Crunch clashes in Westmeath SFC this weekend

This weekend sees the penultimate round of group games in the Shay Murtagh Precast Westmeath Senior Football Championship. It's a weekend which will see some teams take a major step towards the knockout stages, while other teams will have their hopes dented, possibly irretrievably.

The Garrycastle vs Mullingar Shamrocks, Athlone vs Killucan and St Loman's Mullingar v Coralstown/Kinnegad games all look like pivotal encounters. Here we take a look at the six games.

Moate All Whites v Tyrrellspass (Section B, Saturday, TEG Cusack Park, 5pm)

Having lost to Tubberclair in the opening round, Moate All Whites now have two wins under their belt (against Athlone and Tang) which puts them in a good position to reach the knockout stages.

It wasn't until the closing stages that Moate took command of their meeting with Tang last time out, but they did enough to get the job done. Robbie Forde scored 1-3 in a 1-18 to 1-13 victory.

Tyrrellspass were very depleted with they lost heavily to Tubberclair in the second round. That came in between a draw with Killucan and a seven-point defeat to Athlone. Overall, the All Whites look a better bet for victory in this game. Verdict: Moate All Whites

St Loman's, Mullingar v Coralstown/Kinnegad (Section A, Saturday, The Downs, 5pm)

St Loman's have the greater need for a victory but Coralstown/Kinnegad will be keen to keep their momentum going. Moreover, the Kinnegad men should not pass up the opportunity to push a fellow Flanagan Cup contender towards the exit door.

With three draws from their three games, St Loman's will be keen for a victory. The fact that only three teams now qualify from Section A has added a welcome dollop of jeopardy to proceedings.

There is plenty of quality and scoring power in the St Loman's ranks and the suspicion here is that they will find a way to garner their first victory to boost their qualification prospects. Verdict: St Loman's.

Athlone v Killucan (Section B, Sunday, Rochfortbridge, 1pm)

A strong case could be made for either side in what should prove an intriguing affair on Sunday. The injury to Stephen O'Connor, which makes his participation in this game highly unlikely, is a major blow for Athlone. O'Connor has been one of the leading forwards in the championship so far and he scored 3-4 in the defeat to Moate.

With a midfield pairing of Westmeath stars Shane Allen and Ray Connellan, Athlone are certainly capable of winning this game. But they must be concerned at the number of goals they have conceded so far (seven in total, and four against Moate alone) and the ease with which opponents are creating such chances. The Shannonsiders won't need to be reminded that Killucan scored four goals against Tang and three against Tubberclair.

Killucan's exciting clash with Tubberclair could have easily ended in a win for the man in saffron and white. The likes of Devin Hill and Sean Leech carry plenty of threat.

Many members of the Killucan contingent will be in a positive frame of mind after Raharney's victory over senior hurling champions Castletown Geoghegan last weekend. Whether their hurling exploits are a distraction or a confidence boost remains to be seen.

If Athlone lose, they will at a head-to-head disadvantage against two teams (Killucan and Moate) who look like strong contenders for knockout places. This is possibly the hardest game to call this weekend and in a championship which has already thrown up five draws, it wouldn't be any great surprise if this produced another one. Verdict: Draw.

Garrycastle v Mullingar Shamrocks (Section A, Sunday, Rochfortbridge, 2.30)

Following Garrycastle’s draw with St Loman's in the last round, much of the post-match debate focused on the Mullingar side's failure to take advantage of a winning position in what was their third successive draw. On the other hand, Garrycastle probably didn't get sufficient credit for their comeback. Eoin Mulvihill produced an influential display at midfield which he capped with the equalising point.

By all accounts, Garrycastle were somewhat fortunate to edge out Caulry in round two, while they have found the running power of Coralstown/Kinnegad too much in the opening game.

The manner of Garrycastle's championship exit at the hands of Shamrocks last year will surely give the men in green and red additional motivation. The Mullingar side struck for a dramatic winning goal after the allocated period of stoppage time had elapsed.

Shamrocks have plenty of exciting young talent in their ranks and with players like Shane Ormsby, Bruan Guerin and Denis Corroon, they won't lack power and ball-winning ability around midfield. Yet, if Garrycastle can build on the positives from their performance against St Loman's, this is a game they are capable of winning. Verdict: Garrycastle.

Tubberclair v Tang (Section B, Sunday, TEG Cusack Park, 5pm)

Having finally got over the line in the intermediate grade last year, Tubberclair have taken to senior championship fare like a duck to water. They will be bidding for their fourth win on the trot which would secure a quarter-final place.

Apart from the Killucan game - where they conceded four goals - Tang have been quite competitive without picking up any points. Tang would surely love to get one over their near neighbours, albeit it looks like a tall order.

But if Tang fall to an expected defeat, they will hope that Tyrrellspass lose to Moate. If that happens, Paul Conway's charges can still secure survival by beating Tyrrellspass in the final round of games. Verdict: Tubberclair.

Caulry v The Downs (Section A, Sunday, Moate, 5pm)

This looks like the easiest game to call this weekend. Caulry were considered unlucky to Garrycastle and they produced some good passages of football in the opening round against Mullingar Shamrocks, with Stephen Connolly scoring two goals. But the manner of their third successive defeat (at the hands of Coralstown/Kinnegad) renders it virtually impossible to make a case for them. In addition, the absence of Senan Baker and Conor McCormack leaves them short of inspiration in attack.

Flanagan Cup holders The Downs are unbeaten with their win over Shamrocks preceded by draws against St Loman's and Coralstown/Kinnegad. With Luke Loughlin back in action and pulling the strings, the men in black and amber will surely take a step closer to the knockout stages and they will be eyeing up a direct passage to the semi-finals. Verdict: The Downs.