Stars set to war again in battle of Clones

All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie final replay preview

Six days is a very quick turnaround for an All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie final replay and one suspects the challenges in Clones tomorrow (Saturday, 1pm) will be mental as much as physical. Which team feels they had it won? Which is glad of the second opportunity? writes Daragh Ó Conchúir

Well, the truth of the matter is that neither probably feels hard done by. Derry led by seven at half-time in Croke Park last Sunday and hadn’t been in arrears from the time Lauren McKenna equalised in the 20th minute. Yet, they only scored one second-half point and could barely muster a shot at the opposition posts in the final quarter. They were hanging on and relieved to see Aoife Minogue’s injury-time free drift inches wide.

Flipping that around, although Meath had started well, the always dangerous Ciara Foley giving them a sixth minute goal, they had faded badly, having no answer to the rampaging runs of Derry captain, Aoife Ní Chaiside and the accuracy of Aoife Shaw and Áine McAllister. There was a degree of fortune to Mairéad McNicholl’s goal but there looked only one winner at the break and Meath looked done.

They fought hard after the resumption and created plenty of opportunities. The failure to capitalise on so many of those, including from a penalty, proved costly and though they never led, maybe it is they that will feel they should have done so by the final whistle.

The missed penalty itself might not have been significant as the goal from sub Aoibhinn Lally following a goalmouth scramble after Derry had foiled a couple of other opportunities, arrived within a minute or so. It was a hectic period that one feels had Meath failed to raise a green flag given their dominance, they would have been cooked. Instead, a six-point lead became three and momentum was all in the direction of the Davin Stand from there on.

Tiredness should not be an issue but it is one of those things that can come into play if a gap starts to open. Again, that is mental as well as physical but obviously, if either team has picked up an injury or a restrictive knock, that could be significant.

It is an interesting quirk that the only times both these counties won the Jack McGrath Cup, it was in a replay away from Croke Park, having drawn the game initially at Headquarters.

It was Derry in 2012, when Ní Chaiside was a teenage full-back, and five years later it was Meath’s turn and the likes of Claire Coffey, skipper Ellen Burke and Minogue were involved. So there are good memories and positive vibes. But it’s still a tough one to call.

Tomorrow's replay will be streamed live. Click here to watch at the action from Clones at 1pm.