THERE is not much you can learn from a 23-point championship victory. Especially when you are going on to play Kilkenny in a provincial final a week later. Can the winners here take on and beat the mighty Cats in the intermediate decider next Saturday at the SETU Carlow campus? The Carlow captain, Kate Nolan,  says her side will be lifted by the prospect of such a game and any intensity that was lacking in the semi-final will be present for Saturday’s final.

“Knowing that we are playing Kilkenny, that (intensity) will come. It is not often Carlow play Kilkenny so that alone will be enough for the players. That is the level we want to be competing at,” says Kate,

Kate Nolan powers through the challenges of Wicklow’s Katie Tyrrell and Sophie Bermingham in the Wicklow v Carlow Leinster Intermediate Championship Semi-Final in Dunlavin last Saturday
Photo: Dave Barrett

“I think Carlow are good enough to take on Kilkenny. You have to take it performance by performance and there are a lot of factors that have to be improved and worked on,” she reasoned.

And where were they looking for improvements?

“We were a bit slow to start but once we got going that was it. It was like the Laois game. Subs coming in was a massive help for us. There is room for improvement. There always is.”

And what can Carlow take out of the Wicklow game?

“You can’t look past scoring 4-18. That was good and we only conceded 0-7. That is positive. A win is a win so we are happy enough.”

Tickets for Saturday’s game can be purchased here.

Carlow v Kilkenny

SETU Carlow, Saturday 20 May, 2.30pm