Lake County ladies avoid relegation

Westmeath got their first brace of points in the league with a dogged and determined win against a physical Leitrim side in Ballinagore on Sunday last, thereby securing their place in Division 2A for next season. This was a win that they thoroughly deserved after playing undoubtedly their best football of the campaign. They had their good spells and made use of them, but it was when they were under the cosh that they displayed some new-found steel, frustrating the visitors with a commendable defensive display. Elaine Finn was magnificent over the hour and she set the tone for the rest of the team and must have covered every blade of grass on the Ballinagore pitch, but all six backs excelled and they held the strong Leitrim attack at bay with a fine display of discipline and reading of the game. The win will certainly please Dermot Brady and his management staff as they seem to have turned the corner with this team and their fitness levels were far greater than in previous outings and, as the championship approaches, they seem to be hitting some sort of form at the right time. And with some fine tuning, there is no doubt that this Westmeath side can have a very successful summer. The game started at a frantic pace with play fluctuating from one end to the other, but it was the Leitrim ladies that struck the first blow when they registered the first score on two minutes from Lorraine Brennan. But Westmeath then had the better of the next few minutes and after Fiona Leavy equalised, Fiona Claffey put the Lake County in front with a super individual effort that could have been a goal. Claffey added her second and Westmeath"s third when she latched on to a great ball by Clare Killian and at this stage it was all Westmeath. Leitrim began to shade the midfield battle, however, and their next two score came from that area, courtesy of some fine play by Sinead Fawley, and the game was level on 12 minutes. A Fiona Leavy free put Westmeath ahead again but then Leitrim took over and had possibly their best period of the game. Points from Sarah McLoughlin and Michelle Reynolds put them one ahead and deservedly so. Ruth Kearney levelled matters for Westmeath with a move that started from corner-back Carole Finch and it really was end-to-end stuff. Leitrim hit back and Lorraine Brennan scored a beauty to put them ahead again, but Westmeath finished the half stronger and first Claffey and then Kearney scored after cohesive team play. They should have raised a green flag when a barnstorming run and shot from Elaine Finn came back off the crossbar and was saved by the Leitrim custodian. Leavy, however, finished the scoring for Westmeath with a fine individual effort and at the break it was 0-8 to 0-6 in Westmeath"s favour. Sarah Dolan replaced Laura Newman at half-time and it was easy to see that tiredness was now becoming a factor, with legs beginning to tire on a heavy pitch. Leavy put Westmeath 3 to the good when she converted a 14-yard free after she was fouled herself and Claire Killian put 4 between the sides after a superb ball in from Athlone"s Eimear Connellan. Michelle Reynolds narrowed the gap from a free but that woman Elaine Finn restored the 4-point advantage with a move she started and finished, adding to her player of the match credentials. But Westmeath were dealt a telling blow when Triona Durkan was sin-binned and Leitrim scored two quick points from frees by Reynolds, and it was all to play for again. Claire Killian settled the nerves with a point for Westmeath but they were under pressure for most of the remaining 10 minutes and needed to defend stoutly. This was not a problem and led by Finn they repelled attack after attack from Leitrim and, in Rebecca Dunne, Carole Finch and Edel Marshall, they had players that just would not give in and Leitrim"s only score in that flurry was a late, late point from Deirdre McDermott, as Westmeath claimed their first brace of points. Finn was undoubtedly the star for the Lake County side and she led by example and many like Dunne, Finch, Leavy and the twin threat of Claffey and Killian followed, but overall it was Westmeath"s work ethic that was most impressive. For Leitrim, Cara Creegan, McLoughlin, Lorraine Brennan and sub Deirdre McDermott were best and gave the Westmeath girls a stern test but one that they passed admirably. SCORERS - Westmeath: F Leavy 0-4 (2f); F Claffey 0-3, R Kearney and C Killian 0-2 each; E Finn 0-1. Leitrim: M Reynolds 0-4 (3f), L Brennan and S Fawley 0-2 each, S McLoughlin and D McDermott 0-1 each. WESTMEATH: Niamh Mulligan, Carole Finch, Rebecca Dunne, Edel Marshall, Karen McDermott, Elaine Finn, Aileen Martin, Johanna Maher, Jenny Rogers, Laura Newman, Fiona Leavy, Ruth Kearney, Claire Killian, Katie Sommers, Fiona Claffey. Subs: Eimear Connellan for Maher 19 mins, Sarah Dolan for Newman H/T, Triona Durkan for McDermott 43, Georgina Fagan for Dolan 46, Regina Croash for Connellan 52. LEITRIM: Louise Loughlin, Camilla McDonagh, Sinead Brennan, Mairead McCawley, Claire Owens, Cara Creegan, Teresa Mylotte, Sinead Fawley, Sarah McLoughlin, Sarah McManus, Lorraine Brennan, Aoife Kelly, Evie Guckian, Erin Farrell, Michelle Reynolds Subs: Naomi Lee for Lorraine Brennan 15 mins, Deirdre McDermott for Guckian 29, Aisling Brennan for McDonagh 34, Aoife McWeeney for Farrell 46. REFEREE: Tony Lennon, Dublin.