Westmeath 1-10 Dublin 1-6
As the sides headed for the dressing
rooms at the interval few would have given Dublin a chance of even making the
scoreline look respectable trailing as they were by 1-8 to 0-2. That they did speaks volumes for their
spirit, preparation and ability. Had a
penalty decision or two gone their way who knows what would have happened. One of those penalty calls came in the 50th
minute when Dublin trailed by four points. Aoife Bugler was almost in for a
goal but was tripped in the process.
However after consulting with an umpire, the referee awarded a 45 which
Dublin failed to convert. A goal at that
point would have been a huge set back to Westmeath. It was a big call and the let-off spurred
the Lakelanders on to get the clinching points in the last six minutes of normal
time.
Dublin started well with their best
forward Aoife Bugler prominent.
A minute
into the game she pointed a close range free.
Displaying no nerves Dublin went on to have control of the opening 10 minutes with
Grainne Free pulling two great catches out of the clouds.
Roisin Drohan was also leading the charge at midfield and
a long range effort landed in the vicinity of Aoife Bugler.
A foul was called and Aoife made no mistake
from the resultant free.
But that was as good as it got. For the remaining 26 minutes of the half
Dublin failed to add to their tally. It
was in that spell that Westmeath won the All-Ireland for the first time. Playing at a higher league level and having
an edge in experience, their big name players like Caoimhe McCrossan, Denise
McGrath, Dinah Loughlin, Pamela Greville, Fiona Leavy and Stars of the future
Sheila McGrath and Hannah Core began to exercise their dominance.
Croke Park on All-Ireland final day
is an unforgiving place and the smallest of errors are ruthlessly
punished. Dublin made two or three uncharacteristic errors that can happen on days like this. One was a sideline ball that wasn’t
covered allowing Westmeath to play a short ball from which Sheila McGrath would
win possession to handpass over the bar for their opening score In the 11th
minute. That was followed by a
Dinah Loughlin free that levelled the
game in the 14
th
minute.
Dublin did respond and a Róisín Drohan shot was saved by Westmeath
‘keeper Fiona Keating.
The ball was
worked clear and minor player Hannah Core put her side in the lead in the 15
th
minute – a lead that was never really threatened after that.
From there to the the short whistle,
Westmeath were the better team and player of the match Caoimhe McCrossan was dominant in the centre of the field. She set up
Dinah Loughlin for an excellent score from play in the 20th minute. A poor
clearance from the Dublin defence was returned superbly in the direction of Hannah
Core and she grabbed a fine point.
The score that did the real damage
came in the 25
th
minute and it was a brilliant effort from Denise
McGrath who made ground through the middle and hit an unstoppable shot to the
net.
Westmeath had their tails up now
and finished the half with three more points from Siobhan McGrath and two from
Dinah Loughlin.
The situation looked grim for Dublin
but within 40 seconds of the restart that had all changed when Róisín Baker
found herself in a bit of space and she netted with a low shot. Four minutes later Aoife Bugler struck the
point of the match from the sideline on the Cusack Stand side. The introduction of Sinéad Wylde and Sinéad
Nolan had injected new energy in the Dublin attack. Allied to that captain Emer Keenan was doing all
she could from the centre-forward position.
Dublin’s backs were tightness
personified with Róisín MacLoughlin nullifying the threat of Hannah Core. Gráinne Free never put a foot wrong and
Deirdre Johnstone, Niamh Gleeson, Ciara Buchanan and Emma Barron limited their opponents
to just two points in the second 30.
Westmeath were under serious pressure, a situation which deepened, in the 44
th
minute when Aoife Bugler nailed a 47m
free.
A goal at this stage for Dublin
might have wrecked their cause but it wasn’t to be when Dublin’s penalty plea was
overruled.
A little bit of inexperience
in the Dublin defence allowed Pamela Greville to step inside the diving tackle
of the Dublin defender to give Westmeath a breather with a great point six
minutes from the finish.
But a
Róisin Baker
45 kept Dublin’s cause alive but again a lapse of concentration in the Dublin
attack allowed Westmeath ‘keeper to puck short to corner back Sarah King.
Her clearance ended up in the hand of Aoife
Higgins and the Westmeath substitute brought a huge cheer from their vocal
fans with Westmeath's 10th point.
Róisín Baker had the final say
with a neat point but it would be Westmeath’s day.
A great season had ended.
League champions and runners-up in the All-Ireland
mark it down as one to celebrate.
Victory in the end went to the team that was operating at a higher
league level and had that little bit of experience.
Well done to Shane Plowman, Ann
Colgan, Nollaig Ryan, Willie Braine, Dee Quinn and all the players.
Westmeath Scorers: Dinah Loughlin (0-3), Denise McGrath (1-0), Sheila McGrath (0-2), Hannah Core (0-2), Pamela Greville (0-1), Aoife Higgins (0-1)
Dublin Scorers: Róisín Baker (1-2), Aoife Bugler (0-4)
DUBLIN: A Spillane, R MacLoughlin, N Gleeson, C Buchanan, G Free, D Johnstone, E Barron, G Power, R Drohan, A ooley, R Baker, E Twomey, L Quinn, A Bugler, E Keenan. Subs: S Nolan for Power (ht), S Wylde for Quinn (ht), C Carolan for Twomey (49), E O’Riordan for Gleeson (56)
WESTMEATH: F Keating, S King, E McCormack, J McLoughlin, E Finn, F Leavy, L Doherty, J McCormack, M McCormack, C Mccrossan, D McGrath, D Loughlin, H Core, P Greville, S McGrath. Sub: A Higgins for D McGrath (51), M Scally for M McCormack (58)
Referee: Philip McDonald