Carey keen to banish Limerick’s inconsistency
IT’S the sort of four in-a-row that no one wants and Limerick camogie captain Sarah Carey says self-belief will be the key to finally getting their league semi-final monkey off their backs.
Sunday’s Littlewoods Ireland Division One semi-final against All-Ireland champions Cork marks Limerick’s fourth successive year to reach the last four.
Yet they’ve repeatedly fallen at the penultimate hurdle.
Carey says that pulling off one of the shocks of the season – beating champions Kilkenny – should help give her side the sort of confidence they’ve been lacking. “Beating Kilkenny in our group was a huge boost. That’s the first time I’ve ever won against a Kilkenny senior team,” she said.
“We just need to keep that standard up. Inconsistency has been our downfall and it’s in our heads really. We can be amazing in one game and then drop the next day out.
“Of course you’d look up to Cork but we can’t fear them,” she stressed, especially after beating them in last year’s Munster final.
“They’re the standard we want to be at and I can’t wait for this game. Hopefully now we can gel together, be consistent and get more confidence. Making a league final would huge for a team like us.”
Limerick only made the last four on points difference while Cork are the only unbeaten side in the league. Ashling Thompson says her side are even more focused than they were when they lost the final to Kilkenny a year ago.
“Beating Galway the first day out, off very little training, was a great start for us and we’ve managed to stayed unbeaten since despite some bumps. It’s really important to make winning a habit,” she said.
Limerick play Cork in Cork IT on Sunday when Kilkenny take on Galway in St Rynagh’s, Banagher (both 2pm). Both of camogie’s Division One semi-finals will be live-streamed on the Littlewoods Ireland Facebook page.