McGrath, Dowdall and co firmly on top against Dublin side

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland intermediate camogie championship: Westmeath 4-13, Dublin 1-9

Megan Dowdall and Denise McGrath stole the show as Westmeath, and their new manager Diarmuid Cahill, set out their stall for this year’s All-Ireland intermediate camogie campaign with a comfortable victory over Dublin’s second string at a resplendent and sun-drenched TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar earlier this evening.

Delvin star McGrath, who shot 1-3 from play, lifted Westmeath by netting their first goal, and then set up the second as the Lake County went on to boss the second half after a closely contested first moiety.

Forwards Dowdall (1-8), Emma Broughan and the returning Caoimhe McCrossan were all in fine fettle as the visitors – managed by Raharney’s Jimmy Greville – couldn’t cope with Westmeath’s firepower in the second half.

Westmeath suffered a setback when Dublin’s best player by far, Niamh Comerford, found the net with a 12th minute goal, but the Maroons recovered to lead 1-7 to 1-3 at the short whistle, with McGrath’s goal giving them the edge.

After Dublin made a decent start to the second half, McGrath then teed up Emma Broughan for another Westmeath goal (41 minutes), and it was all one-way traffic from there.

The Lake County opened the scoring after a decent sixth-minute score from Megan Dowdall, moments after she uncharacteristically struck a scoreable free wide. In between, Comerford floated a dangerous free in for Dublin, but it was batted down and cleared authoritatively by Méadbh Scally.

In the eighth minute, Denise McGrath doubled Westmeath’s lead with a superb score from a tight angle, before Caoimhe McCrossan cut through the Dublin defence and drew a magnificent save out of ‘keeper Dara Cooke. It was one of a few such chances Westmeath had in the first half, exposing a real vulnerability in the heart of Dublin’s defence.

The Metropolitans got off the mark on 11 minutes when Ciara Holland divided the posts, before Sheila McGrath – who put in a tremendous shift at left wing back – drove a classy third Westmeath point over the bar.

However, Westmeath’s advantage turned to dust seconds later when Dublin’s Niamh Comerford took advantage of a rare defensive lapse by the hosts to fire to the net, her powerful shot deflecting off Lake County ‘keeper Fiona Keating’s hurl.

However, Dublin generated no real momentum from the goal, and past the midway stage Megan Dowdall levelled matters with a free.

A point from Sinead Daly edged the visitors in front again, but at the other end, Westmeath again breached the Dublin defence when Dowdall got through and drove a fierce shot at goal. Again, Dublin’s Dara Cooke was equal to it.

However, Cooke was finally beaten in the 20th minute when McGrath, a thorn in the side of the Dublin full back line, rifled a shot to the net to hand Westmeath a 1-4 to 1-2 lead. This green flag was followed by points from Emma Broughan and Dowdall (a free) to put the home side four clear.

In stoppage time, an unmarked Ciara Holland found her range for the Dubs from the tunnel side of Cusack Park, but three minutes into stoppage time, Megan Dowdall had the last say of the half when she dodged her marker to point in style and leave it 1-7 to 1-3 in Westmeath’s favour at half-time.

Dublin bossed the first five minutes after the restart, with scores from Comerford (a free), Abbie Ryan (a terrific long-range effort) and Holland (another free) answered by a sublime effort from Dowdall.

From there however, Westmeath upped the ante and hit 3-4 without reply in a dominant 20-minute spell. Dowdall struck another free before Denise McGrath, on 40 minutes, fired another superb point after some good work by Róisín Scally. A minute later, the hosts’ second goal arrived.

It came after Caoimhe McCrossan lobbed a magnificent ball into McGrath, who beat the onrushing Cooke to it. As the Dublin goalkeeper found her feet, McGrath turned to shoot but instead connected with Emma Broughan, who swept the sliothar to the net.

By now Westmeath were en route for home with a wet sail, and they could afford to wait eight minutes before adding to their growing lead, when McGrath set up Dowdall for another score by the Clonkill star.

Dowdall (a free) and McGrath then traded scores, before the Maroons’ third goal materialised in the 57th minute. This time, Dowdall was the provider, with Róisín Scally flicking her dangerous ball into the net.

The floodgates were open, and a minute later, Westmeath helped themselves to a fourth goal, when Dowdall rounded off a superb personal display by giving her marker the slip and rattling the net.

Sixteen points clear, Westmeath gave an overdue run to some of their substitutes. Worryingly, Caoimhe McCrossan withdrew from play holding an ice pack to her arm, and the Lake County’s management team will hope that the injury is not too serious ahead of next weekend’s clash with Galway.

With the hosts taking their collective foot off the gas, Dublin had the last say with unanswered scores from Abbie Ryan (another terrific long-range effort) and Niamh Comerford (two frees). But this late mini-rally couldn’t dent the emphatic nature of Westmeath’s victory.

With home games against Galway’s second string and Carlow next up, the Lake County will be hoping to register maximum points before their trip to Kerry on June 18.

Scorers – Westmeath: M Dowdall 1-8 (0-4f), D McGrath 1-3, E Broughan 1-1, R Scally 1-0, Sheila McGrath 0-1. Dublin: N Comerford 1-3 (0-3f), C Holland 0-3 (2f), A Ryan 0-2, S Daly 0-1.

Westmeath: Fiona Keating; Sandra McGrath, Méadbh Scally, Emily McCabe; Laura Doherty, Muireann Scally, Sheila McGrath; Áine Newman, Aoife O’Malley; Caoimhe McCrossan, Maria Kelly, Megan Dowdall; Emma Broughan, Denise McGrath, Róisín Scally. Subs used: Una Leonard for McCrossan (inj., 59), Shannon Dalton for R Scally (60 + 3), Niamh Horan for Sandra McGrath (60 + 3), Karen Gaffney for Broughan (60 + 4).

Dublin: Dara Cooke; Sarah Fenlon, Emma Parker, Abbie Ryan; Jennifer Moore, Laura Robinson, Niamh Comerford; Ellen Dunphy, Lucy Quinn; Emma Straape, Chloe O’Connor, Ciara Holland; Sinead Daly, Ava Dillon, Molly O’Neill. Subs used: Ellen Baker for O’Neill (h-t), Aoife Deegan for O’Connor (39), Hannah Begley for Quinn (42), Eirinn Kennedy for Dillon (42), Gráinne Skelton for Dunphy (47).

Ref: Conor Quinlan (Galway).