Superb display sees Westmeath ladies reach All-Ireland final

All roads lead to Croke Park on Sunday September 25 when the Westmeath ladies intermediate football team will face Cavan in the All-Ireland final, following the Lake County's outstanding win over Limerick in a very enjoyable penultimate round clash in Birr last Saturday afternoon. Saturday's game was sandwiched between junior and senior semi-finals at the well-appointed St. Brendan's ground in front of a good-sized crowd and the organisation was top-class, with a very informative €2 programme a shining example to other codes on how to give hard-pressed fans value for money in these hard times. On the pitch itself, it took the ladies in maroon and white some time to settle and, with Limerick full-forward Dymphna O'Brien ('the player of the match' award winner) a real thorn in the winners' side, the Shannonsiders were full value for their five-point interval lead, with Maud Annie Foley's ten minutes in the sin bin not helping the Lake County cause. However, Westmeath were a transformed outfit on the change of ends and a great goal from Emma Morris in the 35th minute set them en route to a memorable victory, ironically helped by the harsh sin-binning of the aforementioned O'Brien at a crucial juncture. Limerick had whatever advantage accrued with the wind in the first moiety, but it was Westmeath who took an early lead when Ruth Kearney - who had a fine game overall - rounded off a fine move in the third minute with a neat point from 20 metres. However, it was to be a further 25 minutes before the winners troubled the scoreboard operator while the ladies in green and white took control of the contest. Dymphna O'Brien converted a brace of close-range frees in the fourth and ninth minutes to put her side in front, before the losers got their first score from play when Shauna McAuliffe fielded the ball from Niamh Richardson's free and turned well to slot over a fine point. Limerick were the livelier side and they got a further boost in the 18th minute when Westmeath were reduced to 14 players for a mandatory ten minutes, with a yellow card awaiting Maud Annie Foley when she got up from the ground after picking up an injury in a robust clash, as a result of which Dymphna O'Brien pointed a 25-metre free. Westmeath could have reduced the deficit in the 20th minute, but Martina Giltenane held Elaine Finn's shot after an eye-catching move. With four minutes of normal time remaining in the first half, Dymphna O'Brien stamped her undoubted class on proceedings with a wonderful solo goal under pressure. To their great credit, Westmeath rallied with points from Emma Morris (a 20-metre after Katie Somers was impeded) and Ruth Kearney (a delightful left-footed score after a quickly-taken free from Morris). An opportunity for another Westmeath score then went abegging and Dymphna O'Brien fittingly rounded off first-half scoring from a routine free, leaving the scoreboard at the break reading: Limerick 1-5 Westmeath 0-3. The Westmeath management team of Alan Mangan, Peter Leahy, Michael Reynolds and Daniel McDermott clearly got their messages through to the players during the interval as the ladies in maroon and white were straight out of the traps on the change of ends. A lovely point from Ruth Kearney (availing of fine approach work by former Garrycastle player Laura Walsh) with exactly a minute elapsed was followed by a disappointing wide from the latter player as the winners began to take control. The returned Maud Annie Foley soon tapped over a free (after Elaine Finn's fisted 'point' was overruled) and better was to ensue with Finn setting up Emma Morris who buried the ball in the Limerick net from ten metres. When Maud Annie Foley followed up with a terrific point from a 35-metre free, Westmeath were ahead for the first time. At the other end, an ambitious fly-kick from Kadie Colbert flew past Gemma Leahy's post and the Shannonsiders' hopes soon began to fade when star full-forward Dymphna O'Brien was sin-binned (harshly it seemed to many observers). In the 42nd minute, a great run from Elaine Finn ended with a dipping shot from the captain which went just over the Limerick crossbar. Further points followed from a rampant Westmeath via Laura Walsh (a composed finish), Johanna Maher (at the end of a patient move) and substitute Karen Hegarty (a well-taken score under pressure). Hegarty then came close to goaling for the winners, while Dymphna O'Brien's absence was highlighted with a wild free from Shauna McAuliffe. The returned O'Brien found the range from a placed ball in the 56th minute and she added another point from play in the first minute of added-time. The same player's late dipping free was wide of the target, leaving Westmeath to celebrate a famous success moments later. WESTMEATH: Gemma Leahy; Triona Durkan, Grace Kearney, Carole Finch; Kelly Boyce Jordan, Jenny Rogers, Michelle Malone; Maud Annie Foley (0-2, 2f), Fiona Claffey; Elaine Finn (capt., 0-1), Ruth Kearney (0-3), Johanna Maher (0-1); Emma Morris (1-1, 0-1f), Katie Somers, Laura Walsh (0-1). Subs: Aileen Martin for Finch (30 + 1 mins), Karen Hegarty (0-1) for Morris (42 mins), Aoife Brady for Jordan (53 mins). LIMERICK: Martina Giltenane; Caroline Hickey, Sandra Healy, Alva Neary; Theresa Mulcaire, Emma McGuire, Carla Sheehy; Yvette Moynihan (capt), Niamh Richardson; Siobhan Moloney, Máire Flanagan, Kadie Colbert; Shauna McAuliffe (0-1), Dymphna O'Brien (1-6, 0-5f), Joanne O'Gorman. Subs: Katie Campbell for Moloney (36 mins), Janet Garvey for Flanagan (50 mins), Catriona Davis for O'Gorman (50 mins), Jennifer Stokes for Mulcaire (60 + 1 mins). REFEREE: Liam McDonagh (Sligo).