McCartan feels midfield battle can be a big factor
Shay Murtagh Precast Westmeath SFC Final preview
The midfield battle could hold the key when St Loman’s and The Downs renew rivalry in Sunday’s Westmeath senior football final.
St Loman’s midfielder Sam McCartan knows they will have to match the current champions in the middle third. “The Downs are very in that sector. They have massive size, which is really beneficial. But also, they’re very hard working around the breaking ball, which is crucial. If we can match them in that regard, you’d be hopeful that we could get something from it,” he observed as he looked ahead to the big game.
The Downs are the reigning champions, but the saints have fought their way back to another decider having fallen at the semi-final hurdle last year.
Sunday’s final is a repeat of the 2024 decider, won by St Loman’s after a penalty shootout. They spent much of the current campaign struggling to find their best form.
“We spent most of the year falling over the line and probably only drew a few games from winning positions, which is not what you want.
“We seem to have found a bit of something there over the last few weeks and we're hoping we can keep building on it,” remarked McCartan.
The Downs are formidable opponents, though. McCartan is familiar with their strength from his time with Westmeath, where he played alongside several of their players during a year that brought him a Leinster senior medal and an All-Star nomination. He has seen first-hand the quality the defending champions possess.
“In fairness to The Downs, they’ve been the best team in Westmeath for the last couple of years and they’ve serious quality all over the pitch,” he opined.
“You have lads that are really coming into it this year and then even with the injuries they’ve had, the turnaround and the recovery from those lads is really exceptional.
“It goes to show how good of athletes they are and they play really well together, so it’ll be a very tough challenge.”
St Loman’s have also had their share of injuries during the championship, but McCartan feels the squad is now in good shape, with management carefully managing the players through the campaign.
“I think everyone’s feeling pretty good; we're in a decent spot. The lads have managed us very well and just been mindful of getting lads right for the right time," he said.
Training has been going well as Loman’s prepare for the final, with the emphasis on recovering from two tough recent games and working on the areas identified by the management.
“We’re getting the bodies right after the last couple of games. They’ve been quite tough games and just trying to get everyone back to themselves and making sure that we’re working on the things that we’ve identified. It’s been very enjoyable," said McCartan.
He returned to club duty after a demanding year with Westmeath and admits he had a few niggles following a season of hard pitches and a packed county schedule.
“I was carrying a few niggles around my ankles and that kind of stuff,” he revealed. “It was just a load of hard pitches. Week in, week out, we were back-to-back a few times and we had a fair few draws as well at Westmeath this year. Thankfully, I’ve got a lot of those right, so I’m feeling pretty good,” he added.
There has also been a notable family storyline for Loman’s, with McCartan’s brother Danny growing in confidence with every game.
“It’s great because Danny is playing with confidence and he’s backing himself and the boys are backing him,” said McCartan.
“It’s great to see him go at teams and play with a bit of freedom because it’s when he plays his best.”
Sunday’s final will be McCartan’s seventh. He has won four of his previous six, while losing finals to The Downs and Garrycastle.
The two clubs are certainly familiar foes, having already met in the group stages this year. But McCartan believes that result offers little indication of what lies ahead, given the players The Downs had missing that day.
“It’s hard to tell off that group game because they played without a few key men and we got the draw,” he said.
“They’ve only gotten stronger the more time they’re playing together; it’ll only be a tougher challenge. I’m looking forward to it,” he added.
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