Cavan clash to decide Westmeath ladies’ fate after Down defeat

TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship – Group 1

Down 1-9 Westmeath 0-10

By Elaine Ingram

It was a hard-fought battle in Páirc Esler on Sunday, but Down came out the right end of the two-point margin to top the group, leaving Westmeath in a do-or-die fight for survival in the final group fixture against Cavan next Sunday (TEG Cusack Park, 2pm).

A second half goal cost Frank Browne’s side in the end, after they recovered from a slow start to go into the changing rooms level at the break and remain neck-and-neck in the second period.

Down went four in front with that goal on 54 minutes and Westmeath just couldn’t recover.

“I just thought we had a poor start,” said manager Frank Browne after the game.

“It took us 10 minutes to come to the pace of the game but then we settled in really well for the next 20 minutes of the first half. I suppose when we look back now, 10 minutes after the game, I feel maybe there was a period for 10 minutes in the middle of the second half where we made a couple of mistakes. The final pass just didn’t go to hand and in a tight game like that it’s always going to be the first team that scores a goal is going to be the winner and that was Down today. We were resilient and fought back but resilience and fighting back is not worth a damn if you don’t win the game and we didn’t win the game so now it comes to pure knockout next week against Cavan in Mullingar.”

One positive to take from the game was Westmeath’s defence was strong for the most part with a few more goal chances for Down scuppered.

“I suppose the general feeling we had at half-time too was that they had enough chances to, I wouldn’t say put us out of sight, but to put us under a lot more pressure than they did. I think we responded to that really well. I think we attacked, we broke at speed, we did a lot of really good things. We defended valiantly.”

Down got off to a flying start with Laoise Duffy scoring the opening point in the first minute having hit a wide moments earlier.

Natasha Ferris, who was a late change to the programme, made it two points to the home side. Duffy scored her second immediately after that before Sarah Dillon got the board moving for Westmeath in the seventh minute with a well-worked point.

Ferris replied to make it 0-4 to 0-1 and Sarah Dougherty almost had the ball in the net in the ninth minute but the Westmeath defence stood up well. The visitors then began to settle into the game and the scores started to come, firstly from a free converted by Leanne Slevin and after Ferris cancelled that out with a point from play, a good team move between Karen Hegarty, Fiona Coyle and Sarah Dillon ended with the latter sending the ball between the sticks.

With Down on the attack again from the kick-out, King tried to cut inside in reply but some super defending by Lara McCartan forced a ‘45 which was played short and mopped up by the Westmeath defence. By 19 minutes, the game was all-square at 0-5 apiece following points from Sarah Dillon and another Slevin free.

Browne’s side went in front for the first time with another terrific point from Sarah Dillon. After the excellent Rachel Dillon denied Dougherty another shot at goal with some more brilliant defending, this time the resulting ‘45 found Niamh King, who sent the ball over the bar.

Down almost had the ball in the net on the half-hour mark with Ferris one-on-one with goalkeeper Lauren McCormack directly in front of goal but the Bryansford player kicked straight at the Mullingar Shamrocks netminder who stood her ground well.

There was nothing to choose between the teams as half-time approached and that was reflected on the scoreboard at the break, with points from Ferris and Méadbh Monaghan keeping the sides level at 0-7 each when the short whistle blew.

Down went on the attack straight from throw-in but again the Westmeath defence were superb denying both Dougherty and then Vivienne McCormack shots on goal and in the fourth minute Ashley Ruane pointed to nudge Westmeath in front for the second time in the game.

After an injury delay, Ferris replied to square proceedings once more and King scored from a free to give Down the edge once more.

With 19 minutes of the half played, Down put daylight between the teams when Laoise Duffy managed to weave her way behind the Westmeath back line and stuck the ball in the net to make it 1-9 to 0-8. That proved to be the decisive score in the game. Westmeath responded with a brace from Sarah Dillon to trail by by two (1-9 to 0-10), but that was as good as it got.

A mighty battle for possession followed in the last five minutes with the ball won and lost in midfield numerous times by both sides.

Westmeath had one last chance of note with sub Vicky Carr breaking forward at speed with ball in hand, but she ran into traffic and out of space as Down held on until the final whistle blew.

“The big thing now is we have seven days to get ready for the next game,” said Browne. “We have no choice. As the guy said in the movie, ‘we either heal now as a team or die as individuals’. Our character is being tested and the resilience of this bunch of people is exemplary and we just push on from that now.”

Down: Amy McGivern; Aimee Greene, Ciara Byrne, Erin Sands; Clara Mulvenna, Natalie McKibben, Orla Duffy; Meghan Doherty, Natasha Ferris (0-4); Niamh Scullion, Niamh King (0-2, 1f), Laoise Duffy (1-2); Niamh McClory (0-1), Sarah Dougherty, Vivienne McCormack. Subs: Aoife Lavery for McClory (45 mins), Alice McAlea for Greene (57), Aimee O’Higgins for King (58), Niamh McGrath for McCormack (68).

Westmeath: Lauren McCormack; Lara McCartan, Mairead Newman, Lucy Power; Chloe Kelly, Fiona Coyle, Rachel Dillon; Caoimhe Kilmurray, Tracey Dillon; Ashley Ruane (0-1), Leanne Slevin (0-2, 2f), Anna Jones; Méadbh Monaghan (0-1), Sarah Dillon (0-6), Karen Hegarty. Subs: Vicky Carr for Hegarty (44 mins), Lucy McCartan for Monaghan (51), Philippa Ruane for A Ruane (57).

Referee: Philip Conway (Armagh).