Pulsating ladies’ senior decider ends in deadlock

Village Barn Westmeath LGFA Senior Championship final

St Loman's Mullingar 3-12; Milltown 2-15, after extra time

Paul Hughes

Holders Milltown and pre-match favourites St Loman’s, Mullingar will meet again to decide the 2026 Jack Lyster Cup after a frantic Westmeath LGFA senior final finished in deadlock at TEG Cusack Park last Saturday afternoon.

St Loman’s, accustomed to dominating teams with swagger this year, ran out comfortable 13-point winners in the corresponding group-stage fixture. However, the youthful Lakepoint Park outfit encountered a physical Milltown side here, bolstered by a relentless defensive unit that gave them little room to manoeuvre.

There was little between the sides on the scoreboard, but Milltown edged the second half and, with minutes remaining, led by two points, looking likely to defend their title. However, a 56th-minute sin-binning for Laura Kiernan left them a player short at a crucial time, allowing St Loman’s to be rescued by late Lara McCartan and Caoimhe Kilmurray scores.

The pendulum swung both ways in extra-time with goals from Clodagh Dillon (Milltown) and Gráinne Cleary (St Loman’s), meaning the sides must meet again later this month.

Though highly entertaining for neutrals, this final wasn’t short on errors, featuring 22 wides across 80-odd minutes. St Loman’s, previously irresistible going forward, struggled particularly with ball retention as numerous passes were intercepted mid-flight and cleared. Similarly, Milltown will wince when looking back at a couple of goals they conceded.

The Blues took an early lead when Katie Kilmurray turned her marker in the right corner and curled over off her left boot. Milltown saw plenty of ensuing possession and almost goaled when Rachel Dillon, yards out, turned the ball over rather than under the bar after Louise Kiernan’s handpass was flicked in her direction.

Dillon proved a handful down the left flank, but St Loman’s regained the lead on seven minutes when Katie Kilmurray doubled her tally with a fine score off her right. Sarah Dillon then levelled for Milltown, assisted by Rachel.

Shannon Breslin put St Loman’s ahead again following a neat move involving Kilmurray and Lucy McCartan, before the latter doubled the lead, firing over powerfully from Holly Dowdall's superb pass.

Gráinne Byrne reduced the arrears after St Loman’s failed to clear Sarah Dillon's short effort. At the other end, the Blues exploited confusion in the Milltown ranks when Megan Dowdall sauntered through unmarked and rifled to the net. Milltown, with a player down injured, appeared to believe that the referee had halted play.

By the 22nd minute, the girls in green drew level. After Sarah Dillon dispatched a free, Leanne Slevin launched a high ball into the square; with Loman’s caught flat-footed, Clodagh Dillon slid in, poking the ball past St Loman’s netminder Jane McKenna.

The Rathconrath side then took the lead, capitalising on a St Loman’s mid-attack fumble. Clodagh Dillon pinged the ball right to Sarah Dillon, who cut inside along the end line to fist over.

In stoppage time, the Blues had an equalising chance, but Jayne Charles blasted wide despite being pushed in the back. A similar situation arose a minute later when Caoimhe Kilmurray was fouled kicking for goal; her cousin Katie tapped over the resultant free, leaving it 1-5 each at half-time.

Keenly contested

At the end of a keenly contested third quarter in which Milltown upped the ante, they led by two after scores from Sarah Dillon (2), Sinéad Slevin, and Gráinne Byrne (a free), with Shannon Breslin and Katie Kilmurray responding for St Loman’s.

Ciaran Kilmurray’s charges struggled to make inroads but with 46 minutes gone, they pulled one back when Milltown nervously spilled a short free from Katie Kilmurray. Lucy McCartan caught, turned and shot over.

That was the Blues’ only score in a 20-minute spell. As the game wore on, Milltown held their lead and looked increasingly likely to prevail, but their physicality finally came back to bite them when, with four minutes to go, Laura Kiernan was sin-binned for a high tackle on Gráinne Cleary.

The numerical advantage yielded immediate dividends for St Loman’s. On 57 minutes, they levelled matters after a swift move saw Lara McCartan divide the posts, taking the lead a minute later when Caoimhe Kilmurray, exerting an ever-increasing influence on the game, shot over with her left boot following a lovely passing move.

Despite being short on numbers, Milltown stubbornly persisted, and two consecutive attacks inside the 60th minute yielded scores for Bronagh Beglan and Gráinne Byrne.

As St Loman’s frantically sought an equaliser, sub Paige Matthews had a sniff at goal, but it took a late free from Caoimhe Kilmurray to force extra time. Lucy McCartan had a chance to steal the win with a last kick of the ball, but it veered wide and normal time ended at 1-11 apiece.

Extra-time

Milltown were restored to full strength after Laura Kiernan’s return to the fray, and she duly gave them the lead after six minutes of extra-time with a well-taken point. However, St Loman’s had the ball in the net seconds later when a free from Caoimhe Kilmurray picked out Lucy McCartan, who had a simple tap-in from six yards.

The Rathconrath contingent replied with a free from Gráinne Byrne, but the Saints held a narrow lead at the end of the first ten-minute period, surviving a goal chance for Clodagh Dillon after a defensive error.

The momentum went the other way after the restart when Byrne tacked on her fourth point - this time from play - to equalise, before Clodagh Dillon embarked on a solo run and, after being fouled en route, managed to squeeze a low shot past Jane McKenna.

Milltown now led by three (2-14 to 2-11) and were in pole position with five minutes to go, but further drama ensued. Lucy McCartan kept St Loman’s in the hunt after she was teed up for a score by Paige Matthews.

Then, after a break in play for an injury, Milltown goalkeeper Sinéad Byrne lost control of the ball playing a defensive one-two with Gemma Keena. McCartan got her hand in for the turnover and the ball fell kindly for Gráinne Cleary, who had the simple task of slotting the ball low to the Milltown net.

Tiring Milltown were given a lift by the introduction of the returning former Westmeath star Kelly Boyce Jordan, and with two minutes to go, she made a run at goal and was fouled. Leanne Slevin levelled matters with the resultant free before limping off with cramp.

In the dying embers of the game, both sides had chances to win it, with Caoimhe Kilmurray (St Loman’s), Bronagh Beglan and Kate Whyte (Milltown) going close, but for now, the Lyster Cup remains unclaimed.

Scorers - St Loman’s: Lucy McCartan 1-4, K Kilmurray 0-4 (1f), M Dowdall and G Cleary 1-0, S Breslin 0-2, C Kilmurray and Lara McCartan 0-1 each. Milltown: C Dillon 2-0, S Dillon 0-5 (1f), G Byrne 0-4 (2f), L Slevin 0-2f, R Dillon, S Slevin, B Beglan, and L Kiernan 0-1 each.

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Jane McKenna; Lara McCartan, Muireann Scally, Aoibhe Hogan; Ellen Kilmurray, Katie Dunne (capt.), Holly Dowdall; Caoimhe Kilmurray, Megan Dowdall; Eleanor Corcoran, Lucy McCartan, Jayne Charles; Evie Kilmurray, Shannon Breslin, Katie Kilmurray. Subs used: Keelie Mulderry for Hogan (h-t), Gráinne Cleary for Evie Kilmurray (36), Shauna Traynor for Corcoran (46), Paige Matthews for Breslin (57), Evie Kilmurray for Katie Kilmurray (inj., 14, e-t), Corcoran for Traynor (20, e-t).

Milltown: Sinéad Byrne; Emma Ballesty, Aoife Kenny, Gemma Keena; Henrietta Kiernan, Louise Kiernan (capt.), Rachel Dillon; Leanne Slevin, Tracey Dillon; Abbie Sheerin, Gráinne Byrne, Laura Kiernan; Clodagh Dillon, Sinéad Slevin, Sarah Dillon. Subs used: Bronagh Beglan for S Slevin (49), Kelly Boyce Jordan for Sheerin (inj., 14, e-t), Kate Whyte for L Slevin (inj., 20, e-t).

Referee: Barry Nea (Killucan).