*Alphie Rodgers. Photograph: Ruth Griffin
SCARIFF/OGONNELLOE have their sights firmly set on retaining the McMahon Cup in Cusack Park this weekend.
The emphasis placed on putting strong coaching structures in place in the late 2000s by people like Michael Sheedy (Ogonnelloe) and Ger Rodgers (Scariff) has played a vital role in the rise in fortunes by teams representing Scariff and Ogonnelloe in hurling and camogie in recent times.
That’s according to Scariff/Ogonnelloe senior camogie manager Alphie Rodgers who will lead his side into the 2023 Clare senior camogie final at Cusack Park on this Saturday when they will be hoping to win the title for the third year in a row.
Alphie is in his second year in charge of the East Clare outfit having taken over from David Sullivan who is now Offaly intermediate camogie manager, at the start of the 2022 campaign.
Rodgers has no doubt but that “there is a massive focus on structures and coaching and this has led to the success currently being enjoyed by teams in the club. Prior to establishing a focus on coaching we didn’t have the coaches to develop the game and the players but we are now benefitting from having really good coaching structures”.
While he expects a serious challenge from Truagh/Clonlara, beaten finalists for the past two years, Alphie says all camogie followers are a little surprised that the South Clare side will be providing the opposition on Saturday. “Inagh/Kilnamona were the hot favourites from the outset in this campaign but Truagh/Clonlara, despite having a number of injury problems, came through after extra time last week. They will have momentum going into Saturday’s final coming from Clonlara’s victory in the senior hurling final last week and as we all know a rising tide lifts all boats”.
A replay was needed in 2021 before Scariff/Ogonnelloe emerged with the Clare title and they went on to win the Munster crown. Last year they retained the Clare title at Cusack Park but lost narrowly to Drom & Inch from Tipperary in the Munster final.
All of last year’s final team are available again this year and included are Alva Rodgers and Amy Barrett, both of whom are currently out of the country but will be back in time for Saturday’s decider.
“A number of the girls have spent time travelling in recent years but many are back now including Susan Vaughan who missed out last year”, explained the manager whose backroom team includes Pat Minogue, David Kennedy and Alan Gorman who was part of the management team two years ago and who has re-joined the management this season. The team is captained by Ciara Doyle with Aoife Power as vice captain.
While all involved with Scariff/Ogonnelloe would love to see the team go on and compete for the Munster title, the manager stressed that they are not looking past Saturday’s final. “Our policy throughout the campaign has been to focus on the next game. That was the task last week when we played Feakle/Killanena. We weren’t even thinking about this week’s final. Truagh/Clonlara are coming into the final a little more under the radar than they were last year.
Concluding he expects “a big challenge from Truagh/Clonlara. Their semi-final win last week after extra time will have given them a massive boost”.
