Cork boss Murray happy with champions’ progress but is looking for more

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

 

CORK manager Paudie Murray may look at making changes for his side’s trip to Trim to play Meath in Saturday’s Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, but that should not be interpreted as the Rebels taking anything for granted.

 

Last year’s Intermediate champions have struggled since making the step up to the top tier, although they will have been boosted by a competitive effort last Saturday against Dublin.

 

The examination is much stiffer now though against the team that claimed the Senior title last September as they were celebrating their own major victory.

 

The Leesiders are coming off a 15-point win over Tipperary, who had 22 points to spare over Meath at in the opening round last month, and they are continuing to focus on getting even better.

 

Murray recognised at the end of the 2016 campaign that he needed to work on improving the depth of his squad and having introduced some fresh blood last year in the likes of Niamh McCarthy, Libby Coppinger and Chloe Sigerson, has continued that process this term.

Lauren Homan, Linda Collins and Aileen Sheehan are just three players that have caught the eye in recent weeks especially.

Meanwhile, Cork are showing a marked improvement in the breadth of their scoring contributors as well.

 

“That’s something we’ve been working on over the last couple of months, a better spread of scorers and I think that’s important when you come to the business end of the year” said Murray on Red FM.

 

“You see a lot of counties with one main scorer and you’re always going to get a back that’ll do a job there so it’s important that we keep the scoreboard ticking over.

 

“The other side of it as well is we seem to be scoring more long range points than we did before and that’s a positive as well.

 

“Every game we’ve played we’ve used the bench and I think that’s important. We’re looking at the way people are going in training and when they’re going well they’re starting.”

 

Murray is looking for more from his defence though after conceding 1-12 last weekend.

 

“We have our own target in what scores we should be conceding and certainly it was above that. The goal in particular, we had our backs turned to it and weren’t set up which is unusual for us.”