Crucial league opener for Westmeath footballers

Allianz National Football League Div 3 preview

Westmeath will look to make home advantage count when they open their National Football League Division 3 campaign against Sligo at TEG Cusack Park on Sunday (2pm), in a fixture that already carries added importance given the structure of the seven-game schedule.

Of Westmeath’s league programme, only three matches will be played on home soil - against Sligo, Fermanagh and Limerick - placing extra emphasis on delivering results in Mullingar if Mark McHugh’s side are to mount a serious promotion challenge following last year’s relegation from Division 2.

Sunday’s contest arrives with Westmeath buoyed by a successful O’Byrne Cup campaign, one that culminated in a hard-earned 1-18 to 1-16 victory over Kildare at Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge. Yes, it is only the O’Byrne Cup, but it was a significant success, securing the title for the first time since 2019 and only the fifth time in the county’s history, following earlier wins over Louth and Offaly.

That final offered an early glimpse of how Westmeath may look to play under McHugh, in his first season at the helm, with attacking intent, pace and a growing comfort with the revised playing rules now in their second year. The two-pointer proved decisive, Luke Loughlin landing a late long-range score to edge Westmeath clear, while captain Ronan Wallace produced a commanding display, finishing with 1-7, including three two-pointers.

However, Westmeath’s struggles at midfield were also apparent and they fell eight points adrift before producing a terrific recovery, the impact of McHugh’s substitutes another key factor in their second half resurgence.

Sligo arrive in Mullingar in similarly positive form, having captured the Connacht Shield title last weekend with a 1-18 to 2-14 win over Roscommon. The shared 1-18 tallies recorded by both counties in their respective finals underlined the attacking potential on show and the influence of the new rules, with Sligo forwards Pat Spillane and Lee Deignan also striking late two-pointers. Deignan, in particular, was outstanding, scoring 1-8.

Historically, this fixture has favoured the Yeats County. The sides have met 32 times in the league, with Sligo winning on 17 occasions, including last year’s Division 3 encounter in Markievicz Park, where they prevailed by 1-14 to 0-11. Championship meetings have been rare, with just one clash, in the 2006 All-Ireland qualifiers, when Westmeath edged a narrow 1-12 to 0-14 victory in Sligo, Gary Dolan scoring the decisive goal and Dessie Dolan contributing 0-8.

Westmeath’s O’Byrne Cup final line-out showcased a blend of experience and emerging options: Sligo, meanwhile, are also under new management, with Eamonn O’Hara and Dess Sloyan beginning their first season in charge. Both are proud Sligo men, and O’Hara, in particular, remains one of the county’s greatest ever footballers. They will be eager to make an early statement in a division they know well, having operated at this level last year.

For Westmeath, the challenge is clear. Strong home form has often been the foundation of successful league campaigns, and with only three opportunities to capitalise on familiar surroundings, Sunday represents a valuable chance to set the tone. Momentum from January silverware is encouraging, but the league will demand consistency, efficiency and continued adaptation to the evolving game.

McHugh has made no secret of the fact that he is targeting league promotion and with Down such a formidable force in this division, there is scarcely any room for error.

Against a Sligo side carrying confidence and proven attacking threats, this opening round should provide an early barometer of where Westmeath stand, and how realistic their promotion ambitions may be.

The Westmeath side which played Sligo in 2024 was: Jason Daly; Danny Scahill, Kevin Maguire, James Dolan; Sam McCartan, David Lynch, Nigel Harte; Ray Connellan, Andy McCormack; Jonathan Lynam, Ronan O’Toole, Conor Dillon; Luke Loughlin, Kieran Martin, Robbie Forde. Subs used: John Heslin, Jamie Gonoud, Stephen Smith, Matthew Whittaker and Eoin Mulvihill.