Westmeath suffer defeat to Kilkenny as clash with Cork awaits
Kilkenny 3-21, Westmeath 1-8
The Westmeath senior camogie side took on the might of Kilkenny on Saturday in Freshford, in the Leinster senior camogie championship quarter-final and suffered a 19-point defeat.
The game went very much along expected lines and Westmeath will now focus on the intermediate championship which would of course have been their main priority from the outset.
Kilkenny got the perfect start when Caoimhe Keher Murphy found the net after two minutes and they never looked back. Westmeath were facing a pretty early test of character, but Hannah Core’s fourth minute point got the visiting side up and running before Laura Murphy shot over for the home side.
Amelia Shaw pointed in the sixth minute and Westmeath were not just content to go through the motions. But Aoife Prendergast converted a free to put Kilkenny two clear again.
Kilkenny went on to establish a four-point lead through Sarah Barcoe before Ameila Shaw again shot over for the Lake County. Kilkenny got their second goal on 15 minutes when Aoife Prendergast found the net.
Westmeath were facing a huge task already in this game, but Amelia Shaw held her composure with a 17th minute free to get her side’s fourth point of the day. After that, Kilkenny really stepped up their game and surged into a commanding lead of 2-9 to 0-4 by the half hour mark. There were some fine scores from the likes of Aoife Prendergast and Katie Power as the home side opened up a commanding advantage.
Westmeath were rewarded for their work rate when Hannah Core scored a goal in added time at the end of the opening half. At the interval, Kilkenny led by 2-9 to 1-4.
Amelia Shaw and Emma Broughan (who converted a free) kept the scoreboard ticking over from a Westmeath perspective, but all the while Kilkenny were powering on. Aoife Prendergast got their third major on 40 minutes and they had a lead of 3-12 to 1-6 at that stage.
Laura Murphy, Aoife Prendergast (free) and Sarah Barcoe each added points for the Cats, who ran out very convincing winners as was fully expected.
Westmeath have endured a couple of heavy defeats against the leading county in recent seasons. Last year it was 4-21 to 0-6 when these two sides met in Mullingar.
Westmeath will now turn their attention to a home meeting with Cork on June 1. The Lake County are in a group that also includes Offaly, Clare, Galway and Wexford. Westmeath have away games against both Wexford (June 8) and Galway (June 22), while Clare (June 29) and Offaly (July 6) will travel to Mullingar.
Kilkenny: Aoife Norris; Michelle Teehan, Grace Walsh, Katie Byrne; Laura Norris, Niamh Deely, Miriam Bambrick; Laura Murphy, Laura Greene; Aoife Doyle, Katie Power, Sarah Barcoe; Caoimhe Keher Murtagh, Katie Nolan, Aoife Prendergast. Panel: Roisín Breen, Ciara Phelan, Kellyann Doyle, Niamh Phelan, Emily McCarthy, Sinead O’Keeffe, Danielle Quigley, Miriam Walsh, Asha McHardy, Keara Ryan, Sophie O’Dwyer, Emma Shortall, Claire Doheny, Grace Barcoe, Roisín O’Keeffe, Julianne Malone, Tiffanie Fitzgerald, Steffi Fitzgerald, Sarah Crowley.
Westmeath: Fiona Keating; Emily McCabe, Julie McLoughlin, Laura Doherty; Maria Kelly, Muireann Scally, Áine Newman; Aoife O’Malley, Caoimhe McCrossan; Meadbh McLoughlin, Holly Dowdall, Amelia Shaw; Hannah Core, Megan Dowdall, Sheila McGrath. Subs: Ava Balfe for S McGrath, Aisling Egerton for E McCabe, Meadbh Scally for M McLoughlin, Anna Weir for F Keating, Emma Broughan for A Shaw. Panel: Courtney Carroll, Sarah Downes, Olivia Glynn, Ellen Shaw, Jade Mckeogh, Aisling Egerton, Megan Ennis, Anya Boyle, Catriona Egan, Roisín Scally, Caoimhe McCormack, Katie Penrose, Erin Core, Niamh Horan.