Flanagan Cup success remains live prospect for local clubs

With two fixtures remaining in the group phase of this year's Westmeath senior football championship, an opportunity to claim the Flanagan Cup remains a live prospect for a number of clubs.

Despite their surprise loss to Tyrrellspass in the third round of fixtures, Athlone are placed second in Section A which, if holds at the conclusion of the round robin games, will see the Shannonsiders advance to the semi-final stage of the competition.

In the fourth round of fixtures, Athlone play a Downs team who have comprehensively dispatched all opposition to date in the championship.

A return to winning ways for Athlone would go a long way to ensuring Eoin Jordan's team feature in the knockout phase of this year's competition, but with the Section A table so congested, a loss would have Athlone fearing a drop to Section B for the 2026 championship.

All teams in Section A have claimed at least one championship victory to date and will be optimistic of their chances of knockout phase progression.

Meanwhile, Garrycastle continued their unbeaten start to life back in the senior championship, with a comprehensive defeat of St Malachy's at the weekend.

With three successive wins, Gary Dolan's team are primed to advance to the quarter-final stage of the competition where, on current form, they will be a match for the third or fourth place finishing team in Section A.

Caulry provide the opposition for Garrycastle in TEG Cusack Park on Saturday week.

The Mount Temple/Baylin club followed up their surprise opening fixture loss to Killucan with wins over St Malachy's and Tang and a third successive win over Garrycastle would place Pat Flanagan's team in a strong position to advance to the quarter-finals. Caulry will play Moate All Whites in their closing Section B game.

Moate All Whites continue to impress on their Flanagan Cup journey. Comfortably dispatching Killucan at the weekend, with strong performances from the in form Robbie Forde and Darragh Lowry, they will be favourites to see off the challenge of St Malachy's when the teams meet in TEG Cusack Park on Saturday week.

A win for Val Daly's team would, similar to Garrycastle and Caulry, put them in a strong qualification position and set up the tantalising prospect of a potential 'winner takes all' quarter-final clash with Caulry as Section B draws to a conclusion.

Tang remain winless from their opening three fixtures. Having held a five point lead at half-time in their recent championship encounter against Caulry, they must win their next outing against Killucan if they have any chance to avoid the drop to intermediate championship football in 2026.

The next round of Westmeath senior football championship fixtures take place over the weekend of September 6-7.