Details

Date Time Competition Season
20 February 2022 2:00 pm NFL Division 1 2022

Match Report

Donegal finish strong for win in Westmeath

Donegal finished strongly against Westmeath to claim their second win of the campaign, and guarantee a place in the semi-finals of the Lidl Ladies Football League Division 1.

Just a point in front with nine minutes remaining, Donegal were impressive in the final minutes , scoring four unanswered points, including two from Katy Herron to steer them to victory.

Donegal led by 2-4 to 1-5 at half-time, with Karen Guthrie finding the net twice for the visitors.

Westmeath kept on the pressure in the second half, with an Anna Jones goal cutting the gap to a point in the final quarter, but Donegal held out.

Guthrie hit 2-4 over the hour and while Westmeath did score goals courtesy of Áine Gaynor and Anna Jones, they didn’t manage to build on that and Donegal’s composure ensured them a second win.

It was the visitors who made the better start when Guthrie scored her first goal after just six minutes. But Westmeath’s reply was instant as Sarah Dillon scored on the resumption.

Donegal retained the upper hand however and when Bláthnaid McLaughlin rescued the ball from the end line, Guthrie found the net for a second time.

Anna Jones and Guthrie swapped frees before Susanne White pointed to hand Maxi Curran’s side a 2-2 to 0-2 lead at the water break.

Westmeath enjoyed more possession in the second quarter and they reduced the deficit to four with Ciara Blundell and Dillon on target.

Guthrie scored a free but Westmeath upped it a gear and Donegal turned defensive with Niamh McLaughlin back deep in her own half where she conceded a 45. That was taken by Jones and she sent it in high before Gaynor timed her movement to perfection and finished to the net. Jones and Guthrie swapped points but Donegal took a two-point lead into half-time.

Donegal opened the second half brightly and three Susanne White points, two of which came from frees, pushed the visitors into a more comfortable lead.

Against a swirling wind, Dillon scored her third point of the game to leave four points between them at the second water break. With both teams making substitutions, Westmeath kept running at the Donegal defence and on 51 minutes they were rewarded. Jones got on the end of an exquisite pass from Blundell and rifled the second goal to leave the minimum separating the sides.

However, disaster struck for Westmeath when Tracey Dillon was sin-binned and when Guthrie converted the resulting free there was no going back for the home side.

Katy Herron was introduced and her two points along with a Niamh McLaughlin effort ensured Maxi Curran’s troops earned their second victory of the 2022 campaign.

Donegal

1Roisin McCafferty Goalkeeper
2Shauna McFadden Defender
3Evelyn McGinley Defender
4Niamh Boyle Defender
5Niamh Carr Defender
6Feena McManamon Defender
7Tara Hegarty Defender
8Nicole McLaughlin Midfielder
9Roisin Rodgers Midfielder
10Susanne White Forward 16', 35', 36', 39'
11Niamh McLaughlin Forward 61'
12Shelly Twohig Forward
13Blathnaid McLaughlin Forward
14Karen Guthrie Forward 5', 8'
22', 33'
15Geraldine McLaughlin Forward
16Aoife McColgan Goalkeeper
17Catherine Boyle
18Jodie McFadden
19Emma McCrory
20Ciara McGarvey Forward
21Katie Long Forward 14'
22Laoise Ryan Forward
23Orla Corry Goalkeeper
24Codie Walsh
25Amy Boyle Carr Defender
26Shauna Higgins
27Saskia Boyle Forward
28Katy Herron Midfielder 60', 60'
29Danielle McGinley

Ground

St. Lomans GAA Club, Mullingar
St Lomans GAA Club, Lakepoint Retail Park, Mullingar Rural ED, The Municipal District of Mullingar — Kinnegad, County Westmeath, Leinster, N91 Y526, Ireland

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