All Ireland LGFA Intermediate Championship – Group 4 – Round 1

St Loman’s Mullingar

Westmeath 4-7 Antrim 2-17

The score in today’s opening All Ireland Group 4 game in the Ladies Intermediate Football Championship will be widely reported as a shock, or an opening day upset by others in the media. But the result will come as no surprise to anyone who has been following Antrim’s exploits this season, as they recorded a four-point victory over home side Westmeath in Mullingar.  

Westmeath make their return to the Intermediate Championship having been relegated from the senior grade last year, whilst Emma Kelly’s side, fresh on the heels of their win over Tyrone in the provincial decider a fortnight ago and just a month after lifting the Division Four title for the first time in Parnell Park have been in electric form.

Antrim started the game at blistering pace, with Orlaith Prenter raising the white flag after only 18 seconds, fed by St Paul’s Lara Dahunsi, and the Moneyglass sharpshooter added another from the resultant kickout. Dahunsi and Cathy Carey also grabbed points to give the Saffrons a four-point lead before Westmeath got going.  

Bronagh Devlin saw yellow for Antrim and Westmeath pressed their advantage, reducing the gulf to one, with points from Aoife Connolly and Vicky Carr. Prenter added another for the visitors, but Anna Jones slid a goal past Anna McCann to give Westmeath the lead for the first time with the score 1-3 to 0-5.  

Grainne McLaughlin levelled for Antrim and a long-range effort from Prenter bounced awkwardly in front of the Westmeath ‘keeper and found it’s way into the top of the goal. Westmeath, not to be outdone, were quick on the counter and a Ciara Blundell point and a second Westmeath goal, courtesy of Aoife Connolly set the home side ahead by the finest of margins. Orla Corr came from deep to level again, but Connolly responded for the hosts almost immediately. With half time fast approaching, Grainne McLaughlin was fouled on the edge of the D and slotted over the free to tie the game at the break 2-6 to 1-9.  

The opening phase of the second period was halted by an injury to Antrim’s Sarah O’Neill, but some impromptu first aid from the side-line restored play without the need for a substitution. The opening score of the half came after ten minutes when a scramble in front of Anna McCann’s goal and the home side raised the green flag as the ball emerged from the chaos.  

The lead was short-lived however as Prenter and Dahunsi gave Antrim the three points they needed to square the tie again. Tit-for-tat scoring saw Grainne McLaughlin add additional points either side of a Tracey Dillon score. Dahunsi, Prenter and McLaughlin also split the posts to give Antrim a four-point lead with added time looming, but with Jones netting her brace for the home side to reduce the margin to a solitary point, a nervy finished ensued.  

Antrim fumbled McCann’s kick-out, but were able to quickly recover, and Maria O’Neill raised the green flag for the visitors to seal their first victory in the Intermediate grade on the All-Ireland stage.  

With victory comes the potential that Antrim may already have qualified for the knock-out stages, as Westmeath travel next week to face Longford, with Slashers’ boss Alan Mullen in the crowd at St Loman’s today. Victory for Longford in that tie could secure Antrim’s quarter-final berth, but it will be of little consequence to Emma Kelly’s side who face the same opposition in a fortnight with their destiny now in their own hands.