Derry girls pose big challenge

CAMOGIE PREVIEW Meath hoping to build on provincial success

Winning trophies can become a habit. At least the Meath camogie players and management will be hoping that assertion turns out to be the case in terms of their own quest for success.

Winners of the Leinster Intermediate Camogie title earlier this month Meath embark on another search for silverware on Saturday when they make the long trip to Swatragh to take on Derry in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship, 2pm.

Defeating Kildare (1-14 to 2-9) to claim the Leinster crown is sure to have imbued the squad with a renewed sense of well-being and can-do attitude, but this is a different competition with its own particular challenges and pitfalls.

Brendan Skehan's side will require all the self-confidence they can draw on, as well as skill, hunger and application, if they are return home with a victory.

A look back on how they fared out when the two teams met last year will give Meath some encouragement - yet also carry with it a red-alert.

Meath won the game, 2-13 to 2-11, at Inniskeen with Maire Kirby and Aoife Minogue finding the net. However, and here is when the alarms bells start ringing, Meath had to withstand some fierce late pressure from the Ulster side - and only some heroic defending by the team in green and gold helped them got over the line.

Yet Meath have freshened up their squad this year and they have now a clearly potent combination of youth and experience.

Amy Gaffney, Sinead Hackett and Aoife Minogue are playing with a renewed energy and enterprise as they showed against Kildare. Others such as Sonia Leonard and Olivia O'Halloran have added a new dimension to the Meath set-up. Derry girls such as Aine McAllister and Dervla O'Kane have caused Meath major problems in the past and if they feature this time they will need to be closely watched.

Regardless of who lines out for the Ulster side, Meath will have to be at their best to advance.

While their last championship clash was a close affair there was also very little between the sides when they clashed in the National Camogie League Div 2 back in February this year where Meath managed a 3-8 to 3-5 victory in Ashbourne.

On that occasion Meath had to dig deep into their well of spirit and determination as they surrendered two goals in the opening eight minutes.

Aine McNerney led Meath's recovery with a goal after 25 minutes and by the break the deficit was cut to just 1-3 to 2-3. Emma Connell's third quarter goal edged Meath ahead, 2-6 to 2-4, and they never looked back with McNerney bagging her second.

O'Kane proved her danger with Derry's third goal to set up a nervous ending, but Meath held on.

Meath have improved significantly since that day in Ashbourne and will hope to avoid the slow start that put them under so much pressure.

With Jane Dolan well on the road to recovery from injury her inclusion would be a huge boost and with the depth of Skehan's squad improving by the game Meath look good for a long run in the Intermediate championship, starting with victory in Swatragh on Saturday.