Browne’s delight as players stand up when it counts

Westmeath boss Frank Browne was thrilled with the performance of his team as they outscored Wexford in a cracking Leinster final encounter in Newbridge on Saturday afternoon.

Browne also believed that both teams had come on considerably since their respective relegations from Division 2 of the National League, with a high level of quality on display.

"The way the two teams have progressed since the league and look, both of us had bad league campaigns, there’s no doubt about that, ourselves and Wexford, but that’s a problem for next year," he said.

"I thought the quality of football we played was excellent. It looked like a couple of times we were going to pull away, but Wexford got a goal and kept coming back. A big thing for us, you knew we always talk about the next score after a goal and we seemed to always get a point.

"In terms of quality it was not very far off senior, the pace of the game, the foot passing, the quality, The new rules make it very exciting. Let's be honest about it; these girls are fit, they are strong, they want to have that level of physicality in the game, there wasn’t a dirty belt out there. It was honest, it was tough going and I thought it was a really good game of football."

A native of Kennedy Park in Wexford town, Browne knew the kind of battle his side were about to face as they looked to retain their title and he pointed to the "bit of history" between the sides. But he was also well aware that he could rely on the quality of his charges when the chips were down.

"What do they say, good teams win one and great teams win two," Browne remarked. "That’s been our focus. Two years ago in Portlaoise, Wexford beat us by a point, we had a controversial shot at the hooter. Last year, we got past them in the semi-final so today was never going to be easy.

"People were saying that we were showing great form, we were, but Wexford were never going to lay down and die. They are proud people, the proud people of 1798 were never going to lay down and die, it’s in their DNA and fair play to them. I’d never question the colour of their blood, they were always going to come fighting.

"But we just had, I thought, that bit more finesse. The other thing, when the game was really in the mix, Lara McCartan, Lucy McCartan, Anna Jones, Chloe Kelly, Sarah Dillon, these players stood up. That was probably the difference at the end of the day.

"There was probably only three in it with four or five to go but what we worked on an awful lot in training, in that situation to get our players we want on the ball. We were very intent on getting the ball to Anna and Lucy, who we knew would manage the game for us.

"We managed the last three or four minutes really really well, found little spaces to get good scores so a hugely satisfying day and, please God, it's the start of a great weekend for Westmeath," he continued, referring to the Leinster final involving the Westmeath men's team the following day.

While the win is a massive confidence boost, the draw for the All-Ireland series has hardly been kind to Westmeath. Yet Browne is not concerned, he has huge confidence in his team and their ability to navigate their way to their goals.

Westmeath's first group game in the All-Ireland series is at home to Ulster final runners-up Monaghan on Sunday, May 31, followed by a clash away to Louth on June 7.

"For us, please God, this is game two of a seven-game process. Look if we are to be serious about being All-Ireland contenders, those are the teams we’re going to have to beat," Browne added.