All Ireland Junior Championship Quarter Finals

All Ireland Junior Championship Quarter Finals

Sunday 27th August. Pearse Park, Longford.

 

Longford play Cavan and Sligo play Wexford in a
double header at Pearse Park, Longford on next Sunday as the season
rapidly reaches a conclusion. With just six weeks left to the finals
pressure is building up in the camps of those left in the competition. 

Longford and Wexford last faced each other in the Leinster final
where Wexford emerged with the trophy but must each face a different
opponent on Sunday. Wexford are determined to win in their tussle
with Sligo which defeated them in the quarter-final last year.
Sligo will have to make a superb effort if they are to overcome
Wexford, a team with strength throughout the field, led by the
likes of Leona Tector at centre back, the two Michelles Hearne
and Doyle at mid field with Kate Kelly, and Josie Dwyer (Captain)
in a high scoring forward line. Kate Kelly was player of the match
in the Leinster final having notched up a personal tally of 2-02.

Sligo were beaten by Leitrim in a closely contested Connacht
final by the smallest of margins and almost managed to force a
draw having been awarded a twenty metre free, albeit from an acute
angle, in the dying seconds. Noelle Gormley, one of her team’s
most prolific scorers, surprisingly kicked a short ball to a teammate
who squandered the opportunity to the dismay of the Sligo squad.
Sligo forwards Therese Marren and Noelle Gormley can be expected
to keep the Wexford backs busy and Sligo will hope to have Stephanie
O’Reilly fully fit and Karen Maloney and Louise Brett available.
They will be hoping to repeat the result of last year in the face
of strong Wexford resistance. An exciting game is in prospect.

Neighbours Cavan and Longford meet in the first game of the evening
and another close contest is anticipated. Longford had an unbeaten
run in their Leinster campaign until meeting Wexford in the final.
Players like Sharon Treacey and Edel Quinn, both of whom were
members of the successful Leinster team this year, are on top
form. The back line, led by Marie Carrigy at full back and Yvonne
Barden at centre back, is among the best in the junior ranks.
The forward line, spearheaded by all star Sharon (Shorty) Treacey,
with Edel Quinn, Denise Murtagh and Clare Delaney will make life
difficult for any back line. Of course Cavan will expect players
like Grainne Smith (Captain) who scored 2-02 of her team’s 2-09
score against Fermanagh and Bronagh Sheridan to penetrate the
Longford back line sufficiently often to get a winning margin
for them. Between them they accounted for all but four of their
team’s score of 2-09 in the Ulster final. Another close encounter
!!!

The other quarter finals, already decided, saw Clare advancing
at the expense of Fermanagh who were Cavan’s defeated opponents
in the Ulster final on a score of 4-12 to 1-10. Leitrim with a
one point victory over Limerick secured a semi final place on
a score of 1-12 to 2-08.

Extra time is to be played in the event of a draw in either game.