Wexford clash ‘is a massive game’ - Mark McHugh
The upshot of last weekend's results in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League is that Wexford and Westmeath will battle it out next Sunday for the second promotion spot beside Down.
And looking forward to that crucial game at Chadwicks Wexford Park (2pm), Westmeath football manager Mark McHugh said: “Wexford is a massive game, a winner-takes-all, a cup final. Our first goal at the start of the year was to get promoted. We knew it wouldn’t be easy and we knew it would probably come down to the last day.
Speaking about the challenge of Wexford (who defeated Clare in Ennis last Sunday), McHugh said: “Wexford have had a serious campaign. They put up a serious performance against Clare today and we have to prepare as best we can for next Sunday.
“We’ll study them this week. We’re going to have to bring the aggression and intensity that they are going to have. Whoever wins it will deserve to win it and get promoted. A draw will do us, but since these new rules came in I don’t see too many draws about the place. It’s not soccer and we won’t be going down to try and draw the game! We had only three home games but we won all three, and have put ourselves in a good position.”
After overseeing a 16-point win over Limerick in TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon (4-21 to 3-8 - see report here), McHugh was keen to emphasise the positives from his troops’ display, despite the concession of preventable goals yet again. Luke Loughlin, Matthew Whittaker, Robbie Forde and Ronan Wallace were the scorers of the Westmeath goals.
McHugh stated: “We got two early goals and could have got four, but it was a huge performance overall. We started the game very, very impressively and we were doing the right things.
“Their first goal was a sucker punch, but we opened them up pretty easy in the first half down the middle. We scored 4-21 but could have scored over six goals except for some wrong decision-making. That gave them a bit of hope but once we got the subs on, they made a difference. They brought energy, while to be fair to Limerick they lost a few people early on and they didn’t have the energy to match us. We only conceded eight points, so that’s a good day with bad underfoot conditions and a strong wind.”
The Donegal man continued: “We were content at half-time being a point up with the gale to come, even if we should have been more ahead. We had conceded two very bad goals, there’s no point in saying anything different. We have to look at all the goals we are conceding. We have to stop leaking goals all the time. We controlled the second half and we created lots of chances. We felt that if we kept doing the right thing, scores would come, and they did. Limerick tired a wee bit and our fresh legs helped.”
McHugh and his management team have named an unchanged team from the side which eventually defeated Limerick by a comfortable margin last Sunday.
Provided there aren't changes in advance of throw-in, this means that midfielder Ray Connellan - who missed the Limerick game through suspension - will be kept in reserve on the bench.
Caulry's Tadhg Baker also returns to the match-day squad, having missed the last two games due to injury.
Westmeath (NFL team vs Wexford): Jason Daly; Danny Scahill, Charlie Drumm, Boidu Sayeh; Ronan Wallace, Shane Allen, Matthew Whittaker; Sam McCartan, Jonathan Lynam; Kevin O’Sullivan, Danny McCartan, Brían Cooney; Shane Corcoran, Luke Loughlin, Tom Molloy. Subs used: Jack Connaughton, Adam Treanor, Conor Dillon, Tadhg Baker, Brandon Kelly, Eoghan McCabe, Jack Duncan. TJ Cox, Robbie Forde, Harry Niall, Ray Connellan.