First-half struggles cost Maroons dearly

Meath 3-15, Westmeath 2-8

By Paul Hughes

Westmeath, hoping to get back to winning ways after their recent Leinster championship defeat at the hands of Carlow, lost out to Meath in their All-Ireland intermediate camogie championship opener at TEG Cusack Park last Saturday afternoon, with a poor first-half display proving costly.

The Maroons struggled with ball retention and scored only a point from play in that first 30-odd minutes, and with Aoife Carey calling the shots down the centre, Meath looked by far the better side despite playing into the teeth of a breeze.

Westmeath look out on their feet after a fortuitous second goal for Meath, but to their credit battled back and trailed only by four on 46 minutes following goals from Caoimhe McCormack and the tireless Hannah Core. However, the Royals nabbed a third major a minute later and left Mullingar with a comfortable ten-point victory.

A decent crowd turned out at Westmeath GAA headquarters, despite the Camogie Association’s decision to play an historic first U23 fixture between the counties in Joristown at the same time, which the Lake County also lost.

Pádraic Connaughton’s charges had the better of the opening minutes, with Caoimhe McCrossan converting a free to give them the lead and Méadbh McLoughlin unlucky not to get a shot on goal after a terrific solo run. The Maroons struggled from there, however, heavily reliant on McCrossan’s dead ball acumen and failing to get ball into Core and her colleagues.

At the other end, Isabel O’Connor became the first of six Meath forwards to score, scooping over the bar with a possible goal on, after Westmeath goalkeeper Aoife Corcoran batted away a free from Aoife Carey. Barely a minute later, O’Connor latched onto a ball over the top of the home defence and buried the sliotar in the net.

The hosts responded with another McCrossan free but only the athleticism of Áine Newman at the other end stopped Aedín Slattery from getting through for a second Meath goal. Carey then made it 1-2 to 0-2 with an accurate puck after a well-worked move by the Royals.

Westmeath settled for a time and by the 21st minute had levelled matters thanks to a further three dead-ball scores from McCrossan, including a ‘45’ that came about after Méadbh McLoughlin soloed through and had a tame shot deflected wide.

Chances like that were a rarity for the hosts whereas the visitors had the luxury of about three wides and as many shorts, but still led at the break. By the 23rd minute, they were in front by two again after scores from Carey (a free) and Grace Connolly; the latter was put through on goal by Slattery but fired over.

Westmeath responded with their first point from play, from the stick of the industrious Hannah Core. But with the half wearing on, their near neighbours finished on top with points from Emma Regan (a great score from a tight angle) and Carey (a free) ensuring they led 1-6 to 0-6 at the short whistle.

The Maroons were arguably lucky to trail only by the goal at the interval but on the change of ends, they had a stiff breeze to play against and Meath went on to dominate the opening ten minutes of the second half, outscoring their hosts 1-4 to 0-1.

Aoife Carey struck a ‘45’ for the Royals and in the 33rd minute, went for a point from play but her dipping puck ended up in the Westmeath net.

The Maroons could have used some of that good fortune and it almost manifested a minute later, when Méadbh McLoughlin teed up Karen Keegan for a shot on goal, but the Castletown Geoghegan star fired straight at Meath ‘keeper Tara Murphy. Undeterred, Keegan followed up with a lovely point moments later.

Back came Meath however, and Carey tacked on another free before being put clear through on goal after a clever pass by Emma Regan. Carey could have wrapped the game up here but her shot cannoned off the crossbar.

By the 41st minute though, Meath led 2-10 to 0-7 after Erin Reddy found her range, while Regan shot her second point on the tail-end of a superb move involving Leah Devine and the ubiquitous Carey.

Then came the first of two lifelines for Westmeath, who attacked with renewed vigour after Hannah Core came out of the corner to operate in a deeper role. On 42 minutes, Méadbh McLoughlin latched onto a free from McCrossan and squared for Caoimhe McCormack, who rattled the net with a placed shot.

Crucially, Meath followed this up with a well-taken score from Carey but with 46 minutes gone, the Maroons went on the attack again, with Hannah Core storming down the right flank before sending an inch-perfect ball into McCormack. The Castlepollard starlet’s shot was saved, but Core was on hand to drive home the rebound.

Now only four behind (2-11 to 2-7), Westmeath had the momentum, and another goal from them would have set up a grandstand finish. Unfortunately, less than a minute later, Meath worked the ball downfield and after Leah Devine pucked it into the full-forward line, Westmeath netminder Aoife Corcoran came out bravely to claim but was unlucky to clear it only as far as Isabel O’Connor, who rifled home a low shot for her second green flag.

Whatever momentum the hosts briefly had was now gone, and Meath closed out the game in comfortable fashion, with points from O’Connor (a fine score off her left), Grace Connolly (her second point), Carey (after some lovely control) and sub Katie Connolly answered only by a free from Caoimhe McCrossan, her sixth point of the game.

It’s back to the drawing board for Westmeath as they work out a strategy to get the maximum from Antrim’s visit to these parts on June 14.

Scorers - Meath: A Carey 1-7 (0-3f, 0-1 ‘45’), I O’Connor 2-2, E Regan and G Connolly 0-2 each, E Leddy and K Connolly 0-1 each. Westmeath: C McCrossan 0-6 (5f, 1 ‘45’), H Core 1-1, C McCormack 1-0, K Keegan 0-1.

Meath: Tara Murphy; Laura O’Neill, Claire Coffey, Sophia Payne; Ciara Foley, Maeve Clince, Leah Devine; Amy Gaffney, Rachel O’Neill; Isabel O’Connor, Aoife Carey, Aedín Slattery; Emma Regan, Erin Leddy, Grace Connolly. Subs used: Brodie Kelly for Slattery (46), Emer Fagan for Payne (49), Katie Connolly for O’Connor (55), Róisín Heaney for Leddy (59), Grace Coleman for Connolly (60+2).

Westmeath: Aoife Corcoran; Katie Coleman, Dearbhail McLoughlin, Kate Whyte; Emily McCabe, Claire Gaffney, Laura Doherty; Caoimhe McCrossan, Aoife O’Malley; Caoimhe McCormack, Julie McLoughlin, Áine Newman; Méadbh McLoughlin, Karen Keegan, Hannah Core. Subs used: Róisín Scally for Whyte (45), Ciara Corcoran for J McLoughlin (55), Reanna Kennedy for Keegan (55).

Ref: Max Molloy (Wicklow).