All-Ireland senior camogie championship semi-final

Sleacht Néill v Sarsfields

Saturday, 2pm, Breffni Park

By Shaun Casey

WATCHING the All-Ireland club hurling and football finals last weekend forced Shannon Graham to recall the hurt last-minute goals can cause.

The Sleacht Néill star suffered the same fate two years ago when a late Sarsfields goal snatched a fourth successive All-Ireland title from the Derry girls grasp.

“I was just watching the games at the weekend, and I couldn’t believe it. I could completely sympathise with both teams. I remember that day (2019 All-Ireland final),” she said.

“I’ll never forget it, the closing stages of the game and Sarsfields got a great goal and beat us by a point. It’s something you’ll never forget.

“I think that’s a big motivation for all of us, I think it’s embedded in all of our memories. I don’t think it’s something you can forget. It’s something that we will carry forward going into the game because, for a lot of the girls, that was a very difficult defeat to take. I’m thinking that it will motivate us on Saturday.”

The two sides have built up quite a rivalry since first meeting in 2016 and while the pair respect each other, Graham insists her side won’t be holding back.

“I have great respect for them, they’re a very talented bunch of players and I suppose they’re tightly knit, a bit like ourselves. Our team has changed considerably over the years and so has theirs.”

“I respect them, but when you go on to the pitch, you just have to play hard and that’s all there is. There’s no bad blood or anything like that, but it’ll just be an interesting affair after 2019 because they were well prepared for us, they had us well sussed. Maybe we held back that day and it’ll be nice to see if we redeem ourselves.”

It’s been a long road for Sleacht Néill, with so many games and little down time recently, but there’s plenty of motivation within the squad, as Graham describes.

“Sometimes the motivation nearly comes from the people around you. You can give so much yourself, but the attitude within our team, I think the mantra within our team is something that has helped us be so successful.”

“All the girls are so supportive, and they all have the same drive and the same motivation.

“I think especially going forward on Saturday, a lot of girls were hurt the last time we met Sarsfields and the defeat. The fact that we have that motive to redeem ourselves plays a part in the energy going forward for Saturday.”