Hannah Tyrrell and Carla Rowe shoot out the lights as Dublin drives past Westmeath

Hannah Tyrrell and Carla Rowe combined to make it 4-14 as defending champions Dublin heralded the return of the TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship with a convincing win over Westmeath at TEG Cusack Park.

In the first game of this competition since 2019, Tyrrell (2-9) and Rowe (2-5) shone for the Jackies. Substitute Kate Sullivan also scored a 2-1 win off the bench and Mick Bohan’s charges can now head into Saturday’s tie with All-Ireland champions Meath at Parnell Park with confidence.

After missing out on a fifth consecutive Brendan Martin Cup title for the Royals last year, Dublin were looking to hit the ground running at the 2022 Championship. With just 21 seconds on the clock, corner striker Sinead Wylde fired a shot into Westmeath’s net.

Their inside partner Tyrrell followed with a point from the game and while Lake County finally opened their account through a free Sarah Dillon, Dublin scored a second after 12 minutes.

Rowe, who was named joint captain with Niamh Collins that year, raised another green flag to give her side a six-point stranglehold. Rowe went on to trade points with Westmeath’s Ciara Blundell before Dublin midfielder Jennifer Dunne added her name to the scorers’ list.

A field attempt by Tyrrell was canceled out by Dillon at the opposite end, but the defending champions were the dominant side for the remainder of the opening period. Thanks to unanswered points from the boots of the superb Tyrrell (three), Nicole Owens and Rowe, the Metropolitan team brought a convincing 2-9 cushion into the break.

Tyrrell extended their tally to six points in the restart and, after Blundell had made her second contribution, another Dublin goal came in the 34th minute. Sullivan’s long delivery, introduced at half-time, fooled Westmeath goalkeeper Aoife O’Donnell heading into the net.

Tyrrell grabbed a three of his own shortly after, before Rowe recorded a fifth major for a wild Dublin in the 42nd minute. Wylde, Sullivan, Niamh Hetherton and Martha Byrne were also on target on either side of the third quarter mark as the Sky Blues continued to build their stable.

A single from Siobhan Killeen complimented a brace for Rowe before Tyrrell made it 1-2 with no reply within just two minutes. Sullivan (free) and Owens then rounded out the scoring to complete an impressive performance by Dublin at Mullingar.

Goalscorers – Dublin: H Tyrrell 2-9 (0-6f), C Rowe 2-5 (0-2f), K Sullivan 1-2 (0-1f), S Wylde 1-1, N Owens 0-2, J Dunne, N Hetherton , M. Byrne, S. Killeen 0-1 each.

Goalscorers – Westmeath: S Dillon (2f), C Blundell 0-2 each.

Westmeath: A O’Donnell; M Fagan, M Scally, F Coyle; A O’Malley, A Alford, C Kelly; V Carr, T Dillon; Blundell C, Dillon S, Boyce-Jordan K; A Jones, K Giles, L Power.

Subtitle: A Ruane for O’Malley (ht), K Hegarty for Giles (39), N Nolan for Alford (44), C Smullen for Jones (52), K Geoghegan for Boyce-Jordan (57).

Dublin: C Trant; J Tobin, L Caffrey, N Collins; S Goldrick, A Kane, O Nolan; J Dunne, L Magee; C O’Connor, C Rowe (C), N Owens; N Hetherton, H Tyrrell, S Wylde.

Subtitle: K McDaid for Magee, K Sullivan for O’Connor (both ht), E Gribben for Nolan, M Byrne for Goldrick (both 40), S Killeen for Hetherton (45).

Referee: Paul Burke (Louth).