McNaughton hopes Saffs win to avoid nuptial dilemma

Antrim camogie captain Lucia McNaughton hopes her side can overcome Kerry in round two of the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship on Saturday (15:30 BST) to avoid a quarter-final tie that would clash with her wedding.

>McNaughton is due to tie the knot with St John's hurler and fiance Conal Morgan on Saturday, 4 July, the same day as a potential quarter-final for the Saffrons.

>After a comfortable victory over Derry in round one, a second win in the group would almost certainly guarantee Antrim's place in the last four of the competition.

>McNaughton said that taking the more direct route has always been Antrim's aim, but she now has a bit of extra motivation to ensure they make it straight through to the semi-finals.

>"I am trying not to think about what might happen if Antrim had to go the quarter-final route," said the Loughgiel stalwart.

>"Our focus as a team is always on putting into operation a gameplan that will get us through to winning each game.

>"If you go back to the start of the year, our goal for this competition was to top the group and get into a semi-final. That would be the direct route. Our preparation for the actual game won't really have changed because there is a wedding in the middle of that.

>"[Kerry] are a formidable outfit and we will have to work very hard to beat them. Hopefully it all works out for us."

>Making it through to the semi-finals would also have implications for McNaughton's potential honeymoon plans, which the centre-forward admits have been shelved for now.

>"There are no plans yet for the honeymoon. We will just have to look at things and figure that out a little closer to the time," she added.

>"I think those of us who commit to camogie or hurling, or any sport indeed, are used to the idea of booking last-minute holidays and working around key fixtures."