Fermanagh game is very much 5050 says cribbin
Westmeath’s eagerly anticipated Qualifier clash against Fermanagh in Breffni Park on Saturday evening (throw-in 5pm) “is very much 50-50”, according to Westmeath manager Tom Cribbin.
Although the Kildare native believes that his squad is strong enough to cope with the loss of its top scorer John Heslin, who is to miss the game with a fractured bone in his heel, he also feels that there is very little to choose between his and Pete McGrath’s team.
“You only need to look at their comeback in the last Qualifier against Roscommon, who were promoted to Division 1 in the League early in the year, to see what Fermanagh are capable of. In fact, they’ve shown great resolve in their last two games, coming back from four and five points behind, so we know there’s a formidable challenge ahead of us on Saturday,” he continued.
“The teams are probably on a par and it might come down to who has the greater mental toughness, and I have to say our lads are in a good place in that regard after the Championship we’ve had to date.”
Westmeath’s campaign to date has been impressive, with wins against Louth, Wexford and Meath before the Leinster final loss to Dublin. But Cribbin is not content to sit on the memory of Westmeath’s momentous Leinster semi-final win against Meath and is determined to see the Lake men into the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
“I think, in terms of the team’s development over the next year or two, getting to the quarter-finals would be an enormous boost. The team has grown a great deal since the start of the Championship and the confidence levels are way up on what they were after the League. We want to keep it going and want to be in the last eight, and we certainly have the ability and belief to achieve that. Fermanagh, of course, will probably be thinking likewise and will present a formidable test, but we’re going to Cavan in a good frame of mind, ready to produce another really good performance that proves what these Westmeath footballers are capable of,” he added.