All-Ireland Premier Camogie Championship Round Two

Armagh v Down

Saturday, Athletic Grounds, 5pm

By Shaun Casey

A DEPLETED Down squad face the daunting challenge of taking on Junior All-Ireland favourites Armagh in their first game.

Armagh already have one outing, and one win, under their belt after dismissing Limerick with ease last weekend.

Down boss Declan Burns insists that training has been good in the lead up to this weekend, but his side are down a number of key players.

“Training’s very good,” said Burns. “The Junior team and the Senior team train together at the minute and it’s excellent training. We have been hit with injuries over the past three to four weeks so both squads are quite light going into the weekend.

“We have doubts over Jessica Rushe, Francis Toner, Cora Cunningham, Danielle Higgins and Catherine O’Hare. There’s not very much we can do, we’re a very young squad and there’s a few young girls coming into the squad hopefully this week. The Seniors are quite ravaged at the minute too with injuries so we’re trying to split between the two squads. The fringe players of the Juniors are going to the Seniors, so it leaves the Juniors very light. But we’ll manage, we’ll get a team, and we’ll give Armagh a game.”

It will be Down’s second meeting with the Orchard County this year as the sides also met in the Ulster Intermediate semi-final, which Armagh won handsomely.

This weekend the Mourne ladies must travel to the Athletic Grounds, another disadvantage the underdogs will have to deal with. But Burns won’t be making any excuses.

“They’re very strong. We played them in the Ulster Championship a few weeks ago and they gave us a good beating. They were in the Junior All-Ireland final last year so they’re obviously hot favourites for the whole thing again.

“We learned quite a bit about Armagh (in the Ulster Championship) that we probably didn’t know as much as we’d like to before the Armagh game.

“They’re very strong and they have very good forwards. They’re strong in the middle of their defence and they have lightning forwards and they’re quite sharp. We’ve learned quite a bit but unfortunately with our injuries I don’t know if it’ll be enough.

“Travelling to the Athletic Grounds, it’s nice to play in pitches like the Athletic Grounds, that’s what everybody plays for, to play in these sort of grounds. Away from home will not be any easier.”