Brave minor footballers lack strength to deny Kildare

Kildare 1-12, Westmeath 2-6

Westmeath minor footballers suffered their second defeat in this year’s Leinster championship when they were denied by favourites Kildare, who took all of 53 minutes to get ahead in Kinnegad on Wednesday evening.

Despite the loss, Westmeath can still qualify for the preliminary quarter-finals if they overcome Meath (who have also been defeated twice in the group) on Saturday at TEG Cusack Park.

The Lilywhites scored an unanswered 1-4 in a 10-minute spell during the second half to claim victory in an exciting match before a large attendance. The introduction of four substitutes in that period led to a rejuvenated effort from Niall Cronin’s Kildare side and they out-muscled Westmeath in a crucial phase of the match.

It was a superb effort, overall, by Eoghan Kevlihan’s Westmeath side, but they came up short in the end and just one score from play in the second half tells its own story.

An outstanding goal from Will Scahill - a prodigious talent, still eligible for U16 - put Westmeath three points clear in the 37th minute, but all they could muster were three points from frees by the talented James McHugh in the remaining 29 minutes (including added time).

Kildare took over in the middle third at crucial stages and substitute Austin Donegan made a massive impact, scoring a superb individual point after a powerful solo run on the hour mark, leaving it 1-12 to 2-5 as injury-time began.

Kildare wing back Paddy Ryan, who had just put the visitors ahead for the first time with a fine point, saw his low shot trickle into the bottom corner after 55 minutes and that goal proved decisive.

Westmeath led by 1-3 to 0-4 at the interval, following Christóir Ormsby’s fisted goal in the tenth minute, a score that gave the Westmeath supporters in the bumper crowd reason to cheer. The underdogs showed no inferiority complex and midfielder Daire O’Brien scored one of the finest points of the evening during a promising start which saw them establish a five-point lead.

Kildare were scoreless until Dylan O’Dwyer - grandson of Kerry legend Mick O’Dwyer - scored a fine point from a free on 13 minutes, his shot deemed to be marginally inside the upright in what was an extremely tight call. However, the signs were ominous by the break and when Kildare unloaded their bench, Westmeath had no response. The absence of Adam Smyth and Andrew Henson (both serving a one-match suspension) was a factor as the game wore on.

Fatigue seemed to impact on Westmeath as O’Brien and Ormsby were replaced in the second half and the Kildare defence was physically stronger at key moments. Westmeath still led by 2-4 to 0-7 at the three quarter stage and a shock was on the cards, but although James McHugh pointed frees in the 45th, 59th and 63rd minutes, scores from play were at a premium against a strong Kildare defence.

Scorers - Kildare: P Ryan 1-1, H Donnelly 0-4 (3f), R Lawlor 0-2, C McKevitt, D O’Dwyer (free), A Donegan, B Caffrey and L Murray 0-1 each. Westmeath: W Scahill 1-1 (0-1m), C Ormsby 1-0, J McHugh 0-3 (3f), D O’Brien and D Lough (free) 0-1 each.

Kildare - Conor McDonnell; Rian Beagan, Liam McDonald, Matthew O’Connor; Paddy Ryan, Finn Dowling, Liam Kenny; Evan Boyle, Ruaidhrí Lawlor; Cian McKevitt, Ronan Kelly, Mick O’Toole; Dylan O’Dwyer, Harry Donnelly, Tadhg Donlon. Subs: Austin Donegan and Luke Murray for O’Toole and O’Dwyer (h-time), Brian Caffrey for McDonald (39), Adam Poole for Kenny (53), Peter Fagan for Kelly (60+2).

Westmeath - Paul Keating; Daire Burke, Cian Whitney, Ben Sheerin; Ty Masterson, Mikey Weir, Jack Carroll; Daire O’Brien, Christóir Ormsby; Cormac McKeogh, Michael Moloney, Ryan Flynn; William Scahill, Daragh Lough, James McHugh. Subs: Darragh Madden for McKeogh (36), Oisín Mulvihill for O’Brien (51), Peadar Glennon for Ormsby (53), Simon O’Grady for Flynn (59).

Ref - Fergal Smyth (Offaly).