Published: Wednesday, 25th November, 2009 6:00pm

Superb second half display propels Garrycastle to Leinster fin

Ballyboden St. Enda's (Dublin) 0-6 Garrycastle (Westmeath) 1-8

After producing one of the best ever displays from a Lake County club team last Sunday, Garrycastle are now just one step from becoming the first Westmeath side to win the Leinster senior football title. A thoroughly-deserved win over Dublin kingpins, Ballyboden St. Enda's at Cusack Park sees Anthony Cunningham's charges set to face either Clara or Portlaoise in the provincial showdown.

Admittedly, the Dublin champions were already short the services of the very influential duo of Declan O'Mahoney (suspended) and Kenny Naughton (injured), when Conal Keaney was ruled out before the throw-in, due to a bout of flu. The inter-county star forward did manage a late cameo role, but by then the home side had one foot in the decider, having soaked up a lot of pressure from the losers and, in doing so, displaying fitness and skill levels of the highest calibre. In truth, from the moment that very promising wing back Mark McCallon fired home a great goal midway through the second moiety, Garrycastle never looked likely to be overturned.

Around 1,350 hardy souls turned up in Cusack Park last Sunday, resisting the temptation to sit by their firesides and watch live TV coverage. The Dubliners brought a lot of support with them, but they seldom looked like they would be returning eastwards having booked a place in the provincial decider, having failed to do so also in the small ball game a week earlier. Despite all the recent rain, the Mullingar pitch was in excellent condition and a game played free of any great rancour was a credit to the players and mentors from both sides.

After Denise Fulham got the show on the road with her usual fine rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann, referee Eddie Kinsella threw in the ball, with the home side having the advantage of a strong and swirling wind blowing directly from the Dunnes Stores end of the ground. Des Dolan was just off target with a right-footed point attempt after 30 seconds and the same player - what a class act he still is at 30 years of age - was unlucky with another attempt, this time with his left foot, just over a minute later. The latter player, as always, was singled out for special attention by the opposition and when he was fouled, Paul Dillon curled over a delightful left-footed free from 30 metres to open the scoring. In the ninth minute, Ballyboden spurned a great chance to go in front when Michael McAuley passed to an unmarked Stephen Hiney some ten metres from goal, but the centre half forward shot low and wide.

It was clear to all and sundry that Garrycastle were fired up for the occasion, Seanie O'Donoghue producing a marvellous block on Paul Galvin, followed by wonderful mass defending from the boys in green and red. A shot from 30 metres by Gary Dolan lacked conviction, before both sides were penalised for 'square ball' offences. In the 17th minute, a fine Garrycastle move involving Des and Gary Dolan ended with Paddy Mulvihill's goal attempt being blocked by St. Enda's goalkeeper Daire Walsh and Mark McCallon's follow-up being cleared off the line by full back Ian Clarke. A minute later, Des Dolan got his name on the scoresheet with a neat point, after taking James Duignan's pass. An indication of the strength of the wind was the ongoing difficulty Daire Walsh had with his kick-outs. However, the visitors opened their account in the 20th minute, Stephen Hiney benefiting from an 'advantage' by the referee to find the target, via the hands of Cathal Mullin.

The latter was also occasionally troubled by the elements, having to seek the referee's permission to replace the ball on the goalkeeper's plastic tee. At the other end, his colleagues soon rattled off three precious points in as many minutes to open a four-point gap. Sandwiched between terrific scores on the run from the right of the posts by Paddy Mulvihill and James Duignan, Des Dolan availed of an unforced handling error outside his area by Daire Walsh to tap over a simple free. Cathal Mullin then had to be alert to keep out Stephen Hiney's effort. More Garrycastle pressure yielded no scores, Gary Dolan failing to get an incisive touch to Paddy Mulvihill's inswinging cross. With exactly a half an hour elapsed, Darragh Nelson picked out Andrew Kerin who kicked Ballymun's second point from an acute angle. In the last move of the half, fine play by the Westmeath champions ended with James Dolan shooting wide. In truth, Garrycastle's lead of 0-5 to 0-2 looked precarious at the interval.

Darkness was rapidly descending on Westmeath GAA headquarters as play resumed, but there was any likelihood of the contest going the same abandoned route as an hour down the road in Portlaoise. In the second minute, full forward Simon Lambert reduced the deficit to two points with a great left-footed point from 35 metres. John Gaffey, who excelled in the second half in the Garrycastle defence, held the ball near his goalline from Shane Durkin's free. James Dolan produced a great block on James O'Hara as Garrycastle continued to show wonderful resilience throughout the field. Their passing was swift and incisive and panic never remotely threatened to break out in all lines of this well-drilled team. After a couple of Ballyboden wides, Des Dolan, as he had done in Longford, kicked the point of the contest from a seemingly-impossible angle to put the winners ahead by double scores (0-6 to 0-3).

A drop-kick from Seanie O'Donoghue almost led to another score for the green and reds. Andrew Kerin was unlucky to see his potentially defence-splitting pass tail off with the wind, before the winners came up with the match-turning score. A terrific move ended with Paddy Mulvihill picking out the strong-running Mark McCallon and the young number 5 rifled a lovely shot low to the Ballyboden net. Another drop-kick from Seanie O'Donoghue just missed the target, before Gary Dolan came close to sealing the contest when he took a pass from David O'Shaughnessy (who was far more influential in the second half), but he was denied a second Garrycastle goal by the outstretched legs of Daire Walsh.

The losers' best-know player, Conal Keaney entered the fray in the 20th minute and he was soon on the scoresheet, popping over a '45' within a minute. At the other end, Paul Dillon's effort was held by Daire Walsh. Andrew Kerin's well-struck free reduced the gap to four points in the 23rd minute, but Des Dolan's vast experience soon came to the fore showing his trademark ability to wind down the clock and draw a free, after a cynical challenge by Cormac Smyth. Team captain Gary Dolan then produced a sidestep worthy of his better-known brother before rifling over a fabulous point with the outside of his right boot. Ballyboden's frustration was exemplified when they were twice penalised for technical fouls as they went all-out in search of late scores. David O'Shaughnessy chipped in with a rare but precious point in the second last minute of normal time. A lobbed free from Andrew Kerin and a similar ploy from a '45' from Simon Lambert both failed to lead to a score. In the second minute of added-time, a low-trajectory shot from Cormac Smyth yielded a point rather than the desired goal. Indeed, Garrycastle had the last meaningful attack, Gary Dolan receiving the ball from his brother Des' quickly-taken free, but the full forward was unlucky to see his shot come back off the woodwork.

Garrycastle look certain to give a very good account of themselves against either Portlaoise or Clara come Leinster final day. There will undoubtedly be a large contingent from the Shannonside club present to watch the rescheduled semi-final between the Laois and Offaly champions. On last Sunday's display, an in-form Garrycastle side has the potential to round off a hitherto-awful year for Westmeath football at inter-county level with an historic breakthrough on the club front.

Garrycastle: Cathal Mullin; Padraig Rattigan, John Gaffey, Enda Mulvihill; Mark McCallon (1-0), Karl Henson, Doran Harte; Seanie O'Donoghue, David O'Shaughnessy (0-1); James Dolan, Des Dolan (0-3, 0-1 from a free), Paddy Mulvihill (0-1); Paul Dillon (0-1, from a free), Gary Dolan (0-1), James Duignan (0-1). Subs: Tom McHugh (for Rattigan, 15 mins), Aidan Browne (for P.Mulvihill, inj, 52 mins), Stephen O'Reilly (for Dillon, 54 mins), Donovan Hermbusche (for J. Dolan, 60 + 1 mins).

Ballyboden St. Enda's: Daire Walsh; James O'Hara, Ian Clarke, Mark O'Sullivan; Darragh Nelson, Darragh Kiernan, Conor Dolan; Michael McAuley, Paul Galvin; Daniel Davey, Stephen Hiney (0-1), Cormac Smyth (0-1); Shane Durkin, Simon Lambert (0-1), Andrew Kerin (0-2, 0-1 from a free). Subs: Cian Hiney (for Davey, 47 mins), Conal Keaney (0-1, from a '45') (for Dolan, 50 mins).

Referee: Eddie Kinsella (Laois).