Superb McAteer strike drives Garrycastle to junior crown

A tremendous strike in the 43rd minute from their marquee sub, Justin McAteer propelled Garrycastle to their first Westmeath junior football title in 18 years when they edged out a gallant St Paul's outfit by a goal in Cusack Park last Saturday. The fare on offer was far from riveting but the men in green and red had a useful combination of experienced and inexperienced players, with McAteer and Eoin Monaghan from those respective categories playing key roles, as did one-time senior stalwart Tom McHugh in defence. St Paul's, who still have the dubious satisfaction of representing Westmeath in the Leinster club championship, will ultimately rue their profligacy, particularly when wind assisted in the first moiety. The Clonmellon side took a while to settle but then pounced for a pair of quickfire points in the sixth minute via Johnny McGuinness and Lenny Higgins, both very well-taken with left and right foot respectively. However, Aidan Dunning's charges were level by the midpoint of the first half, courtesy of a great point from a tight angle from Eoin Monaghan and a 30-metre free from Noel Galvin, sandwiched between which the losers were wasteful both from frees and open play. Pat Clancy's troops dominated the second quarter and were rewarded with three unanswered points - two from opportunist corner-forward Johnny McGuinness and the other from Mickey Travers, who availed of uncertainty in the winners' defence. This left the scoreboard at the break reading: St. Paul's 0-5 Garrycastle 0-2. St Paul's made little of the wind in their faces on the change of ends by adding a brace of points in the 35th and 37th minutes, half-time replacement Conor Slator justifying his introduction with a neat point and David Dolan dissecting the posts in style with a left-footed shot. However, Garrycastle took control at this juncture and they scored 2-3 without reply in an 11-minute spell to open up a four-point gap. Points from Neal Rattigan (after the referee overruled the umpire's initial wide call) and Noel Galvin (a terrific 50-metre free) were followed by a rasping shot to the net from 20 metres by Justin McAteer which flew in via Ollie Mulvaney's fingertips. The winners took the lead for the first time in the 44th minute when Eoin Monaghan kicked a fine individual point and, after both sides kicked disappointing wides, Noel Galvin slotted the ball home from the penalty spot when Eoin Monaghan was fouled in the large parallelogram. Ironically, the blue and whites got right back into contention with a converted penalty of their own with four minutes of normal time remaining, Kenny Higgins side-footing the ball to the net after Darren Henry was fouled. It was now a one-point game but Garrycastle added two crucial points in as many minutes as the scoreboard clock ticked down to zero, Eoin Monaghan doing very well to find the range under pressure and Robbie Fox pointing in style, at the end of a counterattack when Philip Gilsenan was penalised for overcarrying after a surging run goalward. A period of three minutes' injury-time was signalled but, despite frantic St. Paul's attacks, Garrycastle held firm to deservedly land the spoils. After the game, the chairman of the Westmeath Football Board, Liam Gavin presented the Hugh Daniels Memorial Cup to the victorious Garrycastle captain, Noel Galvin. Scorers Garrycastle: N Galvin 1-2 (1-0pen, 2 frees), J McAteer 1-0, E Monaghan 0-3, R Fox and N Rattigan 0-1 each. St. Paul's: K Higgins 1-0 (pen), J McGuinness 0-3, D Dolan, L Higgins, M Travers and C Slator 0-1 each. Garrycastle: Padraig Cosgrove; Anthony Duignan, Sean Brennan, Gary McCallon; Gary Mullery, Tom McHugh, Anthony Larkin; Noel Galvin (capt), Justin Barrett; Robbie Fox, Neal Rattigan, Brian Carthy; Eoin Monaghan, Paul O'Donovan, Paul Mulvihill. Subs: Peadar Mulvihill for Carthy (h-t), Justin McAteer for O'Donovan (h-t), Sean Carey for Paul Mulvihill (52), Enda Keena for Rattigan (60 + 3). St. Paul's: Ollie Mulvaney; Barry Davis, Jimmy McQuaid, John Fitzpatrick; Jack Clancy, Gary Gilsenan, Robert Dugdale; Paul Gilsenan, David Dolan; Mickey Travers, Philip Gilsenan, Kenny Higgins; Johnny McGuinness, Lenny Higgins, Dara Brady (capt). Subs: Conor Slator for Dugdale (h-t), Darren Henry for L. Higgins (52), Emmett Cunneen for McGuinness (52), Richard Sheridan for Travers (57). Referee: Mick McAdden (St. Loman's, Mullingar).