BY SEÁN HOLLAND
CORK are braced for a huge challenge from Galway in the All-Ireland senior camogie final on Sunday in Croke Park (5.15pm throw-in).
The Rebels are undefeated in the championship this year and have already beaten the Tribeswomen in the group stages on their way to their fourth consecutive final. When the two sides met in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in June, a place in the All-Ireland semi-final was at stake. Cork produced one of their performances of the year that day, eventually winning out by 12 points, 2-16 to 1-7. Cork manager Ger Manley was interviewed afterward and he knew that day wouldn't be the end of Galway’s season.
‘We’ll probably meet them later on down the line’, Manley said. So it transpired with Galway defeating Waterford in the quarter-final 1-12 to 1-9, and Tipperary 1-12 to 1-11 in the semi-final.
Looking ahead to the final, Galway manager Cathal Murray noted that if his team performs, he feels they’re good enough to beat any side.
‘Finals are for winning. We're used to them now and we feel like we perform well in them. There won't be much in it we hope. It’s about our performance and getting our game right and we’ve concentrated on that since our day down in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. We’re hoping for a performance and any time we perform we feel like we’re good enough for any team,’ Murray said.
Cork boss Ger Manley has been involved with the Rebels for the past three seasons, and has felt the anguish of defeat to the Marooners on plenty of occasions but he feels that the win in the All-Ireland semi-final last year was a turning point for his team.
‘I thought we got the monkey off our back last year in the semi-final. It took quite a good performance in Nolan Park to beat them. Even since I was involved, we lost to them in two league finals, we lost in the 2021 final and they beat us in the championship twice as well. Look, they're so formidable, and they’ve so many good players. But I think we've improved this year. Our standards have gone up, and I think if we perform, we have a great chance,’ the Cork manager admitted.
The main reason behind Cork’s success this season has been down to their scoring power. Having already totalled 132 points in the championship before the semi-final, that ability was reinforced in their 4-17 to 0-9 win over Dublin in the semi-final. All year it’s been Amy O’Connor and Katrina Mackey carrying the scoring load for the Rebels but against Dublin, it was Orlaith Cahalane and Saoirse McCarthy who took up the mantle notching 2-2 and 1-2 respectively. Cork also had 11 different scorers against the Dubs and that spread of scoring power will definitely be one of the Leesiders’ main arsenals come Sunday evening.
