First half blitz paves the way for emphatic Westmeath win

Westmeath 3-21, Kildare 0-9

Inspired by an impressive 2-6 from play by corner forward Hannah Core, Westmeath proved vastly superior to Kildare when the sides met in the Intermediate Camogie Championship relegation play-off at Kiltale GAA grounds on Saturday.

Westmeath started superbly and an early blitz saw them lead by seven points after four minutes, and by half-time they had built up a commanding advantage of 3-10 to 0-4. In the end they were 21-point winners and victory has assured a young, developing side of intermediate camogie again next season.

Manager Pádraic Connaughton said his players embraced the challenge following the defeat against Offaly and prepared diligently for the crucial play-off encounter, and in truth, that showed as they overpowered Kildare.

The tone was set inside 25 seconds when Hannah Core opened the scoring with a sharp point after good work from Áine Newman. Within three minutes, Core had the ball in the net after a fine high catch and crisp finish following another pinpoint delivery from Newman. Just seconds later, she struck again – this time pouncing after Julie McLoughlin’s shot was parried by Kildare goalkeeper Ellen Donovan, and burying the loose ball to make it 2-1 to 0-0.

Kildare responded with a point from Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal, but Westmeath’s third goal arrived in the fifth minute. This time, it was Julie McLoughlin who produced a superb top-corner finish after a lay-off from Meadbh McLoughlin. It was a terrific finish by the full forward.

Westmeath’s excellent midfielder and free-taker Caoimhe McCrossan opened her account in the seventh minute with a pointed free and followed that with another on nine minutes. By the quarter-hour mark, she had added a third, punishing another Kildare foul.

McCrossan’s deliveries were causing problems for the Lilywhites and when she sent in another long free on 19 minutes, Core won the ball and clipped over her first point of the day. Two minutes later, Julie McLoughlin was again on target after great work by Olivia Kelleghan. McCrossan then sent over a superb free from distance, and close to the sideline, to stretch Westmeath’s lead further.

Kildare managed a second score in the 27th minute, again through Ní Bhuircéal from a free, but Westmeath replied instantly with Aoife O’Malley striking a point after Hannah Core’s pass. In the final minute of normal time, Ní Bhuircéal added another free, but McCrossan cancelled that out with one of her own just before the half-time whistle.

In added time, Ní Bhuircéal tacked on her fourth free, but there was still time for Core to add another point, giving Westmeath a resounding 15-point lead at the break.

McCrossan picked up where she left off with another pointed free two minutes after the restart, and McLoughlin followed up quickly with her third point from play. Kildare briefly stopped the rot with a fifth point from Ní Bhuircéal, but McCrossan replied with a brilliant long-range free from 65 metres.

McLoughlin was again on target on 12 minutes with a fine effort from play, and just moments later, Westmeath nearly had a fourth goal: substitute Ciara Corcoran supplied the telling pass for O’Malley, whose low strike was kept out by Donovan’s foot. Still, the pressure continued, and McCrossan slotted over the resulting '45 to stretch the Lake County’s advantage.

McLoughlin made it 3-16 to 0-5 with another well-taken point, having showed real strength on the ball, before Ní Bhuircéal added a sixth Kildare score from a free on 17 minutes. Core was again on target two minutes later, her shot almost sneaking into the net after Donovan got a hand to it. Ní Bhuircéal added two more frees in quick succession, either side of the 20-minute mark, bringing her personal tally to 0-8.

Kildare substitute Liana Glynn struck a nice point on 25 minutes, but Westmeath finished strongly. Core clipped over a point in the 27th minute and added another in the 30th. There was still time for McCrossan to add two more frees in added time, bringing her tally to 0-10 (all from placed balls) and sealing a dominant victory.

Westmeath’s blend of early ruthlessness and consistent scoring throughout left little doubt about the result and their overall performance was quite impressive. They showed the kind of bubbling potential there is in this team and they can look ahead to next year with a degree of confidence.

Scorers - Westmeath: H Core 2-6, C McCrossan 0-10 (9f; 1 ‘45’), J McLoughlin 1-4, A O’Malley 0-1.

Kildare: C Ní Bhuircéal 0-8 (7f), L Glynn 0-1.

Westmeath: Fiona Keating; Roisín Scally, Dearbhail McLoughlin, Emily McCabe; Katie Coleman, Claire Gaffney, Laura Doherty; Caoimhe McCrossan, Aoife O’Malley; Meadbh McLoughlin, Karen Keegan, Áine Newman; Olivia Kellaghan, Julie McLoughlin, Hannah Core.

Subs: Reanna Kennedy and Ciara Corcoran for O Kelleghan and K Keegan (35), Katie Penrose for K Coleman (44), Rebecca O’Neill for A Newman (48), Eva Cawley for L Doherty (50),

Kildare: Ellen Donovan; Aisling Connaughton, Caoimhe O’Sullivan, Sineád O’Brien; Niamh Krahn, Shauna Mulligan, Aoife Newman; Hannah Davis, Sadhbh Buckley; Louise Murphy, Meabh Maguire, Rebecca Duffy; Rianna Cribbin, Sarah Lavin, Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal

Subs: Saoirse Coffey for A Newman (37), Mae Donovan for A Connaughton (40), Liana Glynn for R Duffy (44).

Referee: John Burke (Galway).