Dowdall fires Westmeath to vital victory

Westmeath 1-16 Wexford 2-8

Westmeath made short work of the Wexford second-string after the long journey to the Buffers Alley grounds as Pádraic Connaughton’s charges nailed the second round spoils in Saturday’s sun-kissed Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship Group 1 clash.

The newly crowned Division 2A league champions, after a battling finish against Cork a week earlier, cut Wexford to shreds across the opening thirty minutes to surge clear by 1-11 to 0-2 at half-time.

Westmeath found themselves on the back-foot for much of the remainder, but battling Wexford couldn’t get within any closer than five points at the finish as the maroons, with full-forward Megan Dowdall striking a sweet 1-10 (0-8 frees), gave their qualification hopes a positive injection.

And with only Cork on maximum points after the first two sets of fixtures, there is still a lot to play for to land one of the three tickets to the knockout stages, with Westmeath now setting their sights on a trip to Galway on Saturday, June 22. They conclude the group stages with back-to-back home games, against last year’s All-Ireland Premier Junior champions Clare (June 29) and recent senior outfit Offaly (July 6).

Westmeath lost corner-back Emily McCabe to a hamstring twinge in the warm-up in Wexford, with Aisling Egerton being drafted in, and Egerton and her defensive colleagues dealt decisively with much of what Wexford threw at them during the first-half.

Having the benefit of the wind did Westmeath no harm, but it wasn’t really key to them generating an increasingly comfortable margin.

Instead it was Westmeath’s ability to seize upon Wexford errors and, in most instances, punish those mistakes, including dominating the home puck-out.

Westmeath eased out of the blocks to lead 0-3 to no-score inside five minutes, with Megan Dowdall converting a free forced by Meadbh McLoughlin before Dowdall whipped over a classy score from the extreme left, and Hannah Core also chipped in.

Dowdall (free) then negated Wexford’s first score – the locals on target from play after six minutes – and after a ten minute barren streak, Westmeath really caught fire between the 19th and 23rd minutes when hitting 1-4 without reply to lead by 1-8 to 0-1.

They began to turn-over the Wexford puck-out at their ease – Westmeath’s midfield and half-forwards really imposing themselves – as Sheila McGrath was gifted a point before Megan Dowdall fielded a long delivery on the edge of the square, outwitted her marker and crashed to the net on twenty minutes.

Core and Dowdall (two) pushed the lead out to ten points before Westmeath had a couple of let offs at the other end – a Wexford point shot dipping dangerously and crashing off the crossbar moments before a Wexford corner-forward was shepherded into crashing her drive on goal into the side-netting.

Two more frees from Dowdall sandwiched by a converted Wexford free kept the scoreboard ticking over for Westmeath, before sub Amelia Shaw intercepted a puck-out and immediately fed Sheila McGrath, whose low drive forced a smart save in added-time. Aoife O’Malley pushed the gap out to 1-11 to 0-2 at the change-over.

Wexford, the 2021 All-Ireland Premier Junior champions, shook themselves after an immensely disappointing first-half, and they went close with a few efforts while Caoimhe Byrne and sub Sarah Doyle (free) got it down to 1-11 to 0-4 after five minutes.

Westmeath were able to lift the siege at important intervals to maintain a safe distance, and, indeed, two more Dowdall frees made it 1-13 to 0-4 after 38 minutes.

Wexford were nothing but ambitious though, and Sarah Doyle pegged back a point before goaling direct from a close-range free on 41 minutes, while Doyle was denied from another placed-ball seconds later.

Sub Ava Balfe hit back on 44 minutes, before Wexford were given further hope when closing to within six points after 48 minutes when full-forward Emer Hunt deftly finished a long Clodagh Fitzhenry delivery to the net (1-12 to 2-5).

In truth, Westmeath were hardly shaking in their boots as there was a nice cushion between the sides, and after an exchange of points – Holly Dowdall and Hunt trading – Amelia Shaw forced a save before Holly Dowdall was unfortunate from the follow-up.

Megan Dowdall’s eighth free put seven points between the sides on 57 minutes (1-16 to 2-6), before Westmeath absorbed a couple of late Wexford pointed frees, as the visitors emerged with good reason to head into the Galway game with confidence. However, they will know they cannot be as marginalised as they were in the second-half here.

Player of the match: Megan Dowdall (Westmeath)

Westmeath: Anna Weir; Aisling Egerton, Julie McLoughlin (capt), Laura Doherty; Maria Kelly, Muireann Scally, Áine Newman; Aoife O’Malley (0-1), Caoimhe McCrossan; Meadbh McLoughlin, Meadbh Scally, Sheila McGrath (0-1); Hannah Core (0-2), Megan Dowdall (1-10, 0-8 frees), Holly Dowdall (0-1). Subs: Amelia Shaw for Meadbh Scally (29), Ava Balfe (0-1) for McCrossan (34), Catríona Egan for McGrath (53), Ellen Shaw for H Dowdall (55), Erin Core for H Core (57).

Wexford: Lizzie Dempsey; Lorna Fortune, Amy Cahill, Kellyanne Dempsey; Grace Roche, Marie Claire Morrissey, Muireann Fitzpatrick (capt); Clodagh Fitzhenry (0-4, 3 frees), Leah Furlong; Orla Redmond, Caoimhe Byrne (0-1), Lettie Whelan; Emma Codd, Emer Hunt (1-1), Lisa Firman. Subs: Sarah Doyle (1-2, 1-1 frees) for Redmond (32), Aoife McCrea for Byrne (39), Sinead Furlong for Roche, inj. (47), Sadhbh Buttle for Firman (48), Ciara O’Connor for Furlong (52).

Referee: Max Molloy (Wicklow).