Dublin 2-12
Westmeath 0-11

The Mary Ramsbottom Cup returned to the Capital for the fourth year in a row following Dublin's seven point victory over challengers Westmeath in yesterday's TG4 Leinster SFC final at Netwatch Cullen Park.
 
Dublin got off to a decent start and controlled the opening quarter of the game registering four unanswered points before Westmeath could reply with a Maud Annie Foley free which came in the 16th minute.
 
Although Dublin had easily the upper hand in terms of possession in the opening half the Dub's struggled at times to find their scoring rhythm.  The champions clocked up a sum of wides in the first quarter a number of which were from score able positions.
 
Dublin also hit the wood work no less than on 5 occasions throughout the contest the unluckiest "miss" came in the 13th minute when Lyndsey Davey saw her powerful shot on goal rebound off the cross bar only to land into Westmeath keepers Sarah Keegan out stretched and welcoming hands.
 
However the industrious Davey would soon be rewarded for her efforts when the Skerries Harps ace palmed a superb Niamh McEvoy pass into the back of the Westmeath net to give her side a 1-5 to 0-1 lead with 18 minutes gone on the clock.
 
In the second quarter of the opening half the strong running Johanna Maher from Tyrellspass started to get into the game more for Westmeath kicking two fine points following two deep penetrative runs at the heart of the Dublin defence. While Maud Annie Foley kicked over her sides 4th point her second from a free.
 
The half time score saw Dublin take a 1-07 to 0-04 lead into the half time dressing room Dublin's additional first half points coming from wing half back Sinead Goldrick (0-02), Carla Rowe 0-03 (2f) while Kim Flood and Noelle Healy point both had tagged on a point a piece.  
 
The second half of the game saw Westmeath up the ante as such and buoyed on by a huge midlands support they started to erode into Dublin's 6 point lead.
 
Westmeath's scores where however coming from the free taking boot of full forward Maud Annie Foley as the midland County struggled to breakdown the Dublin defence to register scores from play.
 
While Dublin may have been culpable of conceding handy frees to their opponents from kickable positions it would be Johanna Maher of Westmeath who would be found guilty of ill-discipline when with just 14 minutes left on the clock the centre forward was sin binned for persistent fouling.  Incidentally Maher was also sin binned when the two sides meet last year in the semi-final.
 
The sin binning of Maher was to be a pivotal decision as Dublin now with the numerical advantage tagged on an unanswered 1-03 in this ten minute period. Dublin's second goal came from hard working Niamh McEvoy who finished off a well worked Dublin move to the back of the Westmeath net following a superb cross goal pass from her club mate, Nicole Owens.
 
In the end Westmeath will be disappointed with the outcome having pulled back Dublin's lead to within just 2 points but the Mid Land County simply had no response to Dublin's last quarter surge which was ably assisted by subs Niamh Rickard, Nicole Owens, Sorcha Furlong and Hannah Noonan.
 
Dublin boss Greg McGonigle will be pleased with the performance of his senior championship newcomers Olwen Carey and Muireann Ni Scanaill while appreciative of the performances of experienced players Sinead Goldrick, Lyndsey Davey, Niamh McEvoy and Noelle Healy.
 
While Dublin didn't have the complete performance that many would have anticipated against Westmeath Dublin supporters need to be mindful that only 6 players from last years All Ireland starting 15 began yesterday's 2015 Leinster final.
 
As the saying goes "a lot done a lot more to do"…
 
Dublin can now turn their attentions to preparing for the All Ireland quarter final their opponents are still to be determined as the loser of this weekend's Ulster final between Monaghan / Donegal play Cavan in the qualifiers. The winner of this qualifier contest will then play Dublin on August 22nd.

TG4 Player of the Match: Sinead Goldrick (Dublin).
 
Dublin scorers: Lyndsey Davey 1-01, Niamh McEvoy 1-00, Carla Rowe 0-03 (2f), Sinead Goldrick 0-03, Noelle Healy 0-2, Kim Flood, Niamh Rickard, Nicole Owens 0-01 each.

Westmeath scorers: Maud Annie Foley 0-08 (7f), Johanna Maher 0-02, Emma Morris 0-1.

Dublin: Ciara Trant, Olwen Carey, Muireann Ni Scanaill, Fiona Hudson, Sinead Goldrick, Sinead Finnegan, Colleen Barrett, Molly Lamb, Sarah McCaffrey, Noelle Healy, Kim Flood, Carla Rowe, Amy Connolly, Lyndsey Davey, Niamh McEvoy. Subs: Nicole Owens for McCaffrey, Sorcha Furlong for Carey, Niamh Rickard for Flood, Hannah Noonan for Connolly.
 
Westmeath: Sarah Keegan, Triona Durkan, Jennifer Rogers, Aileen Martin, Niamh Spellman, Fiona Claffey, Laura Brennan, Karen McDermott, Emma Morris, Karen Hegarty, Johanna Maher, Ciara Blundell, Fiona Leavy, Maud Annie Foley, Sarah Dolan. Subs: Laura Kiernan for Blundell, Chloe Kelly for Dolan, Kelly Boyce Jordon for McDermott.
 
Referee: Jonathan Murphy (Carlow).

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