Finnegan lauds fighting spirit
Another day, another whirlwind tie for Sean Finnegan and his Westmeath side that certainly had to display true grit before emerging victorious over a battling Clare side in Tuam on Sunday (see pages 64/65).
Elated and relieved in equal measure, Westmeath’s manager could have done with a lie down afterwards, such was the seesaw pattern and subsequent tension of a grandstand finale.
“I’m delighted. I mean games are for winning and it wasn’t pretty at times but we dug in and we’ve had to dig in for a few games this year. The effort and the work-rate that these girls are putting in is phenomenal. Even when things are going against them, they keep at it so I’m so proud of them,” he stated.
“We were under the cosh in the last few minutes but we kicked on and got two great points from frees and that was the ultimate difference. There was nothing between those teams out there. I mean Clare are a good team so we’re just delighted to get to the next round. It’s not easy because every team is so well prepared and it’s tough going out there.”
For Westmeath, the only downside from Sunday’s clash was an injury sustained by Rachel Dillon that saw an ambulance have to stretcher the wing-back off the field midway through the second half.
“I don’t know how serious it is, she’s gone into the dressing room, but Rachel is a massive player for us so it would be devastating if it’s a bad injury.”
There is little time for the treatment table, however, as Kildare await in the All-Ireland semi-final next Sunday, something that Finnegan, who has been manager since 2019, takes in his stride.
“I’m not so sure if it’s good for the heart as we’re being involved in a few games now that have been nip and tuck but momentum is crucial. And while we’ve had one more extra game due to being in the group of four, when you’re winning, there’s no such thing as tiredness," said Finnegan.
“It’s game-on-game all the time and that’s where we want to be. Everyone will be looking forward to coming back training on Wednesday night and we’ll just prepare for next weekend’s game and see what happens,” he added.