Gruelling opener for Westmeath as Mayo run riot in Bekan

Lidl Ladies’ NFL Division 1A: Mayo 7-22, Westmeath 1-12

It was never going to be easy, and it proved to be anything but at the NUIG/Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence Air Dome in Bekan last night, as Michael Finneran’s new-look Westmeath ladies side suffered a 28-point defeat in their league opener against Mayo.

To underline the gulf between the sides, the Westerners generated 3-7 in scores from their substitutes alone. Westmeath, meanwhile, were heavily reliant on frees from Mullingar Shamrocks’ Anna Jones (1-7) for their scoring output.

Jones slotted home a penalty in the opening phase to give Westmeath an early 1-1 to 1-0 lead, but it was all one-way traffic from there, with goals from Mayo’s Shauna Howley, Maria Reilly and Sinéad Cafferkey giving them a 4-11 to 1-5 lead at half-time.

The Mayo goals kept coming in the second half, as strikes from subs Sinéad Walsh, Laura Moran and Ava Keane made it a rout, while Jones kept Westmeath ticking over on the scoreboard as they battled on gallantly.

Westmeath, who face Donegal at home next Sunday in their second outing, had in their ranks just eight of the 20 players used against Wexford in the All-Ireland Ladies’ IFC final last September.

Westmeath side v Mayo: Aoife Temple; Melek Fagan, Lucy Power, Amy Alford; Ciara Blundell (0-1), Fiona Coyle, Chloe Kelly; Ashley Ruane (0-2), Tracey Dillon; Anna Jones (1-7 – 1-0 pen, 0-7f), Lucy McCartan, Kelly Boyce Jordan (0-1); Sarah Dillon (0-1), Karen Hegarty, Shannon Lyons. Subs used: Clara Thornton for Lyons (30), Áine Gaynor for Hegarty (41), Kiara Giles for Boyce Jordan (47), Aoife O’Malley for Coyle (53), Shannon Mulvhill for S Dillon (54), K Geoghegan for Fagan (55).