Lackens defence the key to making historic final

Damian McCarney

Lacken camogie team will have to quell an impressive attack line if they are to qualify for the All-Ireland final for the first time in their history this weekend.
Despite winning the Cavan League, Cavan Championship and Ulster Championship, Lacken will come into their tie with Meath outfit Kilmessan as underdogs. Lacken will be without two key forwards for the semi-final in Kinnegad - Rosie Crowe, who is enjoying her honeymoon in Thailand, and Shona King, who is travelling for four months.
“Kilmessan are a very good side,” said manager Philip Brady. “I watched them in the Leinster final. They are very strong all over the pitch, technically very good camogie players. The closest anyone has got to them this year is nine points and the average winning score is 17 points.”
Despite that impressive fire power, Lacken are hoping to impose their own tactics on the game and ask questions of Kilmessan’s backline.
“We have tactics drawn up and have two or three plans which we can change to at anyone time. We are going to go for it; technically I still think we are as good as them. Our defence all year has been fantastic - six on six, we don’t have to go mass defence.
“We have tactics and hopefully the girls can stick to it and we get the right result at the end of it.” While Philip would prefer to have Rosie and the pacy Shona amongst his panel, he is confident the squad is deep enough to book a place in the final. Rosie, regarded as one of the club’s best ever players, missed the first round of the Ulster Championship through injury and they still managed to win comfortably.
See if they can do it without Rosie when they take on Kilmessan in Kinnegad on Sunday, November 9. Throw-in 2pm.