Early Dowdall strike gives Westmeath the platform

Westmeath 1-16, Carlow 2-9

By Kieran Murphy

Manager, Barry O’Mara, paid tribute to his players as Westmeath retained their All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Camogie status when they saw off the challenge of their traditional rivals at Nowlan Park on Sunday.

“I suppose the last three weeks were tough. We were probably down for ten days but last Wednesday when the fixture came out we clicked again. Training has been excellent. As good as it has been all year. We were just hoping to bring it today because consistency during the year has been a small issue,” he said.

The eventual winners got off to the best possible start when in almost their first attack Amelia Shaw took possession. Instead of going herself she off-loaded to Megan Dowdall who drilled the ball to the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Two minutes later, Carlow were level when the sliotar was delivered into the edge of the small square and Abhainn Coady made no mistake from close range.

As expected the game was close. Dowdall and Ciara Kavanagh exchanged points and with seven minutes gone the sides were tied at 1-1 each.

Carlow created a goal chance when Aimie Nolan broke through on the left, but to her disappointment her rocket flew just right and wide.

Carlow persisted and were rewarded when Eleanor Treacy found the Westmeath posts from distance. At the other end, Amelia Shaw looked certain to goal but a defender got in a hurl and the ball flew over the crossbar instead of under.

On 17 minutes a Dowdall point restored the Westmeath lead and Sheila McGrath raised another point to stretch the lead to two.

Again, the Carlow response was good and Coady turned provider when, from out on the right, she found Nolan in front of goal and the Myshall player drilled her shot straight and through to give Carlow the lead.

Nolan added another point but this was cancelled out by a Dowdall white flag.

Westmeath finished the first half strongly with Olivia Kellaghan scoring two points to leave them leading narrowly at 1-7 to 2-3 at the change of ends.

With the slight breeze in their faces in the second half, Westmeath still got three of the first four scores with Dowdall converting two frees and Meadbh McLoughlin also on the mark.

Carlow’s solitary score in that spell came from a Treacy free. She was on the mark again at the start of the last quarter but by that stage, Westmeath had set out their stall and were totally in command.

“It went out to six at one stage. Carlow kept at it and kept at it. They were going to get patches in a game. I just think the maturity in the back line was vital. When a foul was needed to be done, it was done. It showed a real maturity today which was brilliant,” noted O’Mara.

It wasn’t until the final minutes that the Midlanders could afford to relax. A succession of wides kept the door open for Carlow and the manager was aware the game was not over.

“There are great players in Carlow. You can see them. Super strikers of the ball. We knew that. We probably left a lot of space inside in the first half. We chatted about it at half-time and I think we completely took the space from them in the second half. The girls are really good at that.”

As the game went into the closing stages, a Treacy free saw Carlow narrow the gap to five points. An Aoife O’Malley strike cancelled that out. A battling Leah Ryan landed two hard earned Carlow points but again O’Malley raised another white flag which all but ensured a Westmeath victory.

“I thought we were dominant today. We were far the better team to be honest but we didn’t put it on the scoreboard at times. A really dominant performance and it is great to finish like that,” agreed O’Mara.

Scorers - Westmeath: M Dowdall 1-8 (4fs), O Kellaghan, A O’Malley, S McGrath 0-2 each, A Shaw, M McLoughlin 0-1 each.

Carlow: E Treacy 0-4 (3fs), A Nolan 1-1, A Coady 1-0, L Ryan 0-2, C Kavanagh, C Jordan 0-1 each.

WESTMEATH: Fiona Keating; Aine Newman, Dearbhail McLoughlin, Emily McCabe; Maria Kelly, Julie McLoughlin, Laura Doherty; Aoife O’Malley, Erin Core; Olivia Kelleghan, Caoimhe McCrossan, Sheila McGrath; Amelia Shaw, Meadbh McLoughlin, Megan Dowdall.

Subs: Aisling Doyle for McCrossan (30), Karen Keegan for Kellaghan (55), Ella Reilly for M McLoughlin (59),

CARLOW: Aoibhinn Dowling; Kate Doyle, Niamh Tracey, Aimie Nolan; Caoimhe Coady, Rachel Breen, Clodagh Lawler; Eleanor Treacy, Molly Kavanagh; Eve Sinnott, Niamh Canavan, Holly Wall; Ciara Kavanagh, Abhainn Coady, Caoimhe Jordan.

Subs: Leah Ryan for Wall (h/t), Martha Dolan for Breen (temporary 38), Dolan for Sinnott (52).

Referee: Simon Redmond (Dublin).