TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final
Dublin v Westmeath
O’Moore Park, Portlaoise,
4:00pm (C. McManus)
Dublin have been the dominant force in Leinster for most of the past decade and testament to that is the fact they are looking to win their fifth TG4 Leinster Championship title in a row today.
That will make them the longest reigning provincial champions in the country right now. But facing them today is the one team in the province that has pushed them hard and made the sky blues really earn every victory, non more so than last years Leinster decider.
Westmeath have steadily improved with each season and are on the cusp of joining the teams at the elite level. The girls from the lake county have already had a good season to date, they reached the Lidl NFL Division 2 Final, but unfortunately lost out to a Donegal side who were on fire on the day.
Westmeath will take plenty of confidence from their level of performances this season into today’s final. And with players of the calibre of Jenny Rogers, Fiona Claffey, Maud Anne Foley, Leona Archibold and Johanna Maher in their ranks, they will feel they have every chance of claiming victory today.
One area that Westmeath will have to improve on to have any chance today,
is their discipline, which has been a major achilles heel for the midlanders, they are too prone to losing players to the sin bin for over the top tackles.
Dublin have again been in brilliant form throughout their Leinster campaign winning all their group games comprehensively, including a 17 point victory over today’s opponents.
Dublin boss Gregory McGonigle though will not be reading anything into that victory and will have his players forewarned that it will be a much more fired up Westmeath team that they will face today.
Dublin are loaded with star players all through their team and squad, top class performers like Carla Rowe, Lyndsey Davey, Noelle Healy, Sinead Aherne, Sinead Finnegan, Olwen Carey and Sinead Goldrick are a nightmare for opposing defences with their pace, power and clever interplay.
Although Dublin will have their long term sights set on a return to Croke Park in September for the third year in a row, they won’t be looking beyond this tough encounter today against Westmeath.
Plus the fact that the girls in blue have the opportunity to make history as the first Dublin Senior Ladies football team to win a five in a row in Leinster, their focus and commitment will be fully tuned into today.
Much is expected of this Dublin team this year and if they were to fail to add the Leinster title to their growing collection today, it would be a big surprise.
The first half of today’s final should be a tight affair, but Dublin with the quality in their team, the high class talent on their bench and their unbelievable fitness levels, should pull away in the final quarter to wrap up another Leinster title.
Verdict: Dublin
