Report

Dublin v Westmeath

Westmeath 1-14 Dublin 2-6

Defeat is a great fertiliser for success and the memory of last year's loss was a decisive spur for Westmeath who from the throw-in displayed the greater urgency in this Junior A All-Ireland final at Donaghmore Ashbourne.

It took Dublin all of 15 minutes to score although aided by a slight breeze and although leading by two points at the break and by four points six minutes into the second half, one always sensed that Westmeath had their measure on the day.

Dinah Loughlin was outstanding at midfield and gave her side the opening score with a pointed free after 6 minutes.  Denise McGrath who also had a fine game added a second point 6 minutes later before Dublin took the lead.

Joeleen Hoary did well to keep a long delivery from Róisín Colins in play and then rifled a super ground stroke to the net in the 15th minute.  Dublin should have had more on the board as two goal chances and two scoreable frees had been spurned in the opening quarter.  They were to prove costly.

Dublin's half-backs came were dominant and CarolAnne Canning was working tremendously hard at midfield.  But a tactical move by Westmeath worked well for for them when they placed corner forward Joanne Walsh as an extra defender and she picked up a lot of uncontested ball.  Aoife Higgins at wing back also did a lot of damage and limited Dublin to just three more scores - two fine points by Róisín Collins and another by Kirsten Farrell.

After missing a goal chance themselves, Westmeath finished the half strongly with two points by player of the match Dinah Loughlin to leave the midlanders trailing by 1-3 to 0-4 at the break.

Dublin had an early free scoring chance that was missed before in the 35th minute Louise O'Connor cut the gap to a point.  Westmeath backed by the breeze had now reverted to 15 on 15 in their gameplan.

Hopes were raised a minute later when Joeleen Hoary fielded superbly from Elaine Gallery's deliver to hand pass to the net but Dublin failed to build on this and would not score again for a further 15 minutes.

In this quarter of an hour Westmeath added 1-2 - Pamela Greville (f), a Denise McGrath goal and a fine Greville point.

Dublin responded thanks to good play from Gráinne Ryan, Laoise Quinn and Shauna Duff and Elaine Gallery drew the sides level with a free in the 51st minute.  However an inspirational point from a free from Dinah Loughlin almost on the sideline put Westmeath back in front almost immediately. 

It was nip and tuck and after good work from Laoise Quinn, CarolAnne Canning fired over the equaliser in the 55th minute.  A number of stoppages meant that 5 minutes added time was to be played and once again it was Pamela Greville who led the Westmeath charge.  A super 40m run ended in a great point in the 57th minute but the Westmeath cheers had barely died when in a foray into the opposition half Shauna Duff found the space to drive over the leveller.

The game had now moved into added time and Westmeath found the extra gear and after a long range free from Dinah Loughlin was tipped over by Joanne McCormack, the Lake County found the range with three points in the last five minutes - a free and 45 from Dinah Loughlin and Pamela Greville both of whom had done serious damage to Dublin's chances in the course of the game.

Dublin can hold their heads up - they matched Westmeath in most areas and were in the game right to the finish.  Eleven minutes into the second half Joeleen Hoary was denied a third goal when the umpires ruled that she was in the small box  - some days one gets those scores.  But when they had the ascendancy in the first half - they did not do enough damage and Westmeath in those final minutes were seen home by the pain of 2011.

Dublin:  Stephenie Carthy, Gráinne Free, Gráinne Ryan, Clodagh McGough, Elaine Sherry, Shauna Duff (0-1), Niamh Drummond, CarolAnne Canning (0-1), Emma Flanagan, Kirsten Farrell (0-1), Joeleen Hoary (2-0), Mikaela Dunne, Elaine Gallery (0-1f), Róisín Collins (0-2)

Subs: Laoise Quinn, Gráinne Smyth, Sinéad Rowe.

Ref. Sean McGuigan (Derry)

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