Breffni Park the venue for Lake County’s All-Ireland semi-final
Westmeath will travel to Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan, for their TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-final against Roscommon on Saturday, July 12, with throw-in fixed for 4pm.
The neutral venue sets the stage for what promises to be a fascinating derby between neighbouring counties, with a place in the All-Ireland final at stake.
Frank Browne's Westmeath side booked their place in the last four with a deserved 3-12 to 3-7 victory over Wexford at TEG Cusack Park, avenging their opponents once again after last month's Leinster Intermediate final. Katie Kilmurray, Anna Jones and Aoife Keegan all found the net as Westmeath produced a strong second-half display to pull clear.
Roscommon, meanwhile, secured their semi-final berth by defeating Leitrim 2-12 to 2-8 in Carrick-on-Shannon. Goals from Caoimhe Lennon and Laura Fleming laid the platform before they withstood a determined Leitrim comeback to seal victory.
Westmeath manager Frank Browne knows the challenge awaiting his side and expects a stern examination from Roscommon, who are managed by the experienced Finbar Egan.
"I saw Roscommon in the flesh two weeks ago beating Down. From what I gather, they had a good win over Leitrim today," Browne said after Sunday's victory over Wexford.
"Finbar has four All-Ireland medals under his belt now, so he will be wily. He’ll have his homework and his prep done. It won’t be easy and they’ll be hoping to catch us in the long grass. But I’m wily enough myself!"
Egan is well known in Westmeath GAA circles, having previously managed both Maryland and Athlone men's teams, adding another intriguing subplot to the semi-final.
Westmeath will also be hoping influential midfielder Vicky Carr can recover from the injury she sustained against Wexford in time for the trip to Cavan.
The winners in Breffni Park will advance to the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate final, where either Fermanagh or Down will provide the opposition after they emerged from the other side of the draw.