Waterford's Niamh Rockett believes St Finbarr's can take "great confidence" into the AIB All-Ireland Senior Camogie Club final replay against Athenry despite squandering a sizable lead in the drawn game last month.
The Cork side led by six points with five minutes left at Croke Park before Athenry stormed back in the closing stages to force today's replay (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player) which will throw-in at Semple Stadium at 5.15pm.
St Finbarr's went into the original game as underdogs and ceding the advantage that they had may be an opportunity missed but speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Inside Sport on Friday night, Rockett said they could take heart from their general performance while learning lessons from the way they finished that game.
"I think they'll take great confidence from the last day, knowing that if they just tightened up themselves a little bit and got a bit more cuter towards the end of the game, I do think that they'll fancy their chances coming into it, especially given with how good their performance was being such underdogs going into the final last time," she said.
"Athenry were hot favourites going into the game a couple of weeks ago and St Finbarr's were six points ahead in the 56th minute of the second half and Athenry ended up coming back, getting a goal and three points and really just having an absolute unbelievable comeback led by Therese Donohue.
"To be fair to Finbarr's, they have the tip of the hat to be favourites this week having had such a big lead coming into the closing stages and failing to close it out."
However, Rockett also backed Athenry to improve on their own December display and heed tactical lessons from how St Finbarr's worked scores.
"They were expecting a big performance from Sabina Rabbitte, who has been their stalwart for the whole year," she said.
"She got one point from play, she got another point in the closing stages from a '45 to bring the game to be levelled.
"But I suppose they were hoping for a big performance from her. Aisling Egan really kept grips with her in the full back line a couple of weeks.
"But Athenry will take huge courage from being able to scrape back such a deficit. So they'll be hoping not to leave the deficit go up as high and (not) leave St Finbarr's go do their running game - they were brilliant at it the last time.
"They were drawing the player out, they were running at Athenry's defence and then popping the ball out.
"Athenry were getting sucked into the tackle and then the ball was being popped out and then St Finbarr's were taking the easier score."
