The showpiece event in the camogie calendar, Glen Dimplex All-Ireland final day, is taking shape.
Antrim will play Laois in the intermediate decider on August ninth. Whereas, the premier junior final will see Armagh take on Cavan to kick off the action in three weeks’ time.
Cavan’s group form made them heavy favourites over Kildare in their semi-final. However, the Lilywhites pushed their opponents all the way in Tullamore before losing out by 2-12 to 1-9.
Hannah Fitzsimons gave Cavan a perfect start with a sideline cut that was deflected to the Kildare net.
Cavan were seven points ahead midway through the half; only to be reeled in and overtaken by a sensational Kildare second quarter.
Caoimhe Ní Bhuirceall found the net and late points from Aoife Stynes and Aoife McDermott put two between them at half-time.
The second-half was one-way traffic. However, as Kildare couldn’t get going up front in the face of a dominant Cavan half-back line of Aideen Coyle, Alannah Tierney and Rebecca Fitzsimons.
Whereas, Niamh Keenaghan’s 1-1 and two Shanise Fitzsimons points backboned Cavan’s surge to victory.
Armagh, went into this year’s campaign as the overwhelming favourites. They showed all their class in a high-quality, high-scoring semi-final win over Roscommon, 4-19 to 2-19.
Roscommon did their best hurling in the first-half, inspired by a wonderful performance from Orla Connolly. Connolly finished with 1-9 on the day.
Player-of-the-match, Sinéad Quinn found the net from a long range shot while Rachel Trainor notched 0-7 in the first-half alone.
Antrim dent Roscommon come back
However, turning around with the wind at their backs, Roscommon were well poised when they trailed by just two (1-11 to 0-12) at half-time.
This game was effectively decided in the five minutes after the interval when Armagh scored 2-3 unanswered; the goals coming from Rachel Trainor and Corina Doyle.
Roscommon rallied late and reduced the gap to three points briefly on the back of Connolly’s goal and a Rachel Dooley point, but Armagh won the next puckout as Quinn set up Trainor for the decisive score of the game.
In the intermediate games. goals were the difference in Antrim’s game against Meath at Breffni Park, with Éabha McAllister first to hit the net for the Saffrons.
Playing into a strong breeze, Meath responded well, kicked off by a monster free from distance from Aoife Minogue.
Emma Regan fired over three in succession to draw them level. It took an inspirational strike from Maeve Kelly to wrest the initiative back Antrim’s way.
The game was still in the melting pot five minutes into the second-half when McAllister hit the net a second time.
Antrim kept five or six between the teams until Griffin struck the clinching goal in a 3-10 to 0-12 win.
Seven points was the margin in Tullamore for the other semi-final as well. However, it felt much more comprehensive as Laois conceded a goal at the start of each half and still eased to a 1-17 to 2-7 win.
Jackie Horgan pounced on a dropped ball to fire in the opening goal inside 60 seconds. Kerry doubled that lead with three quick points, only for Laois to hit back with six in a row.
Kerry power into final
Gráinne Delaney ended a run of three Laois wides with a pointed free, Kaylee O’Keeffe missed a goal chance but raised the white flag, and there were further scores from play from Aimee Collier and Sarah Creagh to level the game, with the breeze favouring Kerry at this point.
1-4 to 0-8 behind at half-time, Kate Lynch gave Kerry another super start to the second half and they led by three approaching the midway point.
Collier struck four frees to bring her tally to eight points overall, while Eimear Hassett’s late goal confirmed a return to Croke Park for last year’s premier junior champions.
