Royal camogs fall short to neighbours

Stephen Sheil's Meath were knocked out of the Leinster Intermediate Camogie championship by Westmeath on Saturday.

Westmeath 1-10

Meath 0-11

Meath’s failure to create enough scoreable opportunities ultimately cost them as they fell short against Westmeath in the Leinster Camogie Intermediate semi-final on Saturday in Cusack Park.

Possession-wise, the Royals were well on top of their opponents for three quarters of the contest but from the 15th minute onwards, they only managed to register four points and they failed to score from play in the second-half.

Meath were very strong in the first quarter and apart from conceding a soft goal in the 9th minute, the Royals were well on top. That goal kept Westmeath in touch and at the break despite largely dominating proceedings Meath only led by two points .

Between the 36th minute and the 51st minute, the home side scored five points on the spin. Westmeath closed out the game well by keeping the scoreboard ticking over. All that Meath were able to muster in the closing stages were a brace of frees from Roisin Heaney.

Heaney was very accurate on frees throughout and she also chipped in with a lovely couple of points from play early on. Barring a few costly slip-ups, Meath were quite strong defensively, which was largely down to the fantastic efforts of Sophia Payne and Abbye Donnelly.

It was Westmeath who drew first blood through an early Amelia Shaw point. That score did not dent Meath’s and in particular, Heaney’s confidence as the Clann na nGael woman notched three points in the space of three minutes, including two cracking scores from play.

Isabel O’Connor did well to get the ball away to Ellen Burke who was fouled on the edge of the large arc. Heaney’s resulting free hit the post but fell the right side of it as Meath opened up a three-point gap after seven minutes.

Caoimhe McCrossen settled the ship for Westmeath before a Shelia McGrath shot fell short and into the hand of Maggie Randle. However, Randle’s attempt to clear her lines was blocked down by Megan Dowdell and the sliotar trickled into the Meath net.

Burke responded for the Royals before a fantastic move which included a lovely long-ball from Ella O’Brien handed Ciara Foley an opportunity for a goal, but the Killyon woman’s effort came rattling back off the crossbar.

Heaney then brought her own tally to five and Meath’s to six points before O’Brien set up O’Connor for a nice score. After 15 minutes, Meath led 0-7 to 1-2.

McCrossen doubled her tally when she played a lovely 1-2 with Dowdall and split the posts to pull one back for Westmeath. In the 22nd minute, McGrath was fouled inside the large Meath rectangle but Randle made up for her earlier mistake when she pulled off a wonderful save from the penalty taken by Dowdall.

On the cusp of half-time, Foley took aim at the Westmeath net but her effort was just a tad high and at the interval Meath led 0-8 to 1-3.

Heaney picked up where she left off after the restart and increased Meath’s advantage to three points. Westmeath then seized momentum and evaporated the Royals’ lead when a brace of Dowdall frees was followed up by a nice score from Shaw.

A long-range shot from Aoife Carey fell short and Grace Coleman almost captalised but her effort on goal just flashed wide. Shaw edged Westmeath ahead in the 50th minute before McGrath made it 1-8 to 0-9 in favour of the home side.

Heaney reduced the gap back to the minimum but crucially Westmeath responded with another Dowdall free and another Shaw point which put the women in maroon three points clear as the contest entered injury time.

Heaney’s eighth point brought Meath back to within two as the Royals went in search of a goal. In the 65th minute, on her return to the Meath senior camogie set-up, substitute Aoife Minogue was cynically fouled deep in Westmeath territory.

Heaney went short with the free to Burke who picked out Coleman with a pass but Coleman’s shot on goal was blocked down. Minogue then tried to scramble the ball into the net but failed and shortly after the final whistle brought an end to Meath’s short campaign in the Leinster Intermediate Camogie championship.

Westmeath - Fiona Keating; Katie Coleman, Dearbhail McLoughlin, Emily McCabe; Maria Kelly, Julie McLoughlin, Laura Doherty; Aoife O’Malley, Erin Core; Ella Reilly, Caoimhe McCrossan (0-2), Amelia Shaw (0-4); Shelia McGrath (0-1), Ashley Ruane, Megan Dowdall (1-3 three frees). Subs - Aisling Doyle for Ella Reilly, Karen Keegan for McCabe both half-time, Aine Newman Delvin for Ruane 54m.

Meath - Maggie Randle; Sophia Payne, Maeve Clince, Rachel Moran; Leah Devine, Abbye Donnelly, Rachel O’Neill; Grace Connolly, Ellen Burke (0-1); Olivia O’Halloran, Grace Connolly (0-1), Roisin Heaney(0-8 six frees); Emma Regan, Ciara Foley (0-1), Ella O’Brien. Subs - Aoife Carey for Connolly half-time, Grace Coleman for Foley, Aoife Minogue for O’Halloran both 44m, Katie Connolly for O’Brien 54m.

Referee: Simon Redmond (Dublin).