CAMOGIE: LIBERTY INSURANCE PREMIER JUNIOR ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP
WESTMEATH………………………………………………….. 3-12
DUBLIN…………………………………………………………… 2-05
By Daire Walsh
DINAH Loughlin was in devastating form at O’Toole Park on Sunday afternoon, as Westmeath kept their Liberty Insurance Premier Junior Camogie prospects alive with a comprehensive victory over Dublin.
Although the Metropolitans had already progressed to the semi-final stage of this year’s competition, the Westmeath girls were in desperate need of a win and with the dynamic Loughlin leading their charge, a play-off this Sunday against Roscommon affords them an opportunity to book their place in the last-four.
Westmeath had the measure of their opponents when they faced each other in the National League Division Three Final in Edenderry four months ago, but since that impressive 3-7 to 1-5 success, they’re only competitive triumph was a walkover they received from Armagh on July 13.
The Lake County did make a bright start to the proceedings courtesy of a point from midfielder Ellen Tate within 20 seconds of the throw-in, but by the 5th minute of play, the hosts had opened up a five-point cushion. Emma Flanagan’s white flag effort from a tricky angle levelled matters, and after Ali McGrath’s low speculative strike slipped through the grasp of Fiona Keating for the game’s first goal, Roisin Collins’ point provided breathing space for Dublin.
A deceptive strike from distance by corner-forward Denise McGrath (who plays for Ballyboden St Enda’s in the capital) found its way past her club-mate Sile Coiter moments later, but with the treacherous overnight conditions making life extremely difficult for both sets of players, a sideline cut by Dublin centre-back Michelle Kelly evaded several players on its way into the Westmeath net.
The way the action was developing, it looked like every score was going to be vital, and with ten minutes of the first period remaining, Dublin’s Niamh Adams restored her side’s four-point lead in a direct response to Loughlin’s maiden point of the tie.
Yet, with Dublin becoming extremely wasteful as the half wore on, Westmeath remained in contention, and thanks to a hat-trick of successful Loughlin placed balls, they had reduced the deficit to a minimum (2-3 to 1-5) in time for the interval.
This offered plenty of incentive to Westmeath ahead of a pivotal half of play, and though Laura Hannon passed up a clear-cut goal-scoring opportunity four minutes after the restart, the unerring accuracy of Loughlin soon turned the game on its head.
Her close-in 35th minute pointed free almost crept in under the posts, but she soon added a further brace of scores to her tally, the latter of which was Westmeath’s sixth point without reply. Dublin finally addressed this alarming slump courtesy of Ciara Burgess’ single at the end of the third-quarter, but this proved to be a temporary reprieve against their galvanised adversaries.
An inspirational score on the run by wing-back Muireann Scally swiftly followed a triple substitution by the Westmeath management, and with Amy Kenny, Laura Thompson and Julie McLoughlin all providing fresh legs around the middle-third, momentum was on the side of the visitors.
Loughlin converted her second ‘45’ of the day 11 minutes from time, and when she found the back of the Dublin net at the second time of asking from the subsequent attack, they suddenly found themselves six points to the good.
The Dublin challenge had been significantly deflated by this point, and with Loughlin adding 1-2 to her outstanding personal total (which eventually clocked in at 2-10), the outcome had been placed beyond any doubt.
The hard-working Collins did grab a late point for Dublin, but it was never going to be enough to rein in the challenge of Westmeath, who will head into their crunch meeting against near rivals Roscommon with renewed confidence.
Scorers
Westmeath: D Loughlin 2-10 (1-8f, 0-2 ‘45’), D McGrath 1-0, M Scally, E Tate 0-1 each. Dublin: M Kelly (s/line), A McGrath 1-0 each, R Collins 0-2 (1f), N Adams, C Burgess, E Flanagan 0-1 each.
Westmeath: Fiona Keating; Eileen Murphy, Edel McCormack, Roisin Scally; Muireann Scally, Fiona Leavy, Niamh Horan; Caoimhe McCrossan, Ellen Tate; Dinah Loughlin, Jemma Egan Maybury, Laura Hannon; Denise McGrath, Pamela Greville, Emma Broughan. Subs: Amy Kenny for Hannon (44), Laura Thompson for McCrossan (44), Julie McLoughlin for Maybury (44), Sarah King for Broughan (59).
Dublin: Sile Nic Coiter; Grainne Free, Grainne Ryan, Deirdre Johnson; Grainne Smyth, Michelle Kelly, Ceila Carthy; Siobhan Kehoe, Ciara Burgess; Ali McGrath, Niamh Adams, Roisin Collins; Aideen Naughton, Emma Flanagan, Laoise Quinn. Subs: Elaine Gallery for Quinn (37), Cliona McCullough for Smyth (47), Paula Malcolmson for Adams (52), Jacqueline Elebert for Carthy (52).
Ref: Colum Cunning (Antrim).
IN A NUTSHELL
Player of the match
Dinah Loughlin (Westmeath)
The importance of a reliable free-taker in camogie cannot be underestimated, and in the form of half-forward Dinah Loughlin, Westmeath had a clinical operator. The Clonkill star ruthlessly punished Dublin time after time, contributing an astonishing 1-10 of her side’s tally from placed balls. Her brace of goals, in the 50th and 57th minutes respectively, ensured that the Lake County were able to ease their way towards a much-needed victory.
The key moment
Having trailed by four points (2-3 to 1-2) 20 minutes into the contest, Westmeath had forced themselves into a winning position during the final-quarter by outscoring the Metropolitan outfit 0-8 to 0-1 over a half-hour period of play. However, with just three points separating the teams, the outcome was still far from certain, and this is why Dinah Loughlin’s 50th minute goal was so important to the Westmeath cause.