All-Ireland Camogie U-23C final
Down 2-14 Meath 1-9
By Seamas McAleenan
Down’s Grace Cunningham fired over three second-half points on the way to picking up the Player of the Match accolade at the end of the inaugural All-Ireland U-23 final in Castleblayney on Saturday.
The Mayobridge forward acknowledged afterwards that her team entered the game as favourites.
“We played Meath a few weeks ago and beat them comfortably. But we didn’t feel we were under pressure coming into the final.
“We knew they would be a different team in the final. Like ourselves, they had some seniors to come in and our management team kept telling us we couldn’t be complacent, that it would be a much tougher game this time. We had to go into the game with a fresh mind.
“We played against our senior team on Thursday knowing that we needed to up our game for the final. That game definitely helped us.
“Meath’s backs were phenomenal. We forwards got no room at all. It was only when I was moved out to half-forward that the game seemed to open up for me.”
That positional move came at half-time and Down stepped on the afterburners during the third quarter. Nine of Down’s 14 points came from the stick of Daire O’Shea, eight of those from frees and five in that crucial third quarter.
“Daire’s free-taking was brilliant. She’s one of the up-and-coming free-takers in the county and she’s still a minor. We know how important free-takers are in games. We have them with our seniors – players like Sara Louise (Graffin) and Paula O’Hagan.”
Cunningham is also part of the senior panel, playing alongside Graffin and O’Hagan. They face Meath again next Saturday in Clonduff in the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship.
“We’ll be going into that match in the same way we went into today’s… new game, fresh mind.”
Her senior colleague Sara Louise Graffin is part of the Under-23 management team along with Andrew McGivern, Domhnall Nugent and Noel Sands. Graffin gave her reaction to the U-23 success after the game.
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