Scoreboard was harsh on Westmeath, says Fortune
“For 40-45 minutes we went toe-to-toe with Kilkenny. Look, people will be shocked. I’m not because I know what’s in that dressing-room, I know the spirit that’s in there. But I will say as well that moral victories don’t do anything for that group, and Tommy Doyle spoke about that, they’ve been there before where they’ve been in situations where they get close. But at some stage they’re going to have to really take a big team in order to progress.”
This initial post-match thought in TEG Cusack Park last Saturday night from Westmeath manager Joe Fortune will resonate with countless proud Lake County Gaels after the visitors’ flattering 16-point win in the first round robin game of the Leinster SHC (see pages 62/63).
The Wexford native continued: “The scoreboard was harsh, but I just didn’t think we created that goalscoring chance at any stage to really go at (Eoin) Murphy, and when Kilkenny needed to be ruthless they were, and they really went at it.
“Look, we knew coming in that the next five or six weeks are going to be tough. We go to Galway next week. Nothing will be easy there either. But they’re a proud group.”
When he was asked could Westmeath stay at this level and ‘enjoy it’, the Malahide-based teacher responded: “It’s a good question, but it’s not even about enjoyment. Those lads don’t want enjoyment, they want to win these games too. And they’re a massively proud bunch, and the work that they put in in the background.
“Westmeath in minor and U20/U21 have won big games against Kilkenny, against Dublin, against Wexford. At some stage over the next couple of years, they need to beat a really big team at senior level in order to progress as well.
“We’ve played Meath and Down and Kerry and Carlow and Kildare, and then you put the Kilkenny team up on your wall at home and you say, ‘that’s a fairly formidable forward line’. And then when they bring TJ (Reid) in as well.
“At half-time the word came in, ‘TJ’s coming in.’ So look, at the end of the day, Kilkenny had to go all-out in that last 20-minute spell to make sure they put us away.
“Moral victories I don’t really do, but I take a lot of positives out of today. I’m only here five months and this is a work-in-progress,” he added.
Reflecting on individual Westmeath displays, Fortune opined: “I’m happy with today. I thought Niall Mitchell did a massive amount of work on the wing, defensively and offensively as well.
“I thought the boys at the back, (Darragh) Egerton and ‘Jogger’ (Doyle), held them and contained them. Killian (Doyle) was outstanding on his frees. I don’t think he missed a free all today.
“I thought Aaron Craig had a great game on Walter Walsh, but then we got tired. (Owen) McCabe, 19 years of age, came on at the end. His father (Brian) played for Westmeath for years. But there was no fear in him facing (Eoin) Murphy and putting the ball in the back of the net.
“Jack (Galvin) was playing in the forwards all his life. I’m very proud of Jack, the real intensity that he brought to the tackle. The intensity that’s out there compared to where we’ve been for the last two months is just phenomenal. Even on the line!”
He concluded: “Look, you take the learnings from today. I’ll go home tonight, get the video, get the analysis done for Monday and we’ll be in the gym early Monday morning, when everybody else is in bed for a bank holiday!”