BY SEÁN HOLLAND
AS the Cork ladies footballers prepare to face Waterford in the TG4 All-Ireland senior quarter-final on Saturday, July 6th, in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (1.15pm), captain Maire O'Callaghan is optimistic about her team's chances of reaching the last four, but she is well aware of the battle ahead.
Despite a challenging league campaign which included a loss to the Déise, the Rebels have aimed to peak at the right time. O'Callaghan believes this strategy is starting to pay off.
‘We're very happy that the momentum is going in the right direction,’ said O'Callaghan. ‘We feel we're on an upward trajectory. Obviously, the league was very disappointing for us but we did put a lot of emphasis on strength and conditioning work to peak at the right time of the year. I think that's coming to fruition now. The emphasis on the gym that was done throughout the league and prior to that, didn't translate on the pitch, but it's coming together now for us coming into the championship with the All-Ireland series.’
The team has had to adapt to significant changes this year, which included the loss of O’Callaghan’s Mourneabbey clubmates, Ciara and Doireann O’Sulllivan. The Cork captain acknowledged their departure was a major setback but also highlighted the resilience and potential of the younger members of the squad stepping up in leadership roles.
‘Ciara and Doireann finishing off this year was a huge, huge blow. I think it would have been a blow for any team in the country. They're such fantastic players who've had amazing careers, but we’ve had a young team for the last couple of years. The likes of Melissa Dugan, Shauna Kelly, and myself are the oldest on the team now but I don't think it all boils down to what age you are. There's a lot of younger girls there that have had four or five years on the panel and they're well and truly equipped to step up as well. So while it's a young team, we still have leaders and experience, spread all over the pitch,’ she said.
Cork's rivalry with Waterford is well documented, with the teams knowing each other inside-out. This match will be their third encounter this year with one win each. Reflecting on their previous meetings, O'Callaghan was candid about Cork's performances and knows the challenge that’s ahead on Saturday.
‘We've had great battles with Waterford over the years. We're two teams that know each other very well. The first day in the league, I think we'll have no issue with holding our hand up and saying we didn’t play well. We were very disappointed with the performance and they had an easy victory. The second time we met in the Munster championship which was, I think, a brilliant game for the neutral. It was very exciting. It came down to the last few minutes. It was end-to-end stuff. I think we're probably in for something similar this weekend. We know Waterford, they've such a good running game. They're extremely fit, and we'll be ready for that,’ said the Cork captain.
Cork topped their round-robin group which gives them the advantage of a home quarter-final.
‘It's great to have the home advantage, albeit they don't have too far to travel. We'll still be delighted to play it in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Looking forward to another big battle, and hopefully, we'll get the best performance out of ourselves, and then the result might take care of itself.’
