Westmeath fight back to earn a draw against Kerry in low-scoring affair

Kerry 0-9 Westmeath 1-6

By Murt Murphy

Westmeath's senior camogie side looked as if they might collect maximum points in the second half of their Division 2A encounter with Kerry at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney last Saturday, but the Kerry girls dug deep and in the end a draw was possibly the fairest outcome.

Westmeath manager Diarmuid Cahill, who only took over in April last year after a vacancy arose, was thrown in at the deep end in the championship but the Lake County finished a respectable fourth place in their group and beat Kerry 2-6 to 0-7 in Lixnaw thanks to two Denise McGrath goals. He will be relieved not to have lost this opening tie, but will be looking for a much better scoring return when they take on Derry in Mullingar next weekend.

For Kerry, it's a satisfactory start to Pat Ryan’s new management team as Kerry collected a valuable point at home in the Fitzgerald Stadium.

Kerry were apprehensive about this Division 2A opener as they had only met their new boss Pat Ryan on 20 January and had one session on grass with goalposts, so it might explain their rustiness in the opening half. Westmeath were very solid at the back with Julie McLoughlin, Dearbhaill McLoughlin and captain Muireann Scally denying the Kerry attack any goal scoring opportunities with pressure defence. However, it was from midfield up that Westmeath struggled with the notable exception of the classy Megan Dowdall, who had a tremendous tussle with the Kerry skipper and fullback Sara Murphy.

But similar to what was happening at the other end, the Kerry defence was also on top and the visitors struggled to get a clean strike at the posts. Patrice Diggin as always was Kerry’s stand out player but she missed frees that she would normally convert, but the wind was strong and swirling.

It was fitting that it was Patrice Diggin who scored the opening point in Kerry’s first game at the Fitzgerald Stadium in the opening minute. Westmeath were slow to get going but both sides appeared rusty in front of goal and Kerry added a well-worked score through Jackie Horgan in the 10th minute, after good work by Amy O’Sullivan and Patrice Diggin.

But then after Kerry had wasted a number of scoring chances, Westmeath struck for a goal in their first meaningful attack, when a free from Muireann Scally saw the three inside forwards combine and Megan Dowdall set up Ava Balfe to fire low to the Kerry net. Aoife Doherty then added a point from play in the 18th minute but Westmeath failed to score again for the rest of half, though in mitigation they were playing against a strong breeze.

Kerry upped the tempo with Sara Murphy having a great duel with Megan Dowdall, while the other Kerry defenders were the launch pad for the home side to go on a 0- 5-0-0 run in the final ten minutes of the half, thanks to points from Laura Collins, Patrice Diggin (after a great run), Amy O’Sullivan, Diggin again (from a free) and the score of the game, a Jackie Horgan point from close to the sideline and over her shoulder.

Kerry retired 0-7 to 1-1 in front, but it should have been more with the wind. It seemed the sharpness was not quite there in this first outing and the Westmeath defence was tenacious.

Westmeath took over in the third quarter firing over four unanswered points thanks to a brace of frees from Amelia Shaw and two superb Megan Dowdall points, That gave them a slender lead of 1-5 to 0-7 by the 45th minute. It could have been worse for Kerry but 'keeper Aoife Fitzgerald denied Balfe a second goal with a great intervention.

Amy O’Sullivan levelled with a super effort in the 46th minute and suddenly Kerry were battling for every ball as Sara Murphy, Rachel McCarthy, Niamh Leen, Aoife Behan, Patrice Diggin, Laura Collins and the hardworking Caoimhe Spillane had Westmeath on the back foot for the next ten minutes. Amy O’Sullivan fired Kerry in front (0-9 to 1-5) in the 55th minute, but Dowdall, who had moved out the field to try and collect ball, levelled in the 58th minute with a super long-range effort.

Jackie Horgan could have won it for Kerry while Megan Dowdall missed for Westmeath and a draw was probably fair, with both sides knowing there is improvement required for the rest of the league. It was not a classic as both sides made too many errors, so overall a draw was about the right result.

WESTMEATH: Fiona Keating; Jade McKeogh, Julie McLoughlin, Dearbhaill McLoughlin; Karen Gaffney, Muireann Scally, Laura Doherty; Áine Newman, Maria Kelly; Amelia Shaw (0-2, 2f), Denise McGrath, Aoife Doherty (0-1); Louise O’Connor, Megan Dowdall (0-3), Ava Balfe (1-0). Subs: Aoife O’Malley for K Gaffney (half-time), Meabh Scally for J McKeogh (53, Aisling McLoughlin for D McGrath (59), Shannon Dalton for A Balfe (59).

KERRY: Aoife Fitzgerald; Áine O’Connor, Sara Murphy, Rachel McCarthy; Aoife Behan, Niamh Leen, Ciara O’Sullivan; Kate Lynch, Laura Collins (0-1); Ellen O’Donoghue, Patrice Diggin (0-3, 2f), Caoimhe Spillane; Amy O’Sullivan (0-3), Irene Dillane, Jackie Horgan (0-2) . Sub: Kate Buckley for I Dillane (17).

REFEREE: Aaron Hogg (Clare).