Jude’s set for final showdown

ST JUDE’S have reached the camogie Senior 1 final where they will take on St Vincent’s this coming Friday at Parnell Park with the game set for a 7:30 start.

The sides will have to be content with a quick turnaround after they both played their semi final games last weekend.

Jude’s managed to get the better of Ballyboden St Enda’s after what was an incredibly tough contest.

They had gotten off to a strong start in the match but as expected Boden did not go quietly and came roaring back to life as the game progressed.

In the end it would be a second half goal from Eimear Kehoe that proved to be the difference maker for Jude’s as the final score finished up 1-11 to 0-10.

In a game where physicality reigned supreme, manager Joe McManus touched on the performance.

“It was a game full of tackling and battling and it was prominent throughout the game.

‘The wind especially was making it difficult but it was a very good performance from our girls, they didn’t give in, went all the way to the end and got over the line.”

They now face a final this Friday against St Vincent’s with less than a week’s preparation.

McManus touched on the negatives this could impact regarding recovery.

“It’s a quick turnaround absolutely, it’s not an ideal timeframe to be facing into a county final. It’s the same for both teams, Vincent’s were playing a tough game as well.

‘It’s for the players you’d feel for, they train all year to reach a county final and taking any niggles or slight knocks that would normally recover in the two week period now doesn’t give you that chance to be fully right into the county final.

‘Look it’s definitely not the ideal time but it is what it is, we just have to get on with it.”

They do have a mammoth task ahead of them as they come up against a St Vincent’s side that are looking to do five in a row.

The two teams last meeting in the championship came in last year’s semi final where Vincent’s managed to get the nod with a one point victory.

Jude’s in fact are the last team other than Vincent’s to win the Championship title back in 2021 and contested another final in 2023.

Indeed some of the more experienced players on both teams will be extremely familiar with one another after Jude’s and Vincent’s contested three finals in a row between 2018 and 2021.

“You’re watching games they are playing and they’ll be watching us as well. You know one another to an extent and you’re trying to prepare for what threats they have while ultimately sticking to what’s served us well.

“We set out to go after the championship, there’s a lot of players that would have been involved in 2021, the talent is in the group.

‘We are still a young enough team but the talent is there to be targeting a championship, that’s what we’ve done.

‘It’s just now that we’ve gotten to the game. It’s not that it’s a surprise but it’s definitely something that was hard earned to get to.

‘In terms of what we set out at the start of the year we are still definitely on track, we didn’t take anything for granted, we’ve had to work and be prepared as best we can.

‘We just want to continue to perform come Friday.

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