Intriguing senior camogie championship knockout stage ahead

Perennial business-end rivals Lough Lene Gaels and Raharney are straight through the semi-finals of the Westmeath Examiner-sponsored senior camogie championship, after the last round of matches was played this week.

Holders Raharney prevailed against Delvin on Friday of last week to book their place in the final four. The Gaels, meanwhile, recorded a comfortable 3-12 to 1-7 victory over Cullion on Monday night, with Joanne Walsh (1-3), Michelle Murtagh (1-2) and Nicola Fagan to the fore.

The 11-point defeat is a setback for Cullion, who were fancied to rattle the top two this year in the quest for the Matrix Cup.

Laura Thompson and co can still do it though; they meet Crookedwood in an imminent quarter-final, after the 'Wood made it through by beating Drumraney on Wednesday night.

In the other quarter-final, Castletown-Geoghegan take on St Munna's, with the latter enjoying a second win after some early setbacks, including a heavy defeat in their opener against Lough Lene Gaels.

They face a Castletown-Geoghegan outfit replete with Westmeath stars - the McCormack sisters (Mairead, Edel and Joanne), Ciara Corcoran, Aoife Corcoran and Laura Hannon among them - and the Black and Ambers would be worth a bet for a semi-final place.

Meanwhile, the remaining clubs involved in the championship proper - Drumraney, Brownstown, Clonkill, St Brigid's and current junior kingpins Delvin - passed into an open draw to battle it out for the junior championship crown, with Clonkill the favourites.

Clonkill and Brownstown have been drawn to play each other in a quarter-final on August 27, with the winners to play Drumraney in the semi-finals on September 6. St Brigid's will meet Delvin in the other semi-final.