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Leinster SFC Round 1 preview - Westmeath v Longford

Westmeath are aiming to bounce back from a crushing defeat by Wexford in their most recent outing when they take on Longford in an intriguing Leinster SFC clash at Pearse Park, Longford, next Sunday (3pm).

The Lake County must put that result behind them quickly and focus on producing the kind of form that took them so close to winning promotion to Division 2. Ultimately, they fell short, and that will have hurt in recent weeks, but the challenge is to respond now in what is a new competition.

Sunday’s first-round clash is ideally set up, as Longford enjoyed a fine run in Division 4, earning promotion and losing out in the final against Carlow at Croke Park. Defeat is a minor blow in that they didn’t quite finish the job, but Longford will take great encouragement from their overall campaign and will be heartened by gaining promotion.

The prize for the winners is a Leinster quarter-final meeting with Meath, who will be favourites to advance no matter what the outcome on Sunday after their fine victory over Cork in the NFL Division 2 final at Croke Park last time out. The Championship may be a different ball game, but the current Meath side under Robbie Brennan looks full of potential and seems to be ahead of both teams.

The immediate focus is next Sunday. Westmeath will realise that they must treat the Longford challenge very seriously, and perhaps what they need at this stage is a good old-fashioned derby joust to get things back on track.

The cliché, ‘you’re only as good as your last game’, could well apply for both sides next Sunday and, in that regard, Westmeath have a challenge to put the manner of the Wexford loss behind them. The 2-16 to 1-18 defeat cost them a chance to play Division 2 football next season, a definite setback for new manager Mark McHugh, who was certainly targeting promotion for the team.

Midfield is crucial in the modern game and that will be the case next Sunday: Westmeath appeared to drift out of the Wexford game at times, so finding greater consistency over the 70-plus minutes is now required, and Sam McCartan and Jonathan Lynam will carry a lot of responsibility if selected to start in the engine room.

Ray Connellan will be another key player for Westmeath in this sector, whether he starts or is utilised as an impact sub. And the likes of Matthew Whittaker and Ronan Wallace will play vital roles in attempting to win breaking ball.

In attack, Westmeath have struggled to find a settled unit, but Luke Loughlin seems certain to lead the line and how Longford cope with that threat will be a major factor. Brían Cooney and Kevin O’Sullivan also look like potential starters, but after that McHugh and his backroom team have selection headaches, as several players have shown glimpses of form, but no one really stands out in terms of nailing down a starting place.

Danny McCartan, Robbie Forde, Tom Molloy and Brandon Kelly will all feature in the plans, one suspects, and players coming off the bench could be the key to victory in the end.

Defensively, Westmeath have just lacked the consistency required, and the concession of that late goal in Wexford summed up their last two years really. At times they look strong and assured, but there is that tendency to buckle at vital stages, and it’s crucial that they have recovered from the circumstances of the Wexford loss. The defence looks likely to be built around Charlie Drumm and Ronan Wallace at three and six, while Jason Daly may get the nod over Jack Connaughton for the goalkeeper’s position, now more than ever a key role in every team.

Mark McHugh was part of an All-Ireland-winning team under Jim McGuinness in Donegal in 2012 and will know a thing or two about overcoming adversity. His experience could be crucial as Westmeath aim to recover from their shock defeat last time out.

Westmeath are good enough to overcome Longford, but it will require a fully focused effort and there is no room for defensive errors on this occasion.

The Westmeath team beaten by Wexford in the final round of the NFL Div 3 was: Jason Daly; Danny Scahill, Charlie Drumm, Boidu Sayeh; Ronan Wallace (captain), Shane Allen, Matthew Whittaker; Sam McCartan, Jonathan Lynam; Kevin O’Sullivan, Danny McCartan, Brían Cooney; Conor Dillon, Luke Loughlin, Tom Molloy. Subs used: Tadhg Baker for Sayeh (inj., 26 mins); Robbie Forde for D McCartan (29); Ray Connellan for Dillon (43); TJ Cox for Molloy (52); Brandon Kelly for O’Sullivan (64).

Derby clash interesting as Longford show form

Longford may have fallen short in the Allianz League Division 4 final, but their battling display at Croke Park will give them real encouragement ahead of their Leinster SFC clash with Westmeath.

Having trailed by five points late in normal time, Longford showed impressive resilience to force extra time, with Oran Kenny’s crucial second-half goal acting as the catalyst for their comeback. They continued to find scores when it mattered most, with Liam Glennon, Daniel Reynolds and Matthew Carey all contributing key points to draw them level.

Dessie Reynolds was particularly influential earlier in the contest, hitting five points before the break, including a two-pointer, and setting the tone for Longford’s attacking threat. Oisín O’Toole also made a major impact with a first-half goal, while goalkeeper Eoin McGuinness produced an important save at a critical stage.

Even in extra time, Longford matched their opponents score for score before the late dismissal of Ronan Bleakley ultimately proved costly.

From a Longford perspective, the likes of Dessie Reynolds, Oran Kenny, Daniel Reynolds and Matthew Carey look the key attacking threats, while Oisín O’Toole’s eye for goal and Eoin McGuinness’s presence in goal underline a side capable of troubling Westmeath if they reproduce the same determination and scoring power.

Longford scorers: Oran Kenny 1-2, Dessie Reynolds 0-5 (1 tp), Dylan Farrell 0-4 (3fs), Oisín O'Toole 1-0, Matthew Carey 0-3 (2fs), Daniel Reynolds 0-2, Joseph Hagan 0-1, Liam Glennon 0-1.

Longford: Eoin McGuinness; Patrick Fox, Ryan Moffett, Bryan Masterson; Peter Lynn, Oisín O'Toole, Dessie Reynolds; Liam Glennon, Ronan Sweeney; James Moran, Matthew Carey, Daniel Reynolds; Dylan Farrell, Joseph Hagan, Oran Kenny. Subs used: Paddy Moran, Cian Brady, Niall Farrelly, Ronan Bleakley, Matthew Flynn, Gavin Farrelly.

Last Leinster SFC meeting - 2022 at TEG Cusack Park

Westmeath 3-13, Longford 0-14

When the sides last met in the Leinster SFC in 2022, Westmeath recovered from a slow start to record a convincing win over Longford in difficult conditions at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar.

Longford were the sharper early on, with Daniel Reynolds and Michael Quinn firing them into an early lead, while Dessie Reynolds also impressed as they matched Westmeath score for score in a cagey opening quarter. They also caused real problems with direct play, creating two goal chances that briefly exposed the Westmeath defence.

However, Westmeath gradually asserted control, with their half-back line of Jamie Gonoud, Ronan Wallace and Nigel Harte hugely influential, both defensively and in transition. As their dominance grew, scores from Alex Gardiner and Nigel Harte helped build momentum, before John Heslin’s sharp finish for a goal just before half-time proved a key moment, leaving Westmeath firmly in control at the break.

The home side carried that momentum into the second half, with Ray Connellan adding a point before Ronan Toole struck for a well-taken second goal to stretch the lead further.

To Longford’s credit, they responded impressively with six unanswered points, showing resilience and attacking intent, but Westmeath always looked capable of keeping them at arm’s length. Connellan steadied matters at a crucial stage, and a late Robbie Forde goal ultimately put the seal on a deserved victory.

Scorers for Westmeath: J Heslin 1-5 (0-4fs), A Gardiner 0-3, R Forde, R O’Toole 1-0 each, N Harte, R Connellan 0-2 each, L Dolan 0-1.

Westmeath: Jason Daly; Jack Smith, Kevin Maguire, David Giles; Jamie Gonoud, Ronan Wallace, Nigel Harte; Jonathan Lynam, Ray Connellan; Sam McCartan, Ger Egan, David Lynch; Luke Loughlin, John Heslin, Alex Gardiner.

Subs used: Ronan O’Toole, Lorcan Dolan, Kieran Martin, Robbie Forde, Charlie Drumm.

Longford: P Collum; P Fox, A Farrell, B O’Farrell; J Moran, M Quinn, I O’Sullivan; K Diffley, D Gallagher; O Kenny, E McCormack, Dessie Reynolds; J Matthews, Daniel Reynolds, M Hughes.

Subs: K McGann for Hughes (31), D Farrell for Kenny (h-t), D Doherty for Matthews (h-t), R Moffett for McCormack (51), C Dooner for Daniel Reynolds (63).

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).