High-flying camogs set for Orchard trip

TYRONE camogs have been in blistering form but they face a serious test of their ambitions in Saturday’s All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship opener against Armagh (Ballymacnab, 1pm).

It’s their first of four group stage matches as waiting in the wings down the line are Tipperary’s Junior team, Down Seconds and Wicklow.

The top two teams will progress to the semi-finals, while the third and fourth placed teams will go into the Nancy Murray competition.

Tyrone will be hopeful ofmaking the last four of the Junior Championship as they’ve accounted for Wicklow twice this year already in the league, including the Division Four final, while they recently claimed a thumping victory over Down Seconds in the Ulster Junior Championship final.

However, it’ll be a big ask to get the better of an Armagh side stacked with experience of winning titles, most recently demolishing Antrim Seconds by 5-21 to 0-1 in the Ulster Intermediate title.

They have serious firepower in their ranks, Jennifer Curry contributing 2-6 against Antrim, Tierna Maxwell scoring 2-1, while Granemore’s Rachael Merry and the Donnelly sisters Leanne and Ciara (both of whom play their club camogie with Eglish) are also supremely talented camogs.

But it will be a useful exercise for Tyrone insofar as it will show where they stand against a team who have operated at a higher level than themselves in recent years.

The Red Hands have had a brilliant season under their new management team headed by Mayo native Paul O’Grady, who now lives in the county.

They produced a stirring performance to claim their first provincial title in a decade when they got the better of Down Seconds a fortnight ago. Lara Devlin and Cara Little were in lethal form in front of the posts while the likes of Bronagh Moohan and Aoife McDonald were in unforgiving mood at the back.

As a team they work extremely hard for each other, and if they do fall short against the Orchard County in their championship opener, it certainly won’t be for a lack of trying.