Blues storm home to claim honours

Paul Doolin

The second of the double-header last Tuesday evening in TEG Cusack Park saw two of the most famous names in Westmeath ladies football go head to head for the second division title in what ultimately became a very one sided affair.

It was anything but that in the first half and was very competitive up really until the fifth minute of the second half when Donna Kiernan received her second yellow and Kinnegad were reduced to 14, a fate that conspired completely against them and gave St Loman's the impetus to score 3-7 in the remaining 25 minutes.

Indeed, Coralstown Kinnegad possibly had the better of the opening half and could have led by more at the break, but as the game wore on Loman's found their hitherto missing scoring boots and finished the game with a wet sail. Some of the football they played in that second half was superb and they really put the foot on the throat when they got going. On this display they will surely contend for higher honours by the end of the year while for Kinnegad it's back to intermediate championship action and a chance for redemption.

Loman's started well and had the better of the opening quarter with points from Ellen Kilmurray and a Ciara Blundell free, while the latter then finished an excellent move with a goal at the second attempt. Chloe Carney’s super point from a narrow angle was Kinnegad's only reply.

The Reds then hit a purple patch with Mia McDonald scoring a beauty before she levelled matters with a goal after some awful defending from Loman's. Kinnegad took the lead when the very impressive Carney slotted over after a field-long move only for Katie Kilmurray to level with another fine point.

Carney, from another tight angle, and Kiera Giles put Kinnegad two to the good. Blundell narrowed the deficit to the minimum almost immediately with a solo effort but just before the short whistle Emer Fogarty kicked the point of the half to give Kinnegad a 1-6 to 1-4 lead at the end of an entertaining 30 minutes.

Loman's reorganised somewhat at the break and when Blundell converted another free the gap was down to the minimum again. Kiernan then saw her second yellow, followed by a red. Kinnegad were in trouble and Loman's smelled blood, scoring five in a row - two wonderful long-range strikes from Vicky Carr, one from Caoimhe Kilmurray and two points from Blundell, one a free and one from play.

Therese Murray stemmed the flow momentarily with a free for Kinnegad but it merely stirred the beast and after Carr fisted her third point from play, Loman's struck for three goals in four minutes. Caoimhe Kilmurray got the ball rolling with a long-range shot that evaded everyone in the Kinnegad rearguard and then two sublime finishes in as many minutes from Katie Kilmurray put the outcome of the game to bed.

Kinnegad had given up the ghost at this stage and Carr capped a marvellous individual display with the final point of the game as it fizzled out to its inevitable conclusion.

Scorers - St Loman's: Katie Kilmurray 2-1, Ciara Blundell 1-5 (3f), Vicky Carr 0-4, Caoimhe Kilmurray 1-1, Ellen Kilmurray 0-1.

Kinnegad: Mia McDonald 1-2, Chloe Carney 0-2, Therese Murray (free), Emer Fogarty and Kiera Giles 0-1 each.

St Loman's: Jane McKenna; Shauna Traynor, Keelie Mulderry, Aoibhe Hogan; Lara McCartan, Sandra McGrath, Aileen Duffy; Annie Kilmurray, Vicky Carr; Caoimhe Kilmurray, Ciara Blundell, Megan Ennis; Niamh McGinley, Katie Kilmurray, Ellen Kilmurray. Subs: Shannon Breslin for McGinley (H-T), Lisa Owens for Hogan and Rachel McKenna for Katie Kilmurray (57 mins), Paige Matthews for Ellen Kilmurray (59 mins).

Kinnegad: Becky Carney; Tally Claffey, Amie Giles, Marie Cooney; Aileen Murtagh, Tori Coyne, Donna Kiernan; Aileen Brannock, Shannon Lyons; Sarah O’Sullivan, Therese Murray, Emer Fogarty; Chloe Carney, Kiera Giles, Mia McDonald. Subs: Andrea Goggins for Fogarty (H-T), Emma Coloe for Brannock (38 mins).

Referee: Barry Nea.