IT’S A MASSIVE day for the leading ladies footballers around the country with the Tesco Homegrown Ladies National League finals taking place today in Parnell Park.
Here’s what’s in store.
Cork's Doireann O'Sullivan and Dublin's Lindsey Davey.
Cork v Dublin
Division 1 final
Parnell Park, 3.45pm
A difficult one to call. The sides drew in the group stages of the campaign but Dublin are desperate to get one over on the Rebelettes having lost the 2011 and 2013 TG4 All-Ireland quarter-finals meeting between the city rivals.
Cork are appearing in their seventh successive League final – and chasing an eighth crown in ten seasons. Dublin, in contrast, are preparing for a very first top-flight decider.
Both teams possess potent forward lines and an indication of Cork’s strength in depth is the presence of All Star forward Valerie Mulcahy on the bench.
Dublin went through the group stages of the League campaign unbeaten and while we’re loathe to bet against Cork, the Sky Blues get a tentative nod in what promises to be a cracking game.
Verdict: Dublin
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Betting: Cork 4-6, Dublin 11-8, Draw 10-1.
Galway's Sinead Burke and Westmeath's Johanna Maher.
Galway v Westmeath
Division 2 final
Parnell Park, 2pm
Galway’s status as roaring hot favourites for promotion to Division 1 is reflected in the betting for their Division 2 decider against Westmeath.
The Tribeswomen are almost unbackable at 1-20 and cruised through the group stages of the competition, winning all eight games before crushing Meath by 20 points in the semi-finals.
But Galway, contesting a third successive Division 2 final, will underestimate Westmeath at their peril, despite a ten-point victory over the Lake County earlier in the season.
Westmeath’s rate of progress in recent seasons has been quite phenomenal as they were a Division 4 outfit as recently as 2011.
In 2013, Westmeath lost to Kerry in the Division 2 semi-final and while they have gone one step further this year, Galway are a more developed outfit and will get the job done at the third time of asking.
Verdict: Galway.
Betting: Galway 1-20, Westmeath 8-1, Draw 20-1.
Armagh v Waterford
Division 3 final
Parnell Park, 12.15pm
In what would turn out to be a dress rehearsal ahead of the Tesco Homegrown Division 3 final last month, Armagh walloped Waterford by 6-11 to 1-5.
And the Orchard County remain unbeaten this year, having blitzed through the group stages with eight wins out of eight.
Managed by James Daly, who plotted O’Connor Cup success for Queen’s in 2013, Armagh are now a senior force to reckoned with and coming up against intermediate opposition in the form of Waterford, they should prove far too strong.
Armagh signalled their intent to gain promotion from Division 3 with a massive 40-point victory against an admittedly understrength Tipperary in the semi-finals.
Waterford, meanwhile, took care of business against Leitrim on the opposite side of the draw but this is a bridge too far the Déise.
Dublin and Cork face off for league glory on huge day for ladies football stars
IT’S A MASSIVE day for the leading ladies footballers around the country with the Tesco Homegrown Ladies National League finals taking place today in Parnell Park.
Here’s what’s in store.
Cork v Dublin
Division 1 final
Parnell Park, 3.45pm
A difficult one to call. The sides drew in the group stages of the campaign but Dublin are desperate to get one over on the Rebelettes having lost the 2011 and 2013 TG4 All-Ireland quarter-finals meeting between the city rivals.
Cork are appearing in their seventh successive League final – and chasing an eighth crown in ten seasons. Dublin, in contrast, are preparing for a very first top-flight decider.
Both teams possess potent forward lines and an indication of Cork’s strength in depth is the presence of All Star forward Valerie Mulcahy on the bench.
Dublin went through the group stages of the League campaign unbeaten and while we’re loathe to bet against Cork, the Sky Blues get a tentative nod in what promises to be a cracking game.
Verdict: Dublin
Betting: Cork 4-6, Dublin 11-8, Draw 10-1.
Galway v Westmeath
Division 2 final
Parnell Park, 2pm
Galway’s status as roaring hot favourites for promotion to Division 1 is reflected in the betting for their Division 2 decider against Westmeath.
The Tribeswomen are almost unbackable at 1-20 and cruised through the group stages of the competition, winning all eight games before crushing Meath by 20 points in the semi-finals.
But Galway, contesting a third successive Division 2 final, will underestimate Westmeath at their peril, despite a ten-point victory over the Lake County earlier in the season.
Westmeath’s rate of progress in recent seasons has been quite phenomenal as they were a Division 4 outfit as recently as 2011.
In 2013, Westmeath lost to Kerry in the Division 2 semi-final and while they have gone one step further this year, Galway are a more developed outfit and will get the job done at the third time of asking.
Verdict: Galway.
Betting: Galway 1-20, Westmeath 8-1, Draw 20-1.
Armagh v Waterford
Division 3 final
Parnell Park, 12.15pm
In what would turn out to be a dress rehearsal ahead of the Tesco Homegrown Division 3 final last month, Armagh walloped Waterford by 6-11 to 1-5.
And the Orchard County remain unbeaten this year, having blitzed through the group stages with eight wins out of eight.
Managed by James Daly, who plotted O’Connor Cup success for Queen’s in 2013, Armagh are now a senior force to reckoned with and coming up against intermediate opposition in the form of Waterford, they should prove far too strong.
Armagh signalled their intent to gain promotion from Division 3 with a massive 40-point victory against an admittedly understrength Tipperary in the semi-finals.
Waterford, meanwhile, took care of business against Leitrim on the opposite side of the draw but this is a bridge too far the Déise.
Verdict: Armagh.
Betting: Armagh 1-25, Waterford 15-2, Draw 25-1.
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Armagh Cork Dublin Final Showdowns Galway Ladies Football League Finals Waterford Westmeath