Solid win sees Westmeath’s promotion hopes go down to the wire

Westmeath 4-21, Limerick 3-8

By Gerry Buckley

A strong closing quarter enabled Westmeath to ease past Limerick in very changeable weather conditions in TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon, thereby setting up a winner-takes-all contest in Wexford next Sunday with the huge prize of Division 2 football in 2027 on offer.

Mark McHugh’s troops will make the long trek to Wexford next weekend with their league destiny for next year in their own hands. Thankfully, the maths are simple – a draw or a win will see the Lake County return immediately to Division 2 alongside Down, while a home win means that the Slaneysiders will achieve a remarkable second consecutive promotion.

Indeed, it is to Westmeath’s credit that they racked up such a big score against Limerick, thereby overtaking next weekend’s opponents in the important score difference chart, to ensure that a share of the spoils against the Yellow Bellies will suffice for second place in a group dominated overall by the Mourne County men.

A smaller crowd than usual in Mullingar saw Tony McCarthy open the scoring with a fine two-pointer for wind-assisted Limerick in the second minute, but a great end-to-end Westmeath move resulted in a Luke Loughlin goal some two minutes later. The visitors’ defence was at sixes and sevens at this juncture and both Ronan Wallace (after Loughlin had spurned a point chance) and Shane Corcoran had goal opportunities blocked. The latter came at the expense of a ‘45’ which ultimately resulted in a Brían Cooney point.

The winners’ second three-pointer belatedly arrived in the ninth minute courtesy of Matthew Whittaker to put them 2-1 to 0-2 ahead. Tom Molloy added a point, but Limerick got a lifeline in the 12th minute when indecisive goalkeeping by Jason Daly at the end of Darren O’Doherty’s seemingly innocuous delivery gifted Shane Cross the softest of soft goals.

Points from Whittaker and Loughlin (a free) settled home supporters’ nerves, but a two-pointer from sub Mark McCarthy and a well-taken goal by Peter Nash in the 17th minute (when teed up by the lively Danny Neville) levelled the scoring at 2-4 each.

The scoring rate dropped considerably in the second quarter. A classy point from Sam McCartan edged Westmeath ahead, and the only further scores in the first moiety involved a point exchange between James Naughton and Kevin O’Sullivan (moments after Eliah Riordan had fly-kicked a goal opportunity wide, after Neville had been initially denied) to leave the men in maroon and white just ahead by 2-6 to 2-5 at the interval, albeit with the strong wind due to aid them on the change of ends.

When play resumed, a great Westmeath move produced no tangible reward. In the 40th minute, Rory O’Brien fisted an equaliser. Westmeath then appeared to be coasting when a quickfire hat-trick of points from Robbie Forde (moments after his introduction), the always-prominent Cooney, and Loughlin, were followed by a Forde goal in the 45th-minute (after a Loughlin lineball), to put them six points clear (3-9 to 2-6). However, Jimmy Lee’s troops responded positively with a well-taken goal from James Naughton at the end of a Killian Ryan delivery.

A goal attempt from Sam McCartan was very well saved by Jeffrey Alfred, and Loughlin failed to convert the resultant ‘45’. Jack McCarthy narrowed the gap to two points, but lively sub Brandon Kelly fisted over a quick reply. The return to action of injury-ravaged Conor Dillon was a welcome sight for home fans before Wallace kicked a great two-pointer to put his side 3-12 to 3-7 ahead with just under an hour on the clock. Relegation-threatened Limerick soon rounded off their scoring with a Paul Maher point. Clearly and admirably conscious of the need to improve their score difference, Westmeath went all out in the closing ten minutes, scoring 1-9 without reply. Inspirational captain Wallace scored the goal in the 62nd minute, and he also kicked his second two-pointer of the afternoon. Cooney also raised an orange flag, and the other five points were shared between Loughlin, Sam McCartan (a free), Kelly (again with his fist), sub TJ Cox, and Boidu Sayeh.

Scorers – Westmeath: R Wallace 1-4 (2 2pt), L Loughlin 1-3 (1f), M Whittaker 1-1, B Cooney 0-4 (1 2pt), R Forde 1-1, S McCartan (1f), B Kelly 0-2 each, B Sayeh, T Molloy, K O’Sullivan, TJ Cox 0-1 each.

Limerick: J Naughton 1-1, S Cross, P Nash 1-0 each, M McCarthy (2pt), T McCarthy (2pt) 0-2 each, J McCarthy, R O’Brien, P Maher 0-1 each.

Westmeath: Jason Daly; Danny Scahill, Charlie Drumm, Boidu Sayeh; Ronan Wallace, Shane Allen, Matthew Whittaker; Sam McCartan, Jonathan Lynam; Kevin O’Sullivan, Danny McCartan, Brían Cooney; Shane Corcoran, Luke Loughlin, Tom Molloy. Subs used: Robbie Forde for Molloy (41), Brandon Kelly for D McCartan (46), Conor Dillon for Corcoran (53), Eoghan McCabe for O’Sullivan (58), TJ Cox for Lynam (66).

Limerick: Jeffrey Alfred; Oran Collins, Darren O’Doherty, Diarmuid Buckley; Conall O’Duinn, Killian Ryan, Tony McCarthy; Sean Clancy, Tommie Childs; Shane Cross, Cillian Fahy, Eliah Riordan; Danny Neville, James Naughton, Peter Nash. Subs used: Mark McCarthy for O’Duinn (inj., 6), Cormac Woulfe for Collins (inj., 9), Rory O’Brien for Childs (h-t), Jack McCarthy for Clancy (inj., 39), Colm McSweeney for T McCarthy (inj., 48), Paul Maher for Naughton (temp, 57).

Ref: Diarmuid Boylan (Monaghan).