Westmeath's clash with Kildare called off

The O'Byrne Cup match between Westmeath and Kildare - scheduled to be played in Kinnegad tomorrow night (Wednesday) - will not take place after the Lilywhites withdrew from the fixture.

The Kildare County Board informed Leinster GAA that they can't fulfil the fixture, with players preparing for exams and Sigerson Cup commitments cited as reasons for the decision.

Louth's took the one semi-final place up for grabs in Group A of the O'Byrne Cup by virtue of their win over Kildare in Newbridge last Saturday (0-14 to 1-10). That result meant neither Westmeath or Kildare could reach the semi-final.

Louth had already defeated Westmeath in the opening round, with the Lake County men going on to record an emphatic win over Wexford in their second outing.

Although nothing tangible would have been at stake against Kildare, it would have been an opportunity to give game time to more fringe players, and there is likely to be some disappointment among Westmeath management and fans that the game won’t take place.

The Westmeath v Kildare fixture is the second O'Byrne Cup match to fall by the wayside in 24 hours, with Louth having given Wexford a walkover yesterday.

The involvement of players in the Sigerson Cup, the fact that the game would be a dead rubber and the length of the journey to the Wexford venue of Hollymount were seen as factors in Louth's decision.

In any case, Westmeath, Kildare and Wexford will have no further competitive games between now and the start of the Allianz Football League. Westmeath's first league game in Division 3 will be against Cavan on Sunday, January 29, in what will be a repeat of last year's Tailteann Cup final pairing.

As for the O'Byrne Cup, Louth will play either Dublin or Offaly in one semi-final, and the winners will face Meath or Longford in the final. Meath will meet Longford in Ashbourne on Wednesday night to decide who tops Group B, while the Dubs will host Offaly at Parnell Park on the same night (throw-in 8pm for both games).