Coyle's charges win tactical battle

The deployment of David Kilmartin as a sweeper to curb the threat of Denis Glennon proved to be a master stroke by manager Colm Coyle.Coralstown/Kinnegad deservedly beat Tyrrellspass in the first game of last Saturday evening's Westmeath senior football championship double-header at Cusack Park.Throughout the hour, tigerish corner back Jason Lynch (pound for pound as good a defender as there is the county) also mopped up loose ball with a wonderful intensity. As a result, the winners' rearguard confined the much heralded Tidy Town attack (albeit short the services of outstanding veteran Martin Flanagan) to a mere eight points. At the other end, Alan Giles (whose omission from the starting lineout in this year's Westmeath Under-21 team looks increasingly more baffling) took his scores from open play and frees with aplomb and the red and white-clad outfit were well worth their five-points winning margin.Wind-assisted Coralstown/Kinnegad got off to a dream start when Mark Gorman latched on to Niall Kilmartin's through ball and buried the ball past Darren Quinn with only 13 seconds elapsed. Alan Giles soon increased his side's advantage with a pointed free from 45 metres and the same player added another point from play in the sixth minute, availing of a clever knock down by Mark Gorman. Both sides proceeded to miss scoreable opportunities, the most noteworthy being a bad miss from a free for the losers by David Glennon. However, Laz Molloy's men eventually opened their account in the 11th minute, Keith Scally pointing after initial hesitancy, having received the ball from a quickly-taken free by David Glennon.Some two minutes later, Cian Flynn did well to lay the ball off when grounded to Alan Giles and the right half forward pointed neatly. Just past the midpoint of the half, Denis Glennon let the ball slip when in a good position to score and a lightning counterattack ended with a fabulous Alan Giles point, to put Coralstown/Kinnegad ahead by 1-4 to 0-1. Wing back Derek Griffin followed up with another terrific point, while a most untypical miss by Denis Glennon from a routine free summed up the woes of the men in navy and blue. Ger Egan then tried his hand at the placekicking duties but the wind caught his well-directed effort from 35 metres. Tim O'Regan was wide from a difficult free with his left foot as the 2006 and 2007 county champions continued to struggle to trouble the scoreboard operator. Alan Giles was having no such difficulty with his freetaking and he pointed a 45-metre free from his hands in the first minute of added-time. Two minutes later, Ray Sheeran nabbed the losers' second point, after some rare hesitancy in the Coralstown/Kinnegad backline. The first moiety ended with Niall Kilmartin producing a fine catch from an underhit Ger Egan free, leaving the winners ahead by 1-6 to 0-2 at the interval.Tyrrellspass needed a good start to the second half and, despite a first-minute wide from play by Denis Glennon, the former All-Star nominee converted two frees from 25 and 45 metres respectively in the third and sixth minutes respectively. A lack of discipline then caused an original Tyrrellspass free to be amended to a throw-in and Coralstown/Kinnegad made the most of this with Wayne Fox rifling over a point in the next passage of play. In the ninth minute, Denis Glennon kicked a fine point for the Tidy Town after a flowing move. However, Alan Giles soon restored his team's six-points lead with a great free from an acute angle against the wind. Indeed, the red and whites could have added to their advantage but Fergal Dardis's shot was belatedly adjudged to be wide by the umpires and Niall Kilmartin's shot came back off the upright.With Denis Glennon's threat increasing it took a number of Coralstown/Kinnegad players to keep him at bay, but alert right half back Shane Arthur was on hand to pick up the pieces and slot over a fine point. In the 17th minute, Jason Cully availed of Niall Kilmartin's lay-off and the corner forward blasted the ball over the bar, with a goal briefly looking a possibility. With six minutes of normal time remaining, even the usual posse of red and white markers could not prevent Denis Glennon from kicking a sublime point. Tim O'Regan followed up with a terrific score from 45 metres, leaving the winners' supporters biting their nails with the margin down to four points. A mini-skirmish threatened to spoil what was a competitive but generally sporting encounter, but Alan Giles fittingly proved to be the provider of the point which sealed victory for Coralstown/Kinnegad, Jason Cully fisting over the last score in the 32nd minute.Coralstown/Kinnegad: Damien Molloy; Jason Lynch, Stephen Bracken, Ronan Doyle; Ronan Foley, Eamonn Fleming, Derek Griffin (0-1); Cian Flynn, Niall Kilmartin; Alan Giles (0-6, 0-3 from frees), Fergal Dardis, Wayne Fox (0-1); David Kilmartin, Mark Gorman (1-0), Jason Cully (0-2). Sub: Paul Lewis (for Dardis, 49 mins).Tyrrellspass: Darren Quinn; David Murphy, Barry Murphy, Terence O'Brien; Shane Arthur (0-1), T.J. Gonoud, Brian Slevin; Adrian Corcoran, Keith Scally (0-1); Tim O'Regan (0-1), Denis Glennon (0-4, 0-2 from frees), Ray Sheeran (0-1); Ger Egan, David Glennon, Gerard O'Toole. Subs: Ronan Dunbar (for O'Brien, 45 mins), John Corcoran (for O'Toole, 48 mins), Tommy Newman (for David Glennon, 55 mins).Referee: Niall Ward (Garrycastle).