All-Ireland finalists Moneyglass and Knockbride prepare for Galway opponents at Croke Park
AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Championship Final: St Ergant’s Moneyglass (Antrim) v Kilkerrin-Clonberne (Galway) (Today, Croke Park, 4pm live on Sport TG4 YouTube (deferred coverage TG4, 8.10pm)) Ulster champions St Ergnat’s Moneyglass will walk out onto the Croke Park turf tomorrow afternoon knowing they face the ultimate test as Galway giants Kilkerrin-Clonberne bid for an unprecedented fifth consecutive All-Ireland Senior Club Championship title. The Connacht champions come into the final on a staggering 52-game unbeaten run and boast a side packed with experience and star quality, including Olivia Divilly and Siobhan Divilly, Louise and Nicola Ward and Eva, Hannah and Lynsey Noone, Sarah Gormally and Chloe Miskell.Their dominance over recent seasons has set a benchmark rarely seen in the club game, and once again, they arrive as favourites.Read more:Yet standing opposite them will be a Moneyglass team that has grown steadily and purposefully into this moment.Under joint managers Charlie O’Kane and Maxi Curran, the Antrim champions have made significant strides over the last number of years and players such as Cathy Carey, Sarah and Maria O’Neill, Eleanor Mallon, Bronagh Devlin, captain Nimah McIntosh have been central to their run, while the emergence of younger squad members - Jo Jo Darragh, Aoife Leahy, Annie Griffin and Leah Stewart - have added depth and energy. There is no disguising the scale of the challenge. Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s record speaks for itself, but O’Kane believes this is exactly the type of contest his group has been striving for. “They are a very good team, we will have to be at our best on Saturday. These are the games we have been working towards being involved in over the last 4 or 5 years and we are looking forward to it,” he said.From a tactical and psychological perspective, managing the occasion may be as important as managing the opposition. For many in the Moneyglass panel, this will be their first experience of playing in Croke Park and O’Kane is keen to keep that in perspective. “We are very young and for a lot of our team this will be their first experience of Croke Park“We have been consistent in our message that this is another game, 15 v15, same size ball and the same white markings on the ground.“If we can manage the occasion, we will hopefully put on a really strong performance.” They arrive in Croke Park full of belief they can dethrone the champions and their approach has remain unchanged. “Yes, we have but we have also shown our qualities on the ball, our togetherness as a team and our ability to find a way to win.“If we can recreate the performance levels of our semi-final, it should be a great game for the neutrals,” he said. “We are looking forward to Saturday. The main priority has been getting ready to go again. “It’s just the same preparation as normal, it’s another game of football. All year we have focused on performance levels and it has brought us this far, we’d be silly to change that now.” Knockbride captain Sarah McCabe and Caltra Cuans counterpart Denise Kelly pictured ahead of their AIB All-Ireland intermediate club championship final on Saturday. PICTURE: INPHO/Morgan Treacy (©INPHO/Morgan Treacy ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy/©INPHO/Morgan Treacy) AIB All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship Final: Knockbride (Cavan) v Caltra Cuans (Galway) (Today, Croke Park, 2pm live on TG4) Knockbride stand on the brink of history this afternoon as the Cavan champions eye All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship glory. Facing Galway’s Caltra Cuans in the first of a double header at GAA Headquarters, they hope to become the first Cavan winners, and are indeed the first Cavan finalists, of the competition. Their journey to Croke Park has been impressive. Having lit up the Ulster campaign with free-flowing, high-scoring football, Knockbride showed a very different side to their game in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork champions Naomh Abán.That contest was attritional, defensive and low-scoring, yet Knockbride emerged with a famous 0-4 to 0-3 victory, Ellie Reilly’s second-half point proving decisive. Manager Ciaran Galligan believes that battle may yet prove pivotal in preparing his side for the unique demands of an All-Ireland final. “The semi-final threw a very different tactical challenge at us, and the girls adapted brilliantly to that contrast in style,” he said.“It highlighted their ability to adjust to an opposition’s game plan, which will hopefully stand to them as we head into the final.” Recovery from that intense encounter has been carefully managed, with Knockbride emerging in strong condition.“Thankfully, we picked up no injuries,” Galligan confirmed. “The girls took it easy in the days after the win and were back training on Tuesday.“All going to plan, we’ll be arriving at Croke Park with a fully fit team and panel.” That sense of calm preparation reflects a group growing ever more comfortable on the big stage.While this is Knockbride’s first appearance in an All-Ireland Intermediate final, their composure under pressure has been one of the defining features of their campaign to date. Preparation has largely focused on refining their own game, but respect for the challenge posed by Caltra Cuans is evident.The Galway champions bring significant experience and attacking threat, with Emma Reaney and Ciara and Saoirse Murray central to their forward play.Meghan Kelly’s impact from the bench in their semi-final win over St Fechin’s and the defensive organisation marshalled by sweeper Laura Naughton underline the all-round quality Knockbride will face. From a managerial perspective, Galligan is clear on what his side must deliver if they are to get over the line. “In semi-finals and finals, patience can often be a key factor,” he said.“Being able to adapt to the ebb and flow of the game will be important. Our work ethic has been a huge ingredient in our progress so far, and we’ll need to repeat that same level again in the final.” Belief, too, runs through this Knockbride squad, though it is grounded rather than blind. “Definitely, the belief is there,” Galligan added. “But belief only carries you so far. It will take a certain level of performance to earn a win against the quality opposition that Caltra will provide.”
