Mixed bag in O'Byrne Cup & FBD League

WESTMEATH and Athlone IT both wound-down their O’Byrne Cup campaigns with defeats last weekend, but there was better news from Roscommon as their team recorded a first win in this year’s FBD League.

Having lost previously to Dublin and DCU, Westmeath’s outing against Louth carried almost no significance but the 1-14 to 0-10 defeat means the Lake County finish bottom of the pile in their four-team group. Most of the damage was done to Westmeath in the second half, as the Wee County took control of the match in Drogheda. There were scores for Dessie Dolan (Garrycastle) and Callum McCormack (Maryland), but Paul Bealin will be acutely aware of the size of the task facing him as Westmeath now turn their attention to preparing for life in Division 1 of the NFL.

Having beaten Carlow last midweek, Athlone IT, under the management of former Tubberclair boss Martin McCabe, rounded-off their O’Byrne Cup effort by losing, 1-8 to 0-10, against Longford in Ballyamhon last weekend.

Roscommon, meanwhile, beat NUI Galway at Ballyforan by 2-13 to 1-5 to secure their first victory of the FBD League campaign.

Roscommon also had a good result in the second series of matches in this year’s Hastings Cup (U21) competition when comfortably beating Kildare, 1-15 to 1-6, while Westmeath registered a 3-9 to 2-8 victory against Clare in the same competition last weekend. See this week’s Westmeath Independent for coverage from last weekend’s GAA action.