Cox seals hard-earned win for St Loman’s in disappointing senior final

St Loman’s, Mullingar 0-9 Coralstown/Kinnegad 0-7

Despite failing to replicate the outstanding football they played in some earlier rounds, St Loman’s, Mullingar were never headed as they won the Westmeath senior football title for the seventh time in 11 years in a low-scoring final against Coralstown/Kinnegad at a well-attended TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon.

In truth, this was a disappointing spectacle despite the pleasant weather – a sharp contrast with the conditions at the same venue just 24 hours earlier. Live coverage by TG4 and the presence of GAA president Larry McCarthy added to the prestige of the occasion, but several bouts of cagey play and poor shot selection – especially from the underdogs in the first half – made for a somewhat forgettable decider.

However, the closeness of the scoring kept spectators on their feet, and it has to be marked down in the ‘one that got away’ category for Coralstown/Kinnegad, who looked in a great position to bridge a 27-year gap when wind-assisted and on level terms approaching the end of normal time. In the end, the big match experience of the Mullingar blues enabled them to eke out a hard-earned win, courtesy of a John Heslin free and a great point from play by sub TJ Cox.

Emma King from Ballinagore sang Amhrán na bhFiann in conjunction with the Mullingar Town Band prior to the commencement of the game. Despite the wear and tear of two finals and supporter celebrations afterwards the previous day, the pitch was in remarkably good condition when final debutant referee Alan Coyne threw in the ball.

John Heslin initially appeared to have put the pre-match favourites ahead with a trademark long-range point in the third minute, but his shot was narrowly wide. A miss at either end preceded the hard-working Sam McCartan opening the scoring some three minutes later. Brían Cooney was well wide from a free, but Heslin converted a tricky free from 40 metres in the 14th minute to put his side two clear at the end of a cagey opening quarter.

Shane Dempsey made it 0-3 to 0-0 with a fine score, following a great piece of fielding by skipper Heslin, and Paddy Dowdall’s troops, appearing in a remarkable ninth consecutive Flanagan Cup decider, added points from Heslin (a free) and McCartan (from play at the end of a patient move) in the 18th and 20th minutes respectively. Eoin O’Brien, who was man-marking All Star nominee Ronan O’Toole, took time to join the Coralstown/Kinnegad attack and he fired over a superb point to keep his side very much in touch.

The underdogs, appearing in their first final in 25 years, were quite wasteful with point opportunities, epitomised by a Josh Gahan effort (following great work by Ronan Doyle). St Loman’s were not at their brilliant best either, with O’Toole spurning a good chance from a 29th-minute ‘mark’. However, the big miss of the contest came in added-time (a minimum of one was signalled) when a turnover enabled Darren Giles to tee up Dan Leech who shot wide (his team’s seventh) with the goal seemingly at his mercy. St Loman’s, Mullingar led by 0-5 to 0-1 at the interval.

Liam Daly reduced the deficit with an inspirational point exactly a minute after play resumed. Coralstown/Kinnegad were on top at this stage and they fired over three points by the 41st minute to gain parity, the scores coming from the boots of Shane Fleming (two – a 40-metre mark, moments after Dempsey had solid claims for a free waved away, and a great 50-metre free from the ground), and a Giles free (after the ball had been touched on the ground).

However, the red and white-clad outfit were never able to get in front and hard-working wing back Kevin Regan nudged the Mullingar men ahead in the 42nd minute. A point exchange ensued between Giles (a wonderful score) and Heslin (a free). Giles was unable to convert a difficult free, before Cooney and Heslin swapped points from placed balls (the latter coming shortly after a Heslin catch almost teed up influential sub TJ Cox close to goal).

Paschal Kellaghan’s charges went all-out in search of an equaliser, but the experience of St Loman’s came to the fore in a pulsating finish. Jason Daly did well to field a Podge Quinn lob on the hour mark. Cox, whose celebrations underlined how hungry St Loman’s remain despite a trophy-laden decade, sealed the deal with a great point with time almost up.

After the match, Frank Mescall, the chairman of the Westmeath GAA County Board, in conjunction with Kevin Flanagan (son of the late cup donor, Paddy), presented the Flanagan Cup to the St Loman’s, Mullingar captain, John Heslin, who became the first man to receive the cup for a fifth time.

Footnote: Prior to the game, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of former St Finian’s footballer Dermot Cooney, a Flanagan Cup winner in 1967 and the father of Coralstown/Kinnegad coach Jack Cooney.

Scorers – St Loman’s, Mullingar: J Heslin 0-4 (4f), S McCartan 0-2, K Regan, S Dempsey, TJ Cox 0-1 each. Coralstown/Kinnegad: Darren Giles (1f), S Fleming (1f, 1m) 0-2 each, L Daly, E O’Brien, B Cooney (f) 0-1 each.

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Jason Daly; Eoghan Hogan, Darragh O’Keeffe, Oisín Hogan; Jack Geoghegan, David Whelan, Enda Gaffney; Kevin Regan, Sean Flanagan; Tristan Graham, John Heslin, Sam McCartan; Danny McCartan, Ronan O’Toole, Shane Dempsey. Subs used: TJ Cox for Graham (h-t), Kelvin Reilly for O Hogan (55), Conor O’Donoghue for D McCartan (60+2).

Coralstown/Kinnegad: Stephen McNevin; Ciaran Daly Snr, Daniel Woods, Ronan Doyle; Liam Daly, Jason Macken, Josh Gahan; Darren Giles, Brían Cooney; David Giles, Shane Fleming, Eoin O’Brien; James Maxwell, Wayne Fox, Dan Leech. Subs used: Jack Torpey for Leech (47), Eoghan Bracken for Fox (51), Podge Quinn for Maxwell (55), Callum Cruise for David Giles (60).

Ref: Alan Coyne (Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall).