LGFA: TG4 ALL-IRELAND LADIES INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL
Late Goal Denies Brave Kildare
Westmeath 3-6
Kildare 1-9
By Daire Walsh
THERE was heartbreak for the Kildare ladies footballers at Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon as their All-Ireland Intermediate Championship campaign ended in a narrow defeat at the hands of Westmeath.
Having overcome a shaky start to the contest, Daniel Moynihan’s Lilies found themselves on level terms with the Lake County approaching the final whistle. A 20 minute period of extra-time was beginning to loom large, until Westmeath attacker Anna Jones capitalised on Dervla McGinn’s hesitancy under a high ball to claim her side’s third goal of the action.
Sarah Dillon and Lucy McCartan had shaken the Kildare net in the early stages and Sean Finnegan’s charges ultimately had enough in reserve to progress to their second successive intermediate decider.
Champions at this grade in 2016, the Lilywhites had entered this game as rank outsiders. Westmeath were a senior championship team as recently as 2019 and currently ply their trade in Division One of the National Football League, but were made to work for their eventual place in the competition’s forthcoming final at Croke Park.
Lara Curran was Kildare’s top-scorer with a final haul of five points, while Erica Burke, team captain Grace Clifford and Neasa Dooley also impressed throughout.
Burke was one of two capital-based players to feature in the north Dublin venue on the weekend. Whereas Westmeath skipper Fiona Claffey lines out for the all-conquering Foxrock/Cabinteely, her 26-year-old counterpart plays her club football with Thomas Davis out in Tallaght.
Claffey was to exert her influence as the play progressed, but it was Burke who broke the deadlock with a well-worked point inside the opening 60 seconds. Gillian Wheeler added to Kildare’s advantage, before Westmeath finally responded through a brace of Jones frees.
While the Lilies edged back in front with Curran’s first score of the tie, they were stunned by the concession of two goals in the space of three minutes. Dillon fired spectacularly to the Kildare net following a surging Claffey run and McCartan also raised a green flag after being picked out on the inside line by the influential Jones.
Although Kildare were initially left deflated by this blitz, they responded in confident style. A second Burke effort preceded a two-point salvo from Curran to leave them firmly in contention moving towards the second-quarter. The closing minutes of the opening period were quite scrappy with both teams wide of the mark off a series of scoreable opportunities.
Ciara Blundell did find the target for Westmeath but with Clifford doing likewise at the opposite end, Kildare were just two points adrift during the interval (2-3 to 0-7). The longer the half wore on, the more authoritative the Lilywhites defence became.
Claire Sullivan and Grainne Kenneally were putting their shoulder to the wheel as was Kill’s Laoise Lenehan. Nevertheless, Westmeath possessed significant quality at either end of the field and began the second half full of intent.
Thanks to consecutive points from Leona Archibold and Dillon, the Lake County were afforded additional breathing space on the restart. They threatened to pull further ahead, only to be let down by some wayward shooting.
This left the door ajar for Kildare and, after eventually finding their feet, parity was restored by the third-quarter mark. A Curran free got them back up and running, before Dooley was hauled down inside the square on 43 minutes.
The Castledermot star subsequently regained her composure in time to slot the resulting penalty beyond the reach of Lauren McCormack in the Westmeath goal.
This set-up a tantalising conclusion to this penultimate round clash and with Jones and Curran trading frees, the teams remained inseparable with the finishing line moving into view.
There was a sense that the game’s next score – if it was to arrive in normal time – could have a major bearing on the final outcome. This was how it transpired, but it was Westmeath rather than Kildare who came up with the decisive score.
Maynooth custodian McGinn struggled to collect a long, hanging delivery by substitute Johanna Maher and it was left for Jones to get the vital touch that steered the ball home.
This left Kildare chasing the game with time running out and while McCormack’s goal briefly came under siege, Westmeath held firm in the end.
WESTMEATH: Lauren McCormack; Niamh Spellman, Lorraine Duncan, Tara Fagan; Fiona Coyle, Lucy Power, Aoife Brady; Vicky Carr, Tracey Dillon; Fiona Claffey, Leona Archibold 0-1, Anna Jones 1-3, 0-3f; Ciara Blundell 0-1, Sarah Dillon 1-1, Lucy McCartan 1-0. Subs: Johanna Maher for T Dillon (53), Karen Hegarty for Blundell (62).
KILDARE: Dervla McGinn; Laoise Lenehan, Claire Sullivan, Shauna Kendrick; Grainne Kenneally, Lara Gilbert, Aoife Rattigan; Erica Burke 0-2, Ciara Wheeler; Lara Curran 0-5, 5f, Grace Clifford 0-1, Siobhan O’Sullivan; Nanci Murphy, Neasa Dooley 1-0, pen, Gillian Wheeler 0-1. Subs: Ellen Dowling for Murphy (half-time), Molly Aspell for Gilbert, Mikaela McKenna for G Wheeler (both 54), Lauren Murtagh for C Wheeler (59), Hazel McLoughlin for Rattigan (62).
Referee: Brendan Rice (Down).