final once again. Oulart the Ballagh are the defending Leinster champions and they easily defeated Rathnure to retain their county title 3-10- to 1-6 last weekend.

It was their 3^rd Wexford championship in succession, and they are also attempting to win their 3^rd Leinster title in succession. However, it's All-Ireland glory that has eluded them up until now, and in the 2009 All-Ireland semi-final against Cashel, they were defeated 1-14 to 2-7. Last February, they were undone at the semi-final stage by eventual All-Ireland champions Killimor. 0-9 to 0-8.

Make no mistake, Oulart-the-Ballagh are a serious proposition and they have Wexford Inter-county senior stars and all-stars, the Leacy sisters and prolific forward Ursula Jacob in their ranks. However, even though Oulart-the-Ballagh will be seen as favourites, the Freshford girls will be happy to under the radar without any great expectations. It certainly helped in their destruction of regaining the Kilkenny senior championship.

Players like Gillian-Dillon-Maher, Imelda Kennedy, the Connery sisters Aine and Sinead, the Fizpatrick sisters Eileen, Aoife, and Lydia - who hasn't a Leinster senior championship medal - as well as Anne Dalton and Deirdre Delaney are a formidable opposition for anyone. The Freshford girls defeated Oulart the Ballagh in a challenge 6 weeks ago, although the Wexford girls were without their inter-county stars. Anyway, too much shouldn't be read into challenge games. It will be far different this weekend.

If there is an element of complacency amongst the Wexford senior champions, the Freshford girls have the potency to take full advantage. Significantly as well, a number of the Oulart girls have been involved non-stop with club and county over the last three years, and definitely from the county semi-final and county final performances, there is a hunger, determination, eagerness and freshness about their plays.

Newcomers like 16-year-olds Katie Doheny and Lydia Fitzpatrick have added a greater impetus and enthusiasm top their line-up, and above all freshened up the team. The grafting workaholic that is Cora Dowling has been superb at centre-forward, while Sinead Connery has been a revelation at full-forward. Imelda Kennedy on her last two outings has rolled back the years, and she is playing like an enthusiastic youngster once again.

Unquestionably it will be a tough ask, but the Freshford girls have produced a habit of winning since making the county senior breakthrough in 1998. They will fancy their chances of getting back into a Leinster final.