Finnegan keeps faith with starting XV for All-Ireland final

Westmeath will field an unchanged starting line-up for Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland ladies’ intermediate football final against Wexford in Croke Park, it has been revealed.

Manager Sean Finnegan has kept faith with the fifteen that started against Kildare in the recent semi-final.

Milltown defender Rachel Dillon, who was injured in the quarter-final against Clare, misses the decider, but Finnegan has an otherwise clean bill of health.

The Westmeath manager also has a strong and experienced bench available which includes four members of the Lake County panel which annexed the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup ten years ago.

Throw-in for the intermediate final in Croke Park on Sunday is 1.45pm, with Galway’s Shane Curley officiating.

The match will be broadcast live on TG4, but there are hopes that with Covid-19 restrictions eased, there will be a big turnout from the Lake County at GAA headquarters.

The line-ups for Sunday’s final:

Westmeath: Lauren McCormack (Mullingar Shamrocks); Niamh Spellman (Mullingar Shamrocks), Lorraine Duncan (Garrycastle), Tara Fagan (Mullingar Shamrocks); Fiona Coyle (St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge), Lucy Power (The Downs), Aoife Brady (St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge); Vicky Carr (St Loman’s, Mullingar), Tracey Dillon (Milltown); Fiona Claffey (captain, Foxrock/Cabinteely), Leona Archibold (St Loman’s, Mullingar), Anna Jones (Mullingar Shamrocks); Ciara Blundell (St Loman’s, Mullingar), Lucy McCartan (St Loman’s, Mullingar), Sarah Dillon (Milltown). Subs: Sinéad Byrne (Milltown), Sinéad Murtagh (Coralstown/Kinnegad), Leanne Slevin (Milltown), Kelly Boyce Jordan (Milltown), Karen Hegarty (Mullingar Shamrocks), Jo-hanna Maher (Tyrrellspass), Jennifer Rogers (Milltown), Grace Halligan (Milltown), Emma Kelly (Cill Óige), Danielle Madden (Garrycastle), Aoife O’Malley (Killucan), Aoife Connolly (Garrycastle), Annie Dolan (Clann Gaels), Áine Lynn (Garrycastle), Áine Gaynor (Caulry).

Wexford: Sarah Merrigan; Loren Doyle, Aisling Halligan, Sadbh McCarthy; Clara Donnelly, Shauna Murphy, Sarah Harding-Kenny; Kellie Kearney, Róisín Murphy; Sherene Hamilton, Caitríona Murray, Ciara Banville; Ailis Neville, Aisling Murphy (captain), Amy Wilson. Subs: Deirdre Fox, Derbhla Doyle, Anne Byrne, Laura Bruen, Aoife Cullen, Emma Tomkins, Jane Rossiter, Ciara O’Reardon, Katie White, Eleanor Neville, Michelle Carty, Rachael Bridges, Aoife Bridges, Sarah Carroll.