Twelve months after suffering defeat to the same opposition, Sarsfields are back in the All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie Final when they face Slaughtneil on Sunday.
The Derry champions were 1-10 to 0-11 winners in 2017 and will be looking for back-to-back titles while Sarsfields go in search of a maiden triumph.
Best of luck to Sarsfields Camogie Club who are competing in the All Ireland Senior Club Camogie Final on March 4th 🏆
We hope that Revive Active gives them the boost they need to bring home some silverware back to Galway 😊 pic.twitter.com/pKWJtwkmLv— Revive Active (@ReviveActive) February 24, 2018
Clodagh McGrath is Sarsfields’ centre back forming a solid line with Tara Kenny and Erica Leslie. She chatted to Galway Daily ahead of Sunday’s game.
“It’s five weeks since the semi-final and it’s just flown,” said McGrath. “We played a few challenge matches since then and it seems to have come around in the blink of an eye. We went back training in December. It just comes around so quickly. It’s just great to be in the final now.
“We’re learning as we go along. It’s a funny position to play sometimes the way teams are gone now. Slaughtneil, they kind of go deep and stuff so it’s hard to judge sometimes.
“Looking at the final there, Erica (Leslie) was outstanding and she wouldn’t be a player that too many people would have been talking about going into the final. And she was just outstanding, she was brilliant.
“It’s good when you can look around to your right (and) to your left, there’s always going to be support play. So, hopefully we can bring them into the final.
“It seems like we’ve around for a long time but it was a few years ago, we were intermediate. I can remember in Ballinasloe losing that All-Ireland semi-final to The Harps from Laois (2011). And that’s only a few years ago and that will be a lot of the bunch that would be still playing.
“I suppose every year, I mean the last 12 months, you’re talking to the girls about do we feel more mature? And I think we definitely do. A year older and a year wiser!
“Like about tight matches – (St.) Thomas in the club semi-final, we won by a point, Thomastown last year and again this year by a point (Burgess/Duharra). I think those kind of matches, they’re worth so much more than training or panel matches. They really build character in the team.
“It’s something that we hope to bring forward into the final. I know things can go badly. That’s probably going to happen the next day. You’re not going to be playing great for 60 minutes.
“There’s going to be bad spells. And we’re so mentally prepared for that that no matter what happens, we want to get over the line.”
Hear the full interview BELOW
Sarsfields face Slaughtneil in the AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie Final this Sunday (18th March). Throw-in at Croke Park is 3.30pm.
Thanks to Clodagh McGrath for visiting the @liammellowsgaa Easter camp today. pic.twitter.com/b7IoCv9lLI
— LiamMellowsCoaching (@MellowsCoaching) April 20, 2017
