The game is the winner as standards rocket sky high
ANOTHER week, another round of enthralling action in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship. And another draw. It was the fourth time in as many rounds that two teams could not be separated but notably, three of those have been in Group 1, where a number of clashes have gone down to the wire. Only Clare can’t qualify for the knockout stages but they still have something to play for in the final round on July 2, to avoid a relegation play-off. Indeed, only Cork are assured of top spot and the direct route to the AllIreland semi-final. That leaves Waterford, Tipperary, Dublin and Wexford vying for the two quarter-final positions. There is so little to separate the quartet that the first three named could qualify by losing their last group games but they could also miss out by drawing them. Eimear Kelly was devastated that despite a player-of-the-match contribution that saw Clare to reel in a five-point deficit late on to draw with Dublin 1-9 each at Cusack Park, the Bannerwomen would not make the final six. ‘I’m just sickened now to be honest,’ said Kelly afterwards. ‘I’m so proud of all of our girls. Fair play to Dublin, they were excellent. ‘Camogie is the winner this year in the group, in terms of the standards and keeping the matches close for spectators. We’ll come out fighting again the next day and give Waterford one hell of a go,’ she added. Joint manager Conor Dolan admitted his team just hadn’t done enough but felt that given the rebuilding process he and John Carmody had to begin this term, they were on the right trajectory. ‘We knew at the start of the year, after the draw was made, there was going to be very little between the teams,’ Dolan said. ‘Unfortunately, we’ve four games played, we haven’t won a game. If you don’t win games you aren’t going to progress. Dublin boss, Adrian O’Sullivan could not yet decide whether the result was a good or a bad one. ‘It was one of those manic games where it lost all shape. We tried our best to control but ultimately Clare stuck to the task. They’re a savage outfit,’ he added. On Saturday, Cork shook off Waterford by 0-16 to 0-10 at Walsh Park, Co Waterford, and Tipperary beat Wexford by 0-15 to 1-11 at Bellefield, Co. Wexford.