All-Ireland Final Place At Stake For Westmeath

Friday, 21 July 2023 at 12:53

Photo Credit: Facebook/Westmeath Camogie

Diarmuid Cahill's side face Meath this weekend for a place in the decider.

There is more than bragging rights at stake but it being a local derby certainly adds a tasty ingredient to an already sumptuous mix.

It pits the 2017 winners of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship with the 2019 champions and while there are a number of survivors, both units have been overhauled in the interim.

Senior fare was difficult for them and neither county remained in the top echelons long but they have undergone a fruitful rebuilding process.

Meath have appeared in the concluding stages a few times without reaching a final and went very close to toppling subsequent champions Galway in last year’s semi-final.

Meanwhile this year has seen Westmeath take significant strides once more.

After Meath lost the Division 2A Very League final by a point to Kerry, these two were drawn in Group 3 of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship and had assured themselves of qualification when clashing in the last round at Raharney on June 24.

While the Royals had prevailed in their League encounter, on this occasion, it was the home team that was victorious and in some style, by 4-11 to 2-7, Hannah Core pouncing for a hat-trick of goals.

Muireann Scally, Megan Dowdall, Denise McGrath and Karen Gaffney are major leaders for the Lake County contingent but with Aoife Minogue, Elaine Burke, Amy Gaffney and Claire Coffey in their ranks, Meath are not wanting in that category either.

They illustrated as much with a hugely impressive victory over last year’s runners-up Cork in the quarter-final.

In rubber-stamping a two-goal triumph, Meath only conceded four points in the second half, displaying defensive resolve as well as an obvious attacking threat led by Minogue, who scored 1-5.

Westmeath will know that the previous outing will count for little.

With a place in the All-Ireland final up for grabs, this is a game that will take on a life of its own with the result likely to be in doubt right up to the closing minutes.

Speaking to Liam White, Westmeath joint captain Fiona Keating says her side feel ready ahead of tomorrow: