Meath goals sink Westmeath in camogie clash

Camogie: Leinster Under-16 'B' Championship

Meath 8-7 Westmeath 3-11

Paul Doolin

The rivalry between neighbouring counties Westmeath and Meath continued unabated in camogie at a bitterly cold Joristown last Sunday afternoon, as the Royals came away victorious by 11 points in a pulsating encounter

It may have been 15 scores to 14, but the Royals were just better able to convert their chances into major scores, and as they say, goals win games. If ever there was an epitome of that saying, then this game was it. Overall, Meath held sway for the most part.

Westmeath battled gamely and showed tremendous courage throughout, with a never-say-die spirit that they should be commended for. But Meath were clinical and had the better bench too, with substitute Síofra Deegan chipping in with a hat-trick of second-half goals.

Westmeath opened the scoring with a Niamh Keogh free, but Meath settled the better and full-forward Izzy Kinsella scored 1-2 in three minutes, before Lauren Woods added a second goal for the Royals.

Keogh replied with two frees for the Lake County, but just when they looked to have settled Kinsella added her second and Meath’s third goal, and when Ciara Flanagan added a fourth moments later, one feared the worst for the home side.

However, they rallied bravely and Niamh Keogh got their first from play with a super strike, before Reanna Kennedy added another to narrow the gap.

But the best player of the half, Meath’s Orlaith Reilly, pointed the last score of the first moiety to see Meath leading at the break by 4-3 to 0-5.

The Royals continued where they left off on the resumption, with points from Anna Kane and Emma Gilhooly, while Ciara Flanagan netted a fifth goal after Kinsella was denied by a brilliant save from Westmeath goalie Rachelle L’Estrange.

It looked like damage limitation now, but again the Westmeath ladies showed incredible resilience. After two Keogh frees, Reanna Kennedy struck for their first goal with a beauty followed by a repeat dose 50 seconds later.

Suddenly, the gap was down to seven, but Meath sub Síofra Deegan negated that seconds later with a marvellous goal.

Again, the Lake ladies took up the gauntlet and Kate Whyte found the net from long range as the game ebbed and flowed, but a seventh Meath goal followed via sub Deegan, and then an eighth by the same player five minutes later to settle the affair, if it was ever in doubt.

Kinsella and Deegan added points to rubber-stamp that superiority, but Westmeath finished with a wet sail and superb points from Keogh and Kennedy (two each) brought some respectability to the scoreline, although there was no denying who the better team was on this occasion.

Scorers – Meath: S Deegan 3-1, I Kinsella 2-3, C Flanagan 2-0, L Woods 1-0, A Kane, E Gilhooly and O Reilly 0-1 each. Westmeath: R Kennedy 2-3, N Keogh 0-7 (5f), K Whyte 1-1.

Meath: Gráinne Ní Laoire; Sinead Cooke, Isabella Mahon, Rebecca Coen; Anna Keogh, Beibhinn Murphy, Amanda Feeney; Anna Kane, Bláthnaid Hughes; Emma Gilhooly, Orlaith Reilly, Caoimhe Keyes; Ciara Flanagan, Izzy Kinsella, Lauren Woods. Subs used: Ava Fox, Neasa McDermott, Síofra Deegan, Eve Thornton, Orlaith Ryan.

Westmeath: Rachelle L’Estrange; Rebecca O’Neill, Kayla Carey Weir, Neala Weir Hall; Caoimhe McGee, Caoimhe McCormack, Michelle Doyle; Reanna Kennedy, Sian Weir Hall; Kate Whyte, Niamh Keogh, Orlaith Winters; Áine McKenna, Abbie Reihill, Aisling Browne. Subs used: Catherine Fallon, Milan Kristina.

Referee: John McDonnell (Offaly).