Dillon’s first-half double helps Milltown retain title

LADIES GAA: The Village Barn Ladies Senior Football Championship final replay

Paul Hughes

Milltown’s big-game experience counted in bucketfuls in The Downs last Saturday, as they eclipsed their would-be dethroners St Loman’s – widely tipped to dominate ladies’ football in Westmeath in the coming years – in the highly anticipated replay of this year’s ladies’ SFC decider.

The Rathconrath side, celebrating their ninth title in 15 years under bainisteoir Tom Dillon, rode their luck with a brace of fortuitous goals from Sarah Dillon. But in fairness, they deserved their 2-7 to 2-4 lead at the short whistle, following a high-quality and fiercely competitive first half.

St Loman’s should have made inroads when Milltown midfielder Tracey Dillon was sin-binned for Milltown five minutes after the restart. However, much like their male counterparts in the previous weekend’s SFC final, the Blues were wasteful going forward and failed to make that ten minutes of numerical advantage count.

Milltown led by six with as many minutes to go and with their defence firing on all cylinders, St Loman’s were afforded little space and never looked likely to conjure a smash-and-grab victory late on. With only three points and seven wides to show for their second-half efforts, Ciaran Kilmurray’s troops could have no complaints.

The girls in green started the brightest possession wise but Sarah Dillon missed the target twice. Indeed, the Westmeath star kicked all six of Milltown’s wides but ultimately what she scored was more crucial than what she missed. At the other end, both Katie Kilmurray and Lucy McCartan also drew blanks for St Loman’s.

Dillon opened the scoring after latching on to a quick free from Laura Kiernan and with eight minutes gone, Rachel Dillon – a pivotal creative presence for Milltown throughout the game – teed up Sinéad Slevin to double that advantage.

With Milltown’s physicality notable in the drawn game, St Loman’s matched their opponents this time around, making for an intense opening ten minutes with plenty of close contact and ferocious pressing. Referee Vinny Cox allowed the game to flow, and the result was a pulsating first half.

With ten minutes gone, St Loman’s got a chance to take a quickfire lead when a superb field-long move saw McCartan pick out Katie Kilmurray down the left flank with a perfectly weighted pass. Kilmurray cut inside and drove a low shot at goal, but Milltown’s Sinéad Byrne was equal to it.

Milltown then took a three-point lead when St Loman’s were penalised for a breach of positional rules and Sarah Dillon tapped over the resultant free.

However, the Blues raced into the lead with four points in six minutes, and they largely had Caoimhe Kilmurray to thank for settling them into the game. She set up her cousin Katie for the opening St Loman’s score on 15 minutes before kicking two exquisite points of her own to level matters.

Jayne Charles then underlined the Blues’ new-found confidence with a fine point after scything her way past a couple of tackles but within a minute and a half, Milltown took the lead again thanks to Gráinne Byrne (a free) and Leanne Slevin (a fine score off her right).

That lead chopped and changed over the ensuing ten minutes with a flurry of goals. With 21 minutes on the clock, Shannon Breslin picked out Katie Kilmurray who, evading her marker with a trademark power dodge, drove a low left-footed shot to the Milltown net.

Back came Milltown a minute later when Sarah Dillon, going for a point, landed the ball in the net. Clodagh Dillon’s attempt to rush in and help the ball on its way with her outstretched fist undoubtedly distracted St Loman’s goalkeeper Annie Kilmurray, and there was more than a hint of a square ball. However, after consulting his umpires, referee Vinny Cox allowed the goal to stand.

Then, on 27 minutes, St Loman’s regained the advantage when a curled free from Katie Kilmurray fell kindly for Megan Dowdall, who rifled a powerful left-footed shot to the Milltown net. Caoimhe Kilmurray could have notched a third St Loman’s goal moments later but Milltown ‘keeper Sinéad Byrne’s heroics stopped her dipping effort from crossing the line.

There was further drama in stoppage time when Sarah Dillon, with a point on her mind, got enough dip on the kick to raise another green flag. Milltown now led a shellshocked St Loman’s 2-5 to 2-4.

There was still time for two further Milltown scores before the break, with Rachel Dillon (after a patient build-up) and Gráinne Byrne doing the honours.

St Loman’s needed to get out of the traps with some early scores but Caoimhe and Katie Kilmurray, Gráinne Cleary and Lucy McCartan had no luck, with the latter grazing the crossbar. Milltown extended their lead to four when Sarah Dillon teed up Leanne Slevin for her second score.

Milltown then suffered a blow on 35 minutes when midfielder Tracey Dillon was yellow-carded and sin-binned, giving St Loman’s a real chance to make up ground. However, the Rathconrath outfit showed little ill effects from their numerical quandary and while Dillon was benched, St Loman’s only scored once, courtesy of Katie Kilmurray (a curled effort on 45 minutes).

Meanwhile, Milltown defended furiously and continued to attack with vigour. They could have had a couple of goals; Rachel Dillon fisted over on 36 minutes with a goal arguably on, and four minutes later, St Loman’s breathed a sigh of relief when goalkeeper Annie Kilmurray stopped Sinéad Slevin en route to what looked like a certain three-pointer.

The girls in green got a real lift on 44 minutes when Sarah Dillon kicked a lovely score from play to put them six points ahead. When Katie Kilmurray then shot over for Loman’s, Tracey Dillon returned to the fray and Milltown were back to full strength. They later restored their six-point lead on 54 minutes courtesy of a Gráinne Byrne free.

While St Loman’s continued to misfire and suffered a couple of injuries, they were given some cause for optimism when sub Evie Kilmurray crafted a lovely score after jinking past Emma Ballesty with a neat dummy.

However, the Saints badly needed a goal that never looked like coming and after Katie Kilmurray kicked a free in stoppage time, they were still four adrift. From the subsequent attack, Sarah Dillon curled a terrific point off her right boot to ensure a deserved win for Milltown.

At full time, Westmeath LGFA chairperson Geraldine Giles presented the Jack Lyster Cup to Louise Kiernan, captain of Milltown, who now go on to represent the county in Leinster with an opening tie at home to Wicklow’s Tinahely.

Scorers - Milltown: S Dillon 2-4 (0-1f), G Byrne 0-3 (2f), R Dillon and L Slevin 0-2 each, S Slevin 0-1. St Loman’s, Mullingar: K Kilmurray 1-4 (0-1f), M Dowdall 1-0, C Kilmurray 0-2, Evie Kilmurray 0-1. Wides (first half in brackets): St Loman’s, Mullingar 11 (4), Milltown 6 (5).

Milltown: Sinéad Byrne; Emma Ballesty, Aoife Kenny, Gemma Keena; Henrietta Kiernan, Louise Kiernan (capt.), Rachel Dillon; Leanne Slevin, Tracey Dillon; Abbie Sheerin, Gráinne Byrne, Laura Kiernan; Clodagh Dillon, Sinéad Slevin, Sarah Dillon.

Subs used: Bronagh Beglan for S Slevin (42), Kelly Boyce Jordan for H Kiernan (48).

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Annie Kilmurray; Lara McCartan, Muireann Scally, Aoibhe Hogan; Ellen Kilmurray, Katie Dunne (capt.), Holly Dowdall; Caoimhe Kilmurray, Megan Dowdall; Shauna Traynor, Lucy McCartan, Jayne Charles; Gráinne Cleary, Shannon Breslin, Katie Kilmurray.

Subs used: Eleanor Corcoran for Traynor (h-t), Evie Kilmurray for Breslin (37), Aileen Martin for Hogan (inj., 51), Keelie Mulderry for Scally (inj., 53), Paige Matthews for Cleary (60+1).

Referee: Vinny Cox (Rosemount).

Examiner’s Eye on the Game

Player of the match

Rachel Dillon (Milltown). A huge presence in the drawn final for Milltown, Dillon was on top form again last Saturday with a powerful display down the left flank, creating chances and getting herself into scoring positions, finishing with two points. Leanne Slevin and Sarah Dillon were also immense for the winners, while wing back Henrietta Kiernan and their relentless full back line warrant special mention. Meanwhile, Caoimhe, Ellen and Katie Kilmurray, Megan Dowdall and Lucy McCartan were best for St Loman’s.

Key moment

Sarah Dillon’s fortuitous second goal for Milltown was the ideal response to the second St Loman’s goal moments before it and it swung the momentum the way of the Rathconrath side, who tacked on another couple of scores before the break.

Where next

Milltown know all about Wicklow kingpins Tinahely and will renew acquaintances with them in a home draw for the opening round of this year’s Leinster Ladies’ Club SFC.

Ideal venue

With the drawn final having taken place in TEG Cusack Park, the well-appointed Kevin Molloy Park at The Downs proved an ideal place to host the replay. The venue looked wonderful on sunny Saturday afternoon and the playing surface was in perfect order.

MATCH REACTION

Milltown bainisteoir Tom Dillon heaped praise on his charges’ unshakeable will to win as they overcame a fancied St Loman’s, Mullingar side to retain the Jack Lyster Cup in The Downs last Saturday.

“Today is our ninth win, having missed two finals in the last 14 years,” Dillon said. “All during the year we were probably playing our best until we played The Downs [in the recent semi-final], who could have beaten us that day. They had several chances, but the will our women had to keep going and try to win was there.

“We played St Loman’s earlier in the year and were beaten by 10 or 11 points, while down three or four of our main starters. We didn’t complain; we just got on with the job. We got to the final, and the first day in Cusack Park was the best game of football we have played. Either team could have won it.

“It’s all about the women now. The commitment, effort, determination, and desire to keep winning with the Milltown ladies is second to none.”

Milltown did well to keep St Loman’s down to three points in the second half but the winning of the game was arguably in a hugely entertaining first half, at the end of which Milltown led by three.

“It was absolutely outstanding. My motto is to get the ball from one end of the goals to the other as quickly as we’re able, which you can see in their kick-passing and running off the shoulder,” he said.

“These women are a fantastic bunch. I think you’re looking at what is, at the minute, the best ladies team ever in the history of Westmeath GAA, based on what they have achieved. We have women with 11 senior medals, and many with nine or 10. Henrietta Kiernan got her first senior medal today and played fierce well. Our underage has won nothing in years, but it’s hard to stop them once they get going here.

“Today marks 124 sessions for the Milltown ladies, though I know St Loman’s have done the same amount of training. St Loman’s had five or six wides, while our scores kept tipping over the bar, which is another motto of mine: keep tipping the ball over the bar.

“I thought in the last ten minutes, if Loman’s had kept kicking over the bar instead of going for goals and taking short frees, the result might have been different.”

Dillon was happy with how his charges responded when temporarily reduced to 14 players after midfielder Tracey Dillon (Tom’s daughter) was sin-binned early in the second half.

“If one of our ladies gets a yellow card, we plan to do our best to keep the scores out for those ten minutes, and we worked it out well enough today,” Dillon continued.

“Fair play to St Loman’s; they beat us by 11 points earlier on in the year, but we had a chat after that, training went fierce well, and we got the bit between our teeth.

“In the drawn final, Lucy McCartan had a kick at the end of time to win it for them, and ‘Scut’ [Sarah Dillon] had a goal chance saved by their goalie. Today was a great open game of ball too. No matter what they’re asked to do, our women don’t hesitate and just get on with the job.”

It’s on to the Leinster club championship for Milltown now, and Dillon and his troops will be hoping to make inroads there in 2026.

“I hear it’s a home game in Milltown against Tinahely,” he said. “We went to Tinahely last year and were beaten by a point or two, but we beat them the year before that at home. We’ll see what will happen next.”