TG4 LEINSTER LADIES SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL
Dublin cut loose to end Westmeath’s Leinster final dreams
Qualifier route awaits for Martin Flanagan’s charges
DUBLIN……………………………………….. 7-18
WESTMEATH……………………………….. 1-07
Daire Walsh
The deadly duo of Sinead Aherne and Lyndsey Davey were in sparkling form at Naomh Mearnog GAA on Sunday afternoon, as Dublin progressed to the Leinster Ladies Senior Football Championship decider with an emphatic 29-point victory over Westmeath amidst the sunshine in the Portmarnock venue.
As a result, Martin Flanagan’s charges will have to embark on the qualifier route as they aim to get their season back on track. Reacting to a demoralising defeat of this nature will not be an easy task for the Lake County girls, but having also defeated Kildare comprehensively in the previous round (6-14 to 1-9), there is no doubt that Dublin will be formidable opponents for any team they meet in this year’s competition.
The final scoreline would suggest that Dublin were always in firm control of their own destiny, but it was actually the Aileen Martin-led side who enjoyed the more productive opening to the proceedings.
Dublin had kicked into gear with early scores from Davey and Noelle Healy, but after midfielder Maud Annie Foley pointed following a fine Johanna Maher solo run, Westmeath rattled the opposition rearguard with the opening goal of the day.
Foley’s second effort from a placed ball five minutes in dropped marginally short of the target, but after some confusion inside the small square, corner-forward Katie Somers diverted the ball past Cliodhna O’Connor, who was playing on her home patch.
This was certainly a shock to the system for Dublin, and even though the already-dangerous inside duo of Aherne and Davey replied with quick-fire white flag contributions, another routine free by Coralstown/Kinnegad’s Foley restored Westmeath’s advantage on the stroke of ten minutes.
Dublin were already making enough of an impression in attack to suggest that they could cut loose at any moment, however, and Aherne’s equalising 11th minute point kick-started a dominant spell for the holders. The St Sylvester’s star swiftly added a 0-3 salvo to her tally, and after Davey also split the posts on the run, significant daylight was opened courtesy of goals from Carla Rowe and Lindsay Peat in the 18th and 21st minutes respectively.
This meant that Dublin had registered 2-5 without reply in just ten minutes, and despite halting this momentum with a Foley point (free) 24 minutes in, Westmeath were once again left reeling by their powerful rivals.
Davey got the goal that her opening period performance deserved via a clinical strike five minutes before the interval, and with Tyrellspass’ Maher now in the sin-bin, Westmeath were at a numerical disadvantage.
This was something that Dublin were eager to exploit, and moments after substitute Siobhan Woods pointed superbly, Davey brought the half’s scoring to an end with another breathtaking goal.
This provided the home side with an insurmountable 16-point cushion (4-10 to 1-3) upon the resumption, and it was already a case of damage limitation for Westmeath. Chloe Kelly was introduced for Karen McDermott in an attempt to stem the Sky Blue tide, but custodian Sarah Keegan couldn’t prevent Woods from grabbing Dublin’s fifth goal four minutes into the second half.
To Westmeath’s credit, they did curb the influence of Dublin to an extent as the half wore on, and between the 34th and 53rd minutes, points from Aherne (two) and Woods was all that their big-time opponents could muster. Foley continued to display her dead-ball prowess, and her 0-2 salvo in this juncture was supplemented by replacement Fiona Leavy’s excellent single nine minutes from time.
When Rebecca Dunne hauled down Davey two minutes after Leavy’s score, Aherne was presented with an ideal opportunity to secure her side’s sixth goal of the tie.
The dynamic No 14 made no mistake with a perfectly-struck penalty, as Dublin aimed to finish with a flourish. Leavy was a lively presence in the Westmeath forward division inside the closing-quarter, and her second point arrived in the direct aftermath of Aherne’s set-piece goal.
Aherne found the net for a second occasion deep into second-half stoppage-time.
With a combined total of 4-14, Aherne and Davey were the stars of the show, and although tough assignments will await in the back-door, the Westmeath defence will be fully-prepared for any attacking threat that they will face before the end of the year.
Scorers – Dublin: S Aherne 2-11 (1-0 pen, 0-4f), L Davey 2-3, S Woods 1-2, C Rowe 1-1, L Peat 1-0, N Healy 0-1. Westmeath: MA Foley 0-5 (0-5f), K Somers 1-0, F Leavy 0-2.
DUBLIN: Cliodhna O’Connor; Rachel Ruddy, Sorcha Furlong, Leah Caffrey; Martha Byrne, Sinead Finnegan, Colleen Barrett; Sarah McCaffrey, Molly Lamb; Noelle Healy, Niamh McEvoy, Carla Rowe; Lyndsey Davey, Sinead Aherne, Lindsay Peat.
Subs: Siobhan Woods for Peat (25), Olivia Leonard for Barrett (49), Deirdre Murphy for Byrne (54), Natalia Hyland for McEvoy (55), Niamh Collins for Ruddy (57).
WESTMEATH: Sarah Keegan; Aileen Martin, Rebecca Dunne, Triona Durkan; Laura Kiernan, Jennifer Rogers, Laura Brennan; Maud Annie Foley, Ruth Kearney; Karen McDermott, Johanna Maher, Ciara Blundell; Karen Hegarty, Fiona Claffey, Katie Somers.
Subs: Chloe Kelly for McDermott (half-time), Nicola Judge for Kiernan (38), Fiona Leavy for Blundell (45), Sarah Dolan for Somers (45), Aoife Brady for Rogers (55).
Referee: Colm McManus (Meath).
in a nutshell
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Maud Annie Foley (Coralstown/Kinnegad)
On a day when Westmeath were always rated as rank outsiders, a reliable free-taker was always going to be crucial towards their chances of success. Although Dublin were ultimately the superior outfit on the day, midfielder Maud Annie Foley of Coralstown/Kinnegad was vital for Westmeath during a bright opening. In total, she contributed 0-5 to her side’s tally, and she also provided an assist for Katie Somers’ close-range goal just five minutes in.
KEY MOMENT
After Westmeath had held a surprise 1-2 to 0-4 lead with ten minutes gone, there was an onus on Dublin to respond in a manner expected of genuine All-Ireland contenders. Four points in succession from the magnificent duo of Sinead Aherne and Lyndsey Davey did get them back on track, but the 18th minute goal by Carla Rowe was the score that truly gave them the momentum they needed in the contest.
TALKING POINT
Although Westmeath and Kildare have been highly competitive in Division Two of the Ladies National Football League, it is evident that there is still a gulf in class between some of the teams in the Senior Championship. Laois will be expected to produce a stern test of the Metropolitans in the upcoming provincial decider, but when Sinead Aherne and Lyndsey Davey are performing at their optimum level, it is extremely difficult to contain them.