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Late Westmeath goal leaves the Erne drained

Wednesday, 14 July 2010

Westmeath 1-7 Fermanagh 0-8.

WITH less than a minute remaining on the clock it looked as if Westmeath were about to suffer a two-point defeat. That was until super sub Maud Anne Foley made her way on to the pitch and grabbed a goal that came out of nothing while Garrycastle native Laura Walsh added the winning point from a free.
Normally Maud Anne would have started being one of the county's best underage prospects but injury confined her to the bench, but she had enough in the tank to change the course of the game at that late stage.
Laura Walsh who plays her club football near her place of work at Na Feine, give an outstanding display at midfield and despite the slippery underfoot conditions she successfully converted five frees and scored a good point from play. Partnered by Johanna Maher Westmeath ruled midfield while Fermanagh had a very strong half forward line.
The game began in a downpour which would keep the scores down with the wind of no advantage to either side. The free count was high too with 19 awarded to Westmeath in the opening half hour and 19 to Fermanagh. The home side had a national league they would probably like to forget and Saturday was to have been a new beginning.
Before the game got under way the home side replaced centre forward Maud Anne Foley with Kilbeggan Shamrock's Triona Durkin (sister of James) while Fermanagh were forced to start without regular forward Imelda McGovern with Aileen Moane coming in. Centre forward Caroline Little at centre forward was Fermanagh's best player on the day and threatened the goal on a number of occasions.
Laura Walsh was fouled as she headed towards the front of the goal at the Dublin road end. She then opened Westmeath's account all inside the opening minute. Elaine Finn looked set to add to the account but the ball she sent in from the left wing dropped into the hands of the Fermanagh goalkeeper.
Finn set up Laura Walsh for her side's second from the left wing and when Fermanagh looked set to find their opening score, Kelly Boyce who was supporting midfield, came back to block the effort of Marcella Connolly.
The Ernesiders opened after eight and a half minutes when Connolly's free was quickly taken to Caroline Little. She ran into a wall of defenders but only needed the smallest of gaps to find the Maguire County's opening score. Within thirty seconds the sides were level through Little's free kick from fifteen meters.
Fermanagh were playing into the Dunnes Stores end and decided to try their luck for a goal. Sharon Little caught a ball close to midfield and drove it into midfielder Aisling Moore who saw Marcella Connolly free and the latter struck for goal but Westmeath keeper Gemma Leahy saved it and as she was attempting to clear, she was fouled.
Again Sharon Little was causing problems in the square when she dropped a free into a crowded area and as the Westmeath defence fumbled with the wet greasy ball, the goalkeeper was fouled once more.
After seventeen and a half minutes the Northerners went ahead after Caroline Little was fouled and she converted the free. Laura Walsh was unlucky when her free from forty meters went narrowly wide, while Aoife Donaghue's effort also missed the target. Westmeath had four wides in a row and Fermanagh failed to punish and when Lisa Rigney went for goal, her effort was blocked down with the ball falling to Carol Finch, but the latter's effort went to the right of the post.
With six minutes remaining to half time Garrycastle's Sarah Dolan was fouled and Laura Walsh made it thee points each.
The Northerners went all out for the score that would give them the advantage at the break but Marchell Connolly failed to break down the maroon wall of defenders and as she tried in vain to travel around it, she over carried. In the last action of the first half hour Laura Walsh sent a free into the crowded Fermanagh goalmouth and as the goalkeeper fumbled she did enough to stop it from going over the line. At half time it was 0-3 each.
The Ernesides replaced Naoimhin Daley at the start of the second half in the half back line introducing Michelle Burke. Her side would add two more points without reply after Caroline Little intercepted a Westmeath pass and set up Marcella Connolly for a point. Within two minutes Sharon Little had added a second after being pushed close to the Westmeath goal.
The home side needed a score and Laura Walsh supplied it from a free. Sarah Dolan was fouled and Laura Walsh found the equalising score. But Fermanagh looked the stronger as the final quarter got underway as the added two points. Marcella Connolly broke through the defence and looked set to challenge the goalkeeper one on one and was expected to shoot for the net, but she surprisingly settled for a point.
Within thirty seconds midfielder Shauna Hamiliton sent over a free and the Maguire County were enjoying their purple patch. Aileen Moore found a gap in the Westmeath defence and shot across the goalmouth but the ball rolled narrowly wide.
Westmeath brought in Karen Hegarty for the full back Aoife O'Brien with twelve minutes remaining. Fermanagh missed a close in free from Caroline Little that would have given them a three-point advantage and now more than ever Westmeath needed a score. Elaine Finn had raced up from the defence and supplied it.
With seven minutes remaining Maud Anne Foley was called in for the full forward Lisa Rigney Almost immediately the Coralstown Kinnegad forward made her mark as a dangerous ball came her way and as she played in on the ground close to the Fermanagh goal, it was carried out by the defence for a forty-five.
The Ulster side went downfield and Madeline Little sent a high ball in to the Westmeath goalmouth but the goalkeeper punched it clear.
With two and a half minutes remaining the lead was extended to two points when Lynne McFrederick was fouled. Sharon Little converted the free and Westmeath brought in Karen Hegarty for Aoife Donoghue in the half forward line.
As the clock clicked into the 34th minute many of the Westmeath supporters were almost ready to concede defeat. Maud Anne Foley was fouled and she took a quick free to Triona Durlin, who returned it to Foley to crash to the Fermanagh net. With thirty seconds remaining Laura Walsh found the winning score from a free giving Westmeath a well-deserved victory in the pouring rain. It was a win that will do much to add confidence to the efforts of the Lake County and it's manager Peter Leahy.

Westmeath
Gemma Leahy
Aileen Martin
Aoife O'Brien (Karen McDermott 48)
Aoife Brady
Elaine Finn 0-1
Jenny Rodgers
Fiona Claffey
Johanna Maher
Laura Walsh 0-6 (5f)
Carol Finch
Triona Durkin
Aoife Donaghue (Karen Hegarty 58)
Sarah Dolan
Lisa Rigney (Maud Anne Foley 1-0 53)
Kelly Boyce

Fermanagh
Donna Gilroy
Roisin Carron
Orla Reihill
Adele Gallagher
Nuala Curran
Patricia Melanaphy
Naoimhin Daley (Michelle Burke HT)
Shauna Hamilton 0-1 (f)
Catherine Murphy
Marcella Connolly 0-2
Caroline Little 0-3 (2f)
Sharon Little 0-2 (2f)
Aine McBrien
Aisling Moane
Aileen Moane (Lynne McFrederick 53)
Referee:
Mags O'Doherty (Wexford)

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