Make-or-break Sunday ahead for Westmeath senior teams

Gerry Buckley

Yours truly was sitting just a few feet away from Dessie Dolan in the media area gantry of the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick last Saturday night – the Westmeath selector was Jack Cooney’s ‘eye in the sky’ for the vital league match. And I couldn’t resist reminiscing with arguably Westmeath's greatest ever player about the contrast between the scene unfolding in front of us with events at the same ground almost 23 years earlier.

That May afternoon, the Garrycastle maestro was, of course, a key member of Luke Dempsey’s U21 side in maroon and white which famously shocked a highly-fancied Kerry team to win the All-Ireland title.

Many people exaggerate and claim to have been at sporting occasions when they weren’t, but basically anybody with the remotest interest in Westmeath GAA matters actually was in Limerick on May 15, 1999 – and most of those crammed into the nearby Davin Arms (sadly, now extinct) before and after that magical victory!

It was a far cry from the few handfuls of diehards who made the long trek to the banks of the Shannon for a vital Division 3 clash last Saturday evening. Miserable weather and a miserable display seven days earlier in TEG Cusack Park against Longford contributed to the air of doom and gloom present – and I must confess to have been as doomy and gloomy as anybody.

Oh, me of little faith! While not becoming world-beaters overnight, Cooney’s charges upped their performance countless notches from the Longford debacle and a six-point win has lifted the spirits of all and sundry in Westmeath with two games remaining in a real dog-eat-dog division.

Indeed, the only ‘dog’ who is not eating back is from the Garden County. Longford, despite proving to be real party-poopers in Mullingar ten days ago, can’t move up to Division 2 but can avoid the slide to Division 4. However, all other six participants have become embroiled in a fascinating contest to secure one of the two promotion slots and/or to avoid the dreaded relegation trapdoor.

Next Sunday’s visitors to TEG Cusack Park (throw-in 2pm) are Fermanagh, the Erne County still smarting from a loss to Louth last Sunday which has made their promotion prospects very slim. Next Sunday’s opponents have clashed 15 times in the league, with Westmeath winning four times (including three of the last four clashes), drawing three times (including the fourth of the aforementioned four clashes), and losing eight times.

Just weeks before Covid came to torment us two years ago, Westmeath scraped a two-point win against the men in green and white. A similar scenario – or even half that margin – would do very nicely on Sunday.

Despite the topsy-turvy nature of Westmeath’s campaign this spring, thankfully the team’s destiny is in their own hands. A victory on Sunday would set up a mouth-watering fixture against Antrim in Corrigan Park a week later.

A replication of the best parts of the triumph against the Treaty men will suffice. Conversely, a return to the error-strewn effort against Longford simply will not.

The details of the clash two years ago are as follows.

Westmeath v Fermanagh - last meeting

February 9, 2020, TEG Cusack Park: Westmeath 0-10, Fermanagh 0-8

Scorers – Westmeath: J Heslin 0-5f, R Connellan 0-2, R O’Toole, C McCormack and D Lynch 0-1 each. Fermanagh: R Jones, A Breen and C Jones (2f) 0-2 each, Shane McGullion and Stephen McGullion 0-1 each.

Westmeath: Jason Daly; Jack Smith, Ronan Wallace, Boidu Sayeh; Paddy Holloway, Kevin Maguire, Killian Daly; Denis Corroon, Ray Connellan; James Dolan, Ronan O’Toole, David Lynch; Callum McCormack, John Heslin, Luke Loughlin. Subs used: Sam Duncan for McCormack (53 mins), Anthony McGivney for Holloway (58), Tommy McDaniel for O’Toole (70 + 3).

Fermanagh: James McGrath; Jonny Cassidy, Eoin Sheils, Kevin McDonnell; Declan McCusker, Daragh McGurn, Shane McGullion; Eoin Donnelly, Ryan Jones; Aidan Breen, Ultan Kelm, Ciaran Corrigan; Stephen McGullion, Conall Jones, Lorcan McStravick. Subs used: Daniel Teague for McStravick (23 mins), Mark McCauley for Sheils (57), Eoin McManus for McDonnell (61), Niall Cosgrove for McGurn (68).

Before the ball is thrown in at Westmeath GAA headquarters on Sunday, those of us with an equal interest in the fortunes of the Westmeath hurlers will either be relieved or distraught as news will have filtered through from Newbridge of the result of the must-win Division 2A clash with Kildare (throw-in 12.30).

In a nutshell, Westmeath hurling got a lucky break when the powers-that-be opted to stage a semi-final in the group this year. Otherwise, the destiny of Joe Fortune’s charges would be out of their hands. And this has to rate as a massive disappointment after defeats by Carlow and Down to go alongside wins against (a Kilmoyley-less) Kerry and a weak Meath side.

There will be nothing simple about the visit to St Conleth’s Park. Any hint of complacency will prove fatal – witness the footballers’ defeat by Longford.

Westmeath have won 17 of the previous 30 games against Kildare, in addition to drawing two and losing 11. The word ‘disaster’ probably has no place in a sporting article given what is happening in Ukraine, but it will be a disastrous blow for the small ball game in the Lake County if a Division 2A semi-final slot is not secured on Sunday.

The details of the last league game between the two counties are as follows.

Westmeath v Kildare - last meeting

February 4, 2018, TEG Cusack Park: Westmeath 1-20, Kildare 2-11

Scorers – Westmeath: N Mitchell 1-2 (0-1 lineball), A Devine 0-5 (4fs), N O’Brien 0-4, C Doyle 0-3, R Greville, K Doyle 0-2 each, C Boyle, J Gilligan 0-1 each. Kildare: J Burke 0-9 (7fs), S Ryan 1-1, M Fitzgerald 1-0, E O’Neill 0-1.

Westmeath: Shane McGovern; Shane Power, Tommy Doyle, Conor Shaw; Liam Varley, Paul Greville, Derek McNicholas; Robbie Greville, Cormac Boyle; John Gilligan, Killian Doyle, Niall Mitchell; Niall O’Brien, Ciaran Doyle, Allan Devine. Subs used: Gary Greville for Varley (41 mins), Eoin Price for Mitchell (64), Darragh Egerton for Boyle (70), Alan Cox for Devine (70 + 2).

Kildare: Paddy McKenna; Cian Forde, John Doran, Paul Sullivan; Niall Ó Muineacháin, Mark Moloney, Mark Grace; Eanna O’Neill, Brian Byrne; James Burke, Richard Ryan, Bernard Deay; Jack Sheridan, Martin Fitzgerald, Chris Bonus. Subs used: Shane Ryan for R Ryan (21 mins), Kevin Whelan for Bonus (h-t), Diarmuid Cahill for Ó Muineacháin (52), Sean Gainey for Grace (64).