Published: Wednesday, 3rd February, 2010 5:00pm

Little to cheer about for Westmeath in last outing before league begins

Wexford 1-11 Westmeath 0-8

Westmeath's last game before they head in to a daunting National Football League Division Two campaign ended in a disappointing six-point defeat to Wexford at Gorey last Sunday.

The winners now go on to face their neighbours, Luke Dempsey's Carlow, in the O'Byrne Shield final during a break in the league later this month.

A good-sized local crowd turned up at the Slaneyside venue. In truth, however, many were already there in their purple and gold colours for the curtain-raiser where the Wexford hurlers defeated UCD. A mere handful of fans made the long journey from the Lake County and they were left with a lot to reflect on as they headed homewards, the main topic being that there seems to be a lack of budding inter-county standard players in many key positions. However, January results are generally an irrelevance in the overall scheme of things and, no doubt, a large home following will be supporting the boys in maroon and white in Cusack Park next Sunday for the eagerly-awaited visit of Donegal in the league opener.

The Pairc Uí Shíocháin ground was in fine shape for Sunday's double-header. However, the absence of any public address system meant that two of the home subs were known only to locals, their names being conspicuously absent from the compact, if overpriced, match programme. Jason Ryan is now in his third year as Model County bainisteoir and Wexford fans will certainly be hoping that their heroes can replicate their marvellous achievements from 2008, rather than limp along tamely a la 2009. Ironically, Westmeath's graph for the closing two years of the 'noughties' was very similar but, on the evidence of 2010 to date, there is unlikely to be too much optimism that the 2004 Leinster champions will be a major force in the province this year.

The biggest impact of the latest series of experimental rules has been the stringent implementation of a closed fist pass and the home side fell foul of the referee in this regard with only five seconds on the clock. Within a minute, a hastily-taken free by Aidan Finnan failed to trouble the winners' rearguard, but the visitors still managed to open the scoring in the third minute, James Durkan pointing neatly, following good play from Doran Harte. Wexford were soon on level terms courtesy of a similar score from Paddy Byrne. A beautifully-judged cross from Paul Greville almost led to a Westmeath goal, but Wexford netminder Gavin Morris was alert to the danger.

The Model County took a lead they were never to relinquish in the seventh minute, Paddy Byrne's well-struck shot for a goal being acrobatically tipped over the bar by Stephen Gallagher, who has maintained his fine form throughout January. Byrne and his fellow corner-forward Ben Brosnan were causing endless headaches for the Westmeath defence and the latter player opened his account with a fine point in the ninth minute. The wind-assisted winners continued to dominate the play and it took a trademark surge out of defence from Michael Ennis to stem the tide. Wexford wasted a couple of good scoring opportunities before Ben Brosnan (a delightful striker of a placed ball from the ground) put them 0-4 to 0-1 ahead at the midpoint of the half from a 40-metre free.

At the other end, James Durkan was showing well in rare Westmeath attacks but his tendency to take a step too many occasionally led to promising moves breaking down. Another Paddy Byrne point (which could easily have been a goal) increased the winners' lead. James Durkan tapped over a routine free for his side's second score in the 21st minute. Philip Gilsenan's shot was held up in the wind, as was Paul Greville's well-struck free taken from his hands, Aidan Finnan's intuitive follow-up effort with his fist being held by Gavin Morris. Wexford continued to be profligate, but the very impressive Ben Brosnan gave home fans plenty to cheer about when he scored one of the points of the contest with a wonderful shot from a tight angle, with eight minutes of normal time remaining in the first moiety. A terrific catch from the ensuing kick-out by Stephen Bracken led to a well-taken point by Gavin Hoey. Adrian Flynn proceeded to shoot a very bad wide for Wexford but Ben Brosnan soon compensated with another converted free, awarded against Jack Hogan, who had just produced a fine chest-high catch. A tremendous save by Stephen Gallagher from Redmond Barry's piledriver resulted in a '45' which Ben Brosnan converted with aplomb in the last action of the half. This left Wexford ahead by an unflattering five points at the break, the scoreboard reading 0-8 to 0-3.

Denis Glennon's appearance at the start of the second half was a boost to the Westmeath fans - it is hard to recall a smaller travelling contingent for a competitive game - and the Tyrrellspass man was on the scoresheet in the opening minute, pointing a straightforward free. Another interval replacement, Wexford's Pat Naughter replied with a eye-catching point. Denis Glennon almost broke through for a goal and a brace of Paul Greville frees also came to nothing. In the seventh minute, Ben Brosnan dusted himself down after being fouled and hit yet another sublime strike from the ground to put the Slaneysiders six points to the good.

Indeed, it could have got worse for Brendan Hackett's charges but Paddy Byrne spurned a decent goal chance, after being set up the livewire Brosnan.

A fine revival by the visitors yielded four unanswered points in a five-minute period coming up to the midpoint of the half. A superb free kick from Paul Greville was sandwiched between a brace of points from Denis Glennon (the second from a free). Stephen Bracken opened his account, after being well found by Gavin Hoey and, all of a sudden, the margin was down to a mere two points. Denis Glennon may well have had a case for claiming another free in Westmeath's next attack but his very demonstrative protest to the referee rightly earned him a yellow card. At the other end, a fine effort from Ben Brosnan came back off the woodwork and Tommy McDaniel was then off target with efforts for a point and goal respectively and the Lake County lads were unable to add to their paltry tally.

Sandwiched between these misses, Aindreas Doyle rounded off a patient Wexford move with a fabulous point. Ben Brosnan's superbly taken 'goal' was then disallowed due an illegal pass by Adrian Flynn (it was a very marginal call), but the undoubted 'man of the match' got the goal his efforts merited in the first minute of added-time when he rose to flick Flynn's cross to the net. The last action of the game again saw Brosnan to the fore and it needed the referee's post-match clarification to rule that his 'point' was actually wide, with the scoreboard operators having promptly packed their bags.

Being frank, it is difficult to be overly-optimistic about the seven very difficult league fixtures facing Westmeath in the coming months. However, the gradual return of some key players is bound to help Brendan Hackett's cause and the patience the management team has consistently and correctly requested should be respected by maroon and white-clad supporters, who will surely return in large numbers for the upcoming clashes.

WEXFORD: Gavin Morris; Joey Wadding, David Walsh, Brian Malone; Kieran Kennedy, David Murphy, Aindreas Doyle (0-1); Brendan Doyle, Daithí Waters; Redmond Barry, Collie Byrne, Adrian Morrissey; Ben Brosnan (1-6, 0-3f, 0-1 '45'), Adrian Flynn, Paddy Byrne (0-3). Subs: Pat Naughter (0-1) for Morrissey (inj, h-t); Damien Carter for Walsh (inj, h-t), Eric Bradley for Byrne (53 mins), Colm Morris for Kennedy (53).

WESTMEATH: Stephen Gallagher; Jack Hogan, Michael Ennis, John Gaffey; Donal O'Donoghue, Francis Boyle, Doran Harte; Stephen Bracken (0-1), Gary Flanagan; John Smyth, Paul Greville (0-1f), Aidan Finnan; Gavin Hoey (0-1), Philip Gilsenan, James Durkan (0-2, 1f). Subs: Micheal Curley for Hogan (h-t); Denis Glennon (0-3, 2f) for Smyth (h-t); Greg Crowley for Boyle (47 mins), Willie Coyne for Harte (49); Tommy McDaniel (for Gilsenan (55).

REFEREE: Brian O'Shea (Dublin).