‘Louth’s win last year has opened up Leinster’ - Wallace

By Kevin Egan

In America, the term used is “posterized”. Taken from basketball, where one player produces an incredible slam dunk and the defender opposing him has to see himself preserved on posters as the guy who was overpowered.

Some of the Westmeath footballers were entitled to feel the same in the aftermath of Seán Ryan’s pivotal goal for Wexford in the recent promotion-deciding Division 3 league clash. In the final round of league games there were big moments all over the country, but due to a combination of TG4’s coverage and the fairytale that was Wexford completing back to back promotions, not to mention the circumstances in which it happened, the clip of Ryan’s goal went viral. Celine Dion music was added, some people dubbed in Martin Tyler’s commentary of Sergio Aguero’s league-winning goal for Manchester City.

But from a Westmeath perspective, there was nothing the players could do but just try and tune out and turn their focus to this Sunday’s very short trip up to Glennon Brothers Pearse Park (throw-in 3pm).

“It was disappointing after the game, we were 35, 40 seconds away from promotion back up to Division Two, but we just had to dust ourselves off,” said Ronan Wallace, speaking at last week’s Leinster SFC launch.

“We took a few days off and we just had to park it. You can't let a small moment derail your season. We’ve Longford next, we really have to be focused for going down to Pearse Park. I just took a few days away. Just stepped back, relaxed, just switched off completely, put the phone away.”

After the game, there was further focus put on the fact that Westmeath tried to defend honestly, and that was contrasted with Meath’s liberal use of the tactical foul in the closing stages of their Division 2 final against Cork. Wallace confirmed that the same topic came up in the team's post-mortem as well.

“The subject of it came up, that we should have just pulled them down and even gave away a two-point breach or something like that because we knew if we drew the game we were still promoted, so a two-pointer wouldn't have done them," said the Westmeath captain.

“It is a flaw, I suppose, that if you're two points down or a goal down and you're fouled and your whole momentum stopped and time stopped. You don't have that capability to get up the pitch because the opposition are setting their defence. So maybe it is something that they have to look at going forward.”

Continuing the conversation on the topic feels like cruelty to a player and a team that showed more than a little bit of quality and potential over the course of the campaign. A last-ditch win over Sligo laid to rest a lot of the demons that were lingering from the 2025 litany of competitive, close defeats, while there were plenty of scores.

Westmeath registered tallies of 1-26 against Fermanagh, 4-17 against Limerick and 2-19 against Clare. So Mark McHugh certainly got the team’s attacking mojo working and a big part of that was the contribution of the half-back line, with Wallace to the forefront.

Two weeks ago the Irish News ‘Monday Club’ podcast named the Multyfarnham man at wing back on their team of the year so far, so there’s no doubt that this aspect of the team’s play is catching the eye of the country.

“Obviously nice to get named in a team like that, but you don't go out to play as an individual, you go out to play as a team,” he replies, smiling.

“You're not there to get your name on the score sheet, it's more Westmeath wants to be on the score sheet. So, look, it's a nice accolade to get, but I won't lose sleep over it.”

So is it the player, or the system that has led to Wallace scoring 2-12 across the campaign?

“I think it's a bit of both, I've worked on it myself. I brought it in from the club championship where I scored a good bit with the club, and I just have that confidence to take the shots that they're on, but obviously they're worked well through the system of play we have. I get on the scoreboard because the lads make screens or pop me a ball in space.

“Sam McCartan pops up with plenty of scores, Matthew Whitaker as well, the way the new rules have made it, it's a lot more attritional up and down. When you do dispossess a team and you're on a fast counter attack, it's usually the wing-backs or the half-back line who are driving forward and coming onto the ball that bit more than the wing-forwards.”

Overall, Wallace is impressed with what Mark McHugh has brought to the Westmeath football scene. “You can't fault his commitment. He's so honest, if you're not pulling your weight, you're going to find out about it,” he replied.

“One thing he has really brought is unity as a group. He's surrounded himself with great coaches there from Tyrone, obviously Jamie Gonoud and Emmet McDonnell from Westmeath. You have that mixture of both from outside the county and inside the county who are bringing vast knowledge of the game.”

So no issue with taking guidance from Gonoud, who was part of the same backline as Wallace for so long?

“It was seamless enough, a lot of the group had played with Jamie last year. He just made the venture into management or the coaching role after retiring. I think he adds that player dynamic in that he's only recently retired so lads, if they're not comfortable going to the manager about something, they can go to Jamie and he can broach it with Mark.

“He’s played in Leinster finals, he's been proven at the highest level. I think it's great for lads to learn off him as well”.

And the prospects of breaking through the glass ceiling and winning one of those finals?

“That would be the ultimate goal. I think it's something we can definitely achieve. We're just focused on Longford and not any game after that, but it's definitely a goal that we have as a group. I don't see why it can't be done.

“Louth winning last year has opened it up to everyone. Dublin's dominance was unmatched over the last ten or 15 years in Leinster and Ireland. It was nearly as though you were playing second fiddle, that you wanted to be the second best team in Leinster, but now it's hoping that you can be the best in Leinster. Their win last year just showed that, no reason why we can’t.”