Weekend ladies football preview

TG4 Senior Championship – Cork v Laois

Laois and Cork meet in the first of this year’s TG4 All-Ireland semi-finals after both counties came through tough quarter finals against Tyrone and Dublin respectively.

The two sides met earlier this season in the Bord Gáis Energy Division 1 final, with Cork coming out on top in the end to secure their fourth league title in a row.

Having already beaten the O’Mooore County and considering the amount of experienced players in this Cork team including Valerie Mulcahy and captain Amy O’Shea, the Rebelettes are tipped as favorites.

In saying that, what Laois lack in experience they make up for in youth and enthusiasm, which is exemplified in the performances of teenage sensation Sinead Doogue, who has been one of the championship’s outstanding performers.

This semi-final clash is sure to be an exciting, high scoring game but considering Cork have won five of the past six All-Ireland Championships; it would be foolish to bet against them.

Cork: E Harte, A Marie Walsh, A Walsh, D O' Reilly, B Corkery, B Stack, G O’ Flynn, J Murphy, R Buckley, N Cleary, M Kelly, G Kearney, V Mulcahy, R Ní Bhuachalla, Amy O Shea (c)

Laois: C Dollard, L Hyland, G Dunne, E Healy, A Taylor, J Moore, M McEvoy, A Casey, T Lawlor, M Kirwan, A Moore, M Dunne, M Kirwan, S Doogue, G Weston

TG4 Intermediate Championship Semi Final - Cavan v Leitrim

Cavan battle it out against Leitrim this weekend as both sides look to book their place in the Intermediate Championship final.

Leitrim have had an encouraging Championship to date, chalking up wins against Limerick and London and will be hopeful they can repeat their 2007 success when they went all the way in the Intermediate Championship beating Wexford in the final.

Cavan on the other hand, performed well in League earlier this season and will be hoping their experience of playing against Senior sides in Division two will stand to them in the business end of the Championship.

Both teams have prolific scorers in their artillery in the form of Cavan’s Aisling Doonan and Leitrim’s Áine Tighe, so it could well come down to which full forward performs the best on the day.

Cavan: C McCutcheon, C O’Reilly, G McGlade, C Grey, R Murphy, P Crowe, A Cornyn, R O’Keefe, B Sheridan, E Costin, B Boylan, C O’Reilly, A Doonan,

Leitrim: C O’ Brien, M McCawley, S Kerrigan, C Quinn, K Gilgunn, A Conlan, M Stenson, D Ward, S Mc Loughlin, S Mc Manus, L Brennan, S Mc Weeney, R Fowley, A Tighe, S Fowley (c)

TG4 Junior Championship Semi Final - Wicklow v Louth

Winners of Group A Louth take on the runners up of Group B Wicklow in the first of the Junior Championship semi-finals.

Louth recorded victories over Kilkenny and Carlow in the group stage while Wicklow recorded a win over Offaly, received a walk over against Derry and lost to an impressive Wexford side.

The two counties last met last years in a play-off for a place in the Junior Championship semi-final. Louth secured a late victory on the day thanks to goals from Anne Marie Murphy and Susan Byrne.

Saturday will most likely be another close encounter, once again going down to the wire.

Wicklow: E Miley, J Miley, C Byrne, A Heffernan, L Fusciardi, C McKeon (c), N Kelly, J Kinch, L Gilbert, AM Doran, C Deeney, L Ahern, E Lenihan, L Mulhall, N Carroll

Louth: K Cunningham, A McGee, G Rogers, M McMahon, AM Lynch, S Lynch, P Mermion, R Heeney, G Lynch, S Byrne, T Lynch, K Lynch, M Reid, N Reid, J McGuinness