Dublin v Westmeath
THROW-IN
Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, 4pm
ONLINE
Live scores and report on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News Now App
All eyes will be on reigning TG4 Leinster and All-Ireland champions Dublin as they play their first championship game of 2018.
The Sky Blues, under the guidance of Mick Bohan, also captured a first Lidl NFL Division 1 title in impressive fashion against Mayo at Parnell Park back in May.
They’re now gunning for a seventh successive Leinster senior crown and they’ll prove very difficult to stop.
Dublin beat Westmeath by 3-18 to 0-8 in the 2017 Leinster final but just five points separated the counties when they clashed in the group stages of the League campaign earlier this year.
The winners of the Leinster title will go into Group 4 for the round-robin phase of the All-Ireland qualifiers, alongside Mayo and Cavan.
A Dublin win would throw up the tasty prospect of a repeat of the 2017 All-Ireland and 2018 Lidl NFL finals against Mayo but Westmeath will aim to produce a competitive display and put a spanner in the works.
The Leinster final runners-up will pitch up against Connacht champions Galway and Munster outfit Waterford in Group 3 of the qualifiers.
Sunday July 1st, 4pm throw-in Netwatch Dr Cullen Park Carlow our ladies take on Dublin in this years Leinster Senior Final. Come out and support the girls☀️ pic.twitter.com/UPlJYq6Y83
— WestmeathLGFA (@WestmeathLFGA) June 25, 2018
TEAM NEWS
Bohan has made four changes to the team that defeated Mayo in the league decider.
Kate Fitzgibbon, Sinéad Goldrick, Muireann Ní Scanaill and Hannah O’Neill are drafted in, replacing Laura McGinley, Sinéad Finnegan, Lauren Magee and Niamh Collins.
Westmeath are also making their first appearance in the Championship this season.
Dublin: C Trant; M Byrne, D Murphy, K Fitzgibbon; S Goldrick, M Ní Scanaill, L Caffrey; S McGrath, O Carey; N Owens, N McEvoy, H O’Neill; S Aherne, N Healy, L Davey.
Westmeath: K Walsh; L Power, R Dillon, N Feery; F Coyle, K McDermott, C Clarke-McMahon; V Carr, F Claffey; A Dolan, L Slevin, M.A. Foley; C Blundell, L Walsh, L McCartan.
