Catriona Egan (Westmeath) clears her back line, closely marked by Cavan's Nora Moore in the Minor C All Ireland Camogie Championship held at Oliver Plunkett's grounds, Mullingar.

Ruthless Westmeath roll over gallant Cavan

Published: Thu 28 Jul 2011, 6:30 PM

The young ladies of Westmeath camogie taught their near neighbours a severe lesson in finishing as they completely tore the Breffni girls apart with a clinical display that belied their tender years.Catriona Murtagh and Louise O'Connor were the chief architects of this destruction scoring everything between them but there were some superb displays from all corners of the field with an all round Westmeath display that was a joy to behold.The only downside were injuries to Avril Corbett and centre back Saoirse O'Neill which looked pretty serious but that should not take away from the contribution the girls made to the team cause and hopefully the news will be good as the girls try to bring a national title to the Lake County.Ironically it was Cavan that got the better start and they opened the scoring with a point from Sinead McKenna but Louise O'Connor wasted no time in levelling matters and after some good work by Catriona Murtagh she put Westmeath ahead with a superb score.Murtagh was to get on the score board herself when her goal effort came back off the post but she was on hand to finish to the net with her fist and now Westmeath were up and running.Eimear Brady pulled one back for Cavan but two wonderful points from Murtagh strengthened the Westmeath grip on the game and then O'Connor slid a pin point ball across the 21 yard line and Murtagh grabbed, turned and smashed the ball to the back of the net for a superbly executed goal that had the Westmeath supported in raptures.Cavan pulled a point back from the impressive McKenna but a resolute defence led brilliantly by Aisling Boyhan and Ciara Corcoran were in no mood to concede any more than that and at the break it was 2-4 to 0-3 in the lake counties favour and good value they were for it.If Westmeath were slow to start in the first half then they were the complete opposite in the second as after barely 30 seconds catriona Murtagh finished a flowing Westmeath move to the net for goal number three and it seemed to tear the heart out of Cavan but Shannon O'Reilly stemmed the flow with a nice point for the Breffni girls but Louise O'Connor was in no mood for charity and she crashed in goal number four with a sublime finish from a very narrow angle.Cavan then hit their purple patch and a long range free from Claire Fitzpatrick somehow managed to creep into the net past Sarah Jackson and the same player added another point moments later but O'Connor nullified that with a pointed free and then a long range effort that somehow managed to end up in the net.Avril Corbett then received a very hefty challenge and had to leave the field with what looked like a serious shoulder injury and it set Westmeath back temporarily. Points from Eimear Brady and Claire Fitzpatrick punished Westmeath at this stage but another long range free from O'Connor hit the back of the net followed by a point from the same player as Westmeath regained control and finished the game as a contest and the icing on the cake came when O'Connor pounced on some poor Cavan defending for her fourth and Westmeath's seventh goal and she finished the game with a free that marked her out as the Player of the Game and saw Westmeath sail home with plenty to spare.Scorers:Westmeath: Louise O'Connor 4-5, 3 frees, Catriona Murtagh 3-2.Cavan: Claire Fitzpatrick 1-2, Sinead McKenna and Eimear Brady 0-2 each, Shannon O'Reilly 0-1Westmeath:Sarah Jackson, Donna Egan, Aisling Boyhan, Catriona Egan, Ciara Corcoran, Saoirse O'Neill, Roisin Scally, Ashley Hill, Avril Corbett, Ellen Taite, Louise O'Connor, Niamh Lynch, Tammy Cummins, Catriona Murtagh, Michelle Buckley. Subs: Orla Lynch for Cummins H/T, Amy Moffatt for Corbett (inj) 45 mins, Ruth Sheridan for O'Neill (inj) 48 mins.Cavan:Darina Fitzpatrick, Catriona Lynch, Nora Moore, Rebecca Dunne, Katie Smith, Nicola Collins, Mary Moore, Claire Fitzpatrick, Grainne Power, Tina O'Reilly, Breda Keaney, Sinead McKenna, Shannon O'Reilly, Arlene Brady, Eimear Brady. Subs: Ellen Murphy for Arlene Brady 24 mins, Shannon Hill for Moore H/T, Tara Fitzpatrick for Keaney 48 mins, Eimear Cartwright for Power 57 mins, Eilish Reilly for Mary Moore 61 mins.Referee:Rosemary Hughes-Merry, Monaghan.