Maryland's Kieran Martin attempts to break away from Peter Murray of The Downs during last Sunday's Westmeath SFC game. Photo: John McCauley.

Local teams under pressure after more setbacks in Westmeath SFC

 

Both Athlone and Castledaly lost their third successive games in this year’s Westmeath SFC last weekend – leaving them in danger of the dreaded relegation play-off.

In their Section B clash at Tang, Athlone lost to 2013 IFC champions St Malachy’s – who have been the surprise packets of this year’s championship – while Castledaly were edged out by Killucan in their Section A game.

It may not mathematically impossible for Athlone and Castledaly to qualify for the knockout stages, but both teams would surely now settle for avoiding bottom place in their respective groups. The two teams who finish bottom in each section will meet in the relegation play-off, with the losers making the drop to the Intermediate grade.

Castledaly’s next game is against Mullingar Shamrocks on the second weekend of August and they finish their group campaign against The Downs. Athlone face Tyrrellspass in their next outing and then they will face Bunbrosna, which is likely to be represent their best chance of picking up a win.

Meanwhile, Garrycastle - almost perennial challengers for the Flanagan Cup for more than a decade – face a major battle to qualify for the knockout stages after their second defeat in Section B, having lost out to Tyrrellspass last Saturday.

Maryland also have work to do reach the knockout stages from Section A. They started the championship impressively with a win over Castledaly, but they have since lost to Mullingar Shamrocks and The Downs (last Sunday).

Champions send out a message

St Loman’s Mullingar 2-12 Mullingar Shamrocks 0-4

Reigning champions St Loman’s, Mullingar laid down a marker for all those clubs with ambitions of dethroning them that they are worthy favourites to retain the Flanagan Cup, by hammering arch-rivals Mullingar Shamrocks in a one-sided derby match in Cusack Park last Sunday evening.

The question on most Gaels’ lips at 9pm on Sunday last was whether the blue and whites had been superb, or the green and whites had been dreadful and the answer is probably “a bit of both”.

While winning manager Declan Rowley was keen afterwards to play down the significance of the final score, the nature of Shamrocks’ abject capitulation is bound to concern his opposite number Bernard Flynn and all those involved with the Springfield-based club, less than two years after they were deservedly crowned county champions themselves under the tutelage of Ray Smyth.

Man of the match

Paul Sharry (St Loman’s, Mullingar). The Westmeath captain achieved a rare feat by scoring three '45s’, all struck with supreme confidence by a talented player who looks to be putting a disappointing season in the maroon and white jersey well behind him.

Key moment

It may have come as early as the fifth minute, but Shane Dempsey’s well-taken goal already demonstrated the gulf in application on the day between the two Mullingar sides.

Scorers -  St Loman’s, Mullingar: P Sharry (3'45’) and J Heslin (3f) 0-4 each, S Dempsey 1-1, D Windsor 1-0, E Price 0-2, J O’Toole 0-1. Mullingar Shamrocks: L Smyth 0-2 (1f), D Keena and S Daly 0-1 each.

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Stephen Gallagher; Neil O’Toole, Shane Flynn, Jason O’Toole; Gerry Grehan, Paddy Dowdall, David Whelan; Ciaran Kilmurray, Paul Sharry; Eoin Price, John Heslin, David Morgan; Conradh Reilly, David Windsor, Shane Dempsey. Subs used: Conor Cochrane for Morgan (52), Adam Carroll for Grehan (57).

Mullingar Shamrocks: Philip Shaw; Eddie Moore, Kieran Gavin, Calvin Kirwan; Paddy Joyce, Eoin O’Neill, Davy Coyne; Denis Corroon, Donal O’Donoghue; Dylan McDermott, Simon Quinn, John Ganly; Seanie Daly, Lorcan Smyth, Ciaran Curley. Subs used: Aaron Purcell for Joyce (18), Darren Keena for Ganly (31), Efi Siode for Coyne (44), Patrick Fagan for Quinn (46).

Referee: Pat Fox (Rosemount).

 

Foley’s goal helps Reds defeat Bun’

Coralstown/Kinnegad 1-9 Bunbrosna 0-6

Coralstown/Kinnegad did just about enough to secure their third consecutive SFC win last Saturday, with a goal from Ronan Foley putting daylight between the Reds and Bunbrosna in a poor encounter at Cusack Park.

Foley rattled the net a minute into stoppage time at the end of a disappointing first half, and if Coralstown/Kinnegad want to retain the mantle of championship dark horses, they will need to put in a more convincing shift against in-form St Malachy’s on Sunday week.

The goal came when the eventual winners led 0-4 to 0-3 after a half pockmarked by lacklustre kicking from both side. Bunbrosna, for their part, showed none of the pluck displayed in last Saturday’s first half against Tyrrellspass, and had Coralstown/Kinnegad shown better composure in front of goal, a much heavier defeat would have been Bun’s lot.

Coralstown/Kinnegad finished with 13 wides (to Bunbrosna’s seven), including a sitter missed by young forward Darren Giles on 43 minutes.

Man of the match

Ronan Foley (Coralstown/Kinnegad). There were few candidates for this award, but Foley’s refreshing first half goal was complemented by a point at a crucial time in the second half for Kinnegad. His colleague Mark Gorman (0-3) also had a solid hour.

Key moment

Foley’s goal, which briefly brought a flagging encounter to life before the break, and gave Coralstown/Kinnegad some second half breathing space, without which they could have been in a tight spot.

Scorers -  Coralstown/Kinnegad: R Foley 1-1, M Gorman 0-3, C Kiernan 0-2f, E Leonard, N Kilmartin and D Giles 0-1 each. Bunbrosna: P Tormey and D Lyons 0-2 (1f) each, B Maguire and K Conroy 0-1 each.

Coralstown/Kinnegad: Damien Molloy; Darren Leech, Killian Foley, David McNevin; Eamon Fleming, Clive Kiernan, Stephen Bracken; Niall Kilmartin, Ryan Caffrey; Darren Giles, Ronan Foley, Fergal Dardis; Mark Gorman, Wayne Fox, Enda Leonard. Subs used: Adam Browne for Giles (53), David Flynn for Dardis (55), Fergus Murtagh for Fox (b/c, 57).

Bunbrosna: John Casey; Conor Newman, Darren Geerah, Simon Moorhead; John Kiernan, Ronan Scally, Conor Lyons; Aidan Finnan, Brian Maguire; Ken Conroy, Barry O’Mara, Fintan Finnan; Peter Tormey, Darragh Lyons, Finian Newman. Subs used: Matthew Coade for Maguire (41), Liam Mitchell for O’Mara (50), Noel Yourell for F Finnan (52), Tommy Murphy for Scally (b/c, 30 + 1).

Referee: Shane Farrell (Ballynacargy).

*See this week’s Westmeath Independent for match reports on the games involving Garrycastle, Athlone, Castledaly and Maryland.