Jackies outclass Westmeath in Leinster semi

Sun, 29th June 2014

DUBLIN 7-18 WESTMEATH 1-7

Dublin booked their place in the 2014 TG4 Leinster final following an emphatic 29-point win over a disappointing Westmeath side.

Westmeath, who earlier this year had reached the NFL Division 2 final, simply had no response to the superior fitness, finesse and pace of the football played by the reigning Leinster champs. Sinead Aherne for a second week in a row was quite superb for Dublin, her constant movement and link up play with corner forward Lyndsey Davey was a joy to watch. Aherne finished the game with a personal tally of 2-11. The three times All Star scored 1-07 from play while dispatching a second half penalty with aplomb past Westmeath's Sarah Keegan, Aherne also converted four frees two a piece in each half.

At the interval Dublin took a 4-10 to 1-03 into the dressing room, their first half goals came courtesy of Carla Rowe, Lindsay Peat and on the double from Lyndsey Davey. Westmeath's goal came from a deflection in the Dublin small square following a mix up between the Dublin defenders and their goal keeper Cliodhna O' Connor. Maud Annie Foley, Fiona Claffey and Karen Hegarty tried hard for the midlanders but Martin Flanagan's side where just simply out classed by Dublin and will now have to regroup via the qualifiers.

Dublin will face Laois in the TG4 Leinster final on July 13^th at 3pm in Dr Cullen Park, Laois saw off the challenge of Meath in a close game by 4-12 to 3-13.

Dublin: Cliodhna O' Connor, Rachel Ruddy, Sorcha Furlong, Leah Caffrey, Martha Byrne, Sinead Finnegan, Colleen Barrett, Sarah McCaffrey, Molly Lamb, Noelle Healy, Niamh McEvoy, Carla Rowe, Lyndsey Davey, Sinead Aherne, Lindsay Peat

Scorers: Sinead Aherne 2-11(4F), Lyndsey Davey 2-03, Siobhan Woods 1-02, Carla Rowe 1-01, Lindsay Peat 1-00, Noelle Healy 0-01

Subs: Siobhan Woods for Peat, Olivia Leonard for Barrett, Deirdre Murphy for Martha Byrne, Natalia Hyland for Niamh McEvoy, Niamh Collins for Rachel Ruddy

Westmeath: Sarah Keegan, Aileen Martin, Rebecca Dunne, Triona Durkan, Laura Kiernan, Jennifer Rogers, Laura Brennan, Maud Annie Foley, Ruth Kearney, Karen McDermott, Johanna Maher, Ciara Blundell, Karen Hegarty, Fiona Claffey, Katie Somers

Scorers: Maud Annie Foley 0-05 (5F), Katie Somers 1-00, Karen Hegarty, Fiona Leavy 0-01 each

Sin bin: Johanna Maher (Westmeath), Noelle Healy (Dublin)

Referee: Colm McManus (Meath)