Camógs perched on familiar ground

Roscommon will be perched on very familiar territory when they get their All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Championship campaign underway on Saturday next.

Mary Grehan’s side welcome Tyrone to Ballyforan for a 3.30 p.m. throw-in, hoping to reverse the result when the teams met earlier in the league. That narrow loss, fortunately, didn’t derail Roscommon’s league prospects as they ended up in the league final. But the subsequent 1-14 to 1-8 loss against Armagh in Abbotstown was a timely reminder that the Orchard camógs remain the team to beat in a championship where Roscommon will play five group games — leaving the top four teams in the semi-finals.

“The focus is there to win every game and get to Croke Park. That’s what the pinnacle for these girls is, and they know we’ll have to beat everybody to get there,” was Grehan’s succinct summary of her team’s primary goal this season.

After Tyrone, Roscommon play Kildare and Wicklow before a break will be followed by games against Armagh and Cavan.

Getting games since that league final nearly six weeks ago has been problematic, and while other teams have been able to fine-tune their preparations on their respective provincial circuits, Roscommon haven’t enjoyed such a benefit.

“I think it’s very unfair. We’re the only province that doesn’t have a provincial final. Mayo wouldn’t play us, which is a pity. It’s a Connacht issue that needs to be addressed.

“Everyone seems to step it up a bit (after the league). Armagh played in the Ulster senior championship and Cavan beat Tyrone in the recent Ulster intermediate final.

“There’s also a U-23 championship, so all those players are getting matches. That has left it very difficult for me to get challenge games,” the manager highlighted.

But Grehan is delighted to have a layer of leadership epitomised by captain Rachel Fitzmaurice and Sally Bolger to complement the returning Sarah Dooley and Tara Naughton, alongside younger players Alannah Sutton, Grace Geraghty, Anna Hussey who have brought enthusiasm and an injection of energy into the squad.

“We’re going great. There are lots of players pushing for places. We’ve been working an awful lot on skills for the last while. We had a challenge game against Kiltormer (last week), so we’re getting to see players who may not have got game time during the league.

“The girls who were there last year are building on their strengths and understanding of playing with each other. Then you have new players who have brought great energy to the team, and are mad to improve,” she continued.

With Roscommon mindful that they fell well short of expectations during the Tyrone league game in February, all the focus will be on atoning for missed chances in that game before favourites Armagh appear on the horizon in the penultimate game of the group stages.

“We didn’t perform that day (against Tyrone). We had many opportunities to score, including a missed penalty. I feel that we’re a very different team now.

“It’s about being better on the ball and getting our scores. We’ve really worked on that since the league final. Coming into that final, the focus was on strength and conditioning, speed work, and getting to grips with the physicality of the game.

“Last year, Armagh beat us by 13 points. In the first round of the league this year, it was eight points, and it was down to six points in the league final.

“The camogie took a back seat in the lead-up to the league final but that has changed since. The margins between success and failure are very thin for all the teams in the championship. Everyone is capable of beating each other. Armagh are a step ahead at the moment, but we feel that they can be beaten too,” she concluded.