Garrycastle and Shamrocks to resume battle for county title

After an extraordinary Westmeath senior football final ended level last weekend, Garrycastle and Mullingar Shamrocks will do battle again at Cusack Park tomorrow, Sunday (throw-in: 2.30pm). It's amazing to consider that a Garrycastle team which held a nine-point lead early in the second half could be relieved to escape with a draw at the death. But such was the case in Cusack Park last Sunday. The momentum may be with Shamrocks ahead of the replay, yet both teams will see plenty of areas where they can extract improvement. And there are no shortage of fascinating questions ahead of the eagerly-awaited rematch. Can Lorcan Smyth put on another exhibition of scoring? Or will Garrycastle find some way of curbing his threat and shoring up a defence which looked porous last Sunday? Will Garrycastle recall some of their big guns to the starting team such as Cathal Mullin and Seanie O'Donoghue? What role will Dessie Dolan play in proceedings? Dolan was highly doubtful before the last game with a hamstring injury and, having been forced off with another injury (this time a dead leg), his readiness for action this weekend will be of keen interest. Will Donal O'Donoghue, who was suffering from illness in the lead-up to last Sunday, exert more of an influence this time? And will Shamrocks pay the price for not putting the champions away when they were on the rack last Sunday? Such questions will be answered soon.