McCormack and McGrath goals seal it for Westmeath

Westmeath’s rocket-like ascent up the national camogie ranks continued today, when they comfortably dispatched Dublin’s second string outfit in the Leinster intermediate camogie final.

Johnny Greville’s charges narrowly missed out on passage to Division 1 of the National Camogie League last month, but got their season back on track with a commanding win over Kilkenny in their Leinster opener.

After getting a bye against Wexford in the semi-final, they went to face the Dubs in Birr today.

The Maroons led 0-6 to 0-4 at the break, with Pamela Greville (0-2), Megan Dowdall (0-2), Hannah Core and Caoimhe McCrossan among the scorers. McCrossan had come off the bench for Denise McGrath, who went off injured after 26 minutes.

However, the loss of the experienced ‘Soaring Star’ McGrath didn’t deter Westmeath, who went on to outscore Dublin 2-7 to 0-1 in the second moiety.

The goals came from captain Mairéad McCormack and the star of Westmeath’s league campaign, Sheila McGrath (who had 1-1 each), with Greville (0-5) and Aoife Boyle (0-1) also contributing.

Westmeath will now contest the Leinster senior championship in 2019 – an historic and meteoric rise, considering that it’s only a few years since the girls competed three grades below in junior ‘A’.

The Lake County will now try to build on this feat when they embark on the All-Ireland intermediate series, meeting Kildare in the opener next month.

Westmeath team: Fiona Keating; Sarah King, Aoife Higgins, Laura Doherty; Sandra McGrath, Fiona Leavy, Amy Cully; Méabh Scally, Muireann Scally; Mairéad McCormack (capt., 1-1), Denise McGrath, Sheila McGrath; Megan Dowdall (0-2), Pamela Greville (0-7, 6f), Hannah Core (0-1). Subs used: Caoimhe McCrossan (0-1) for D McGrath (inj., 26), Aoife Boyle for Cully (53), Olivia Glynn for Sheila McGrath (57, 1-1), Aisling Egerton for King (60), Róisín Scally for Sandra McGrath (60 + 3).