No rest for flagship teams with different league targets

Many column inches have been used up in both national and local newspapers about the demands on the modern inter-county player in both codes – dual status at that elite level is no longer feasible – and Westmeath’s committed panellists are likely to vouch for the pressures involved as they prepare for away trips to Roscommon (football) and Limerick (hurling) next Sunday.

Of course, such a clash means that the dual fan – yours truly being one of many in that category – can’t witness the action in one or other. Given that the unanimously-predicted hurling scenario has all but arisen whereby Westmeath will face Carlow in a Division 1 relegation play-off later this month, the dead rubber nature of Shane O’Brien’s troops’ match in the Gaelic Grounds is likely to see a very small contingent of maroon and white-clad supporters making the long trek to the Treaty City.

Conversely, there are parts of the Lake County located very close to Roscommon and, following on from a largely-praiseworthy display by Jack Cooney’s charges in last Sunday’s wonderful contest against Armagh, the footballers should be well supported in Dr Hyde Park. Two narrow home wins (against Clare and Fermanagh), a galling defeat in Cavan, and a topsy-turvy share of the points with the Orchard County two days ago, see Westmeath well positioned in what has become a fascinating Division 2.

It would be a brave man who would confidently predict the final shape of the tier two table, but five points on the board certainly have Westmeath very well positioned to achieve the primary ambition of most fans – this scribe firmly in that category – by maintaining a position in the division, thereby also avoiding a place in mark three of the successor to the All-Ireland ‘B’/Tommy Murphy Cup. However, the best of actuaries would struggle to quantify what points’ total will be needed for that ambition.

Indeed, the already-accumulated five may even be enough. However, Cooney will certainly not be thinking on those lines as he prepares his men for a tough assignment against a side which - lest we forget it - are reigning Connacht champions. A long-term injury to that most wholehearted and consistent of footballers, Ger Egan, has deprived the team of its engine, in many ways. Kieran Martin’s foot has taken longer than expected to heal, and the Maryland man is a huge loss. Another key performer, Jamie Gonoud, is close to a return. Certainly, all three will be very urgently needed against the all-conquering Dubs in what is arguably Westmeath’s toughest-ever Leinster championship opener in May in Tullamore. (Oh, to have typed Mullingar just now!)

Our last visit to Roscommon came in the excellent campaign of 2008 when the much-travelled John Maughan wore the primrose and blue bainisteoir’s bib. I was one of many horrified witnesses to the Mayo native (an eminently decent man in my few dealings with him re his alma mater Carmelite College Moate and other matters) being the subject of foul verbal attacks after that game. Fast forward seven years, and then-manager John Evans was a promotion-achieving hero in Cusack Park. Mick McCarthy’s famous mantra, “management is a results-driven business”, was never more aptly captured in two contrasting scenarios.

Of course, the current manager, Anthony Cunningham, has strong Westmeath connections, both in his day-to-day work in Athlone IT and for his superb management of Garrycastle all the way to the Andy Merrigan Cup decider in 2012. The former Galway hurling bainisteoir is one of the shrewdest men going in both codes and it will take a repetition of the best of last Sunday’s mixed display – including, hopefully, less Kamikaze attempts at ball retention close to our own goalmouth – to increase our five-point tally to six or seven.

The sides have met 14 times over the years, with Westmeath winning five games and losing nine, as follows:

Westmeath v Roscommon, previous NFL meetings

8/4/1934, Athlone, Westmeath 4-7 Roscommon 1-2

3/3/1935, Cusack Park, Westmeath 3-3 Roscommon 2-4

11/10/1936, Roscommon, Westmeath 3-5 Roscommon 0-2

27/11/1938, Elphin, Roscommon 2-3 Westmeath 1-1

29/10/1939, Streamstown, Roscommon 4-8 Westmeath 1-3

28/11/1965, Kiltoom, Roscommon 2-12 Westmeath 1-3

30/10/1966, Cusack Park, Roscommon 1-10 Westmeath 2-4

14/2/1993, Elphin, Roscommon 0-14 Westmeath 0-10

19/3/1995, Athlone, Westmeath 0-11 Roscommon 0-8

10/11/1996, Kiltoom, Roscommon 0-10 Westmeath 0-9

14/3/1999, Roscommon, Roscommon 1-7 Westmeath 1-6

18/3/2002, Roscommon, Roscommon 0-16 Westmeath 0-12

30/3/2008, Kiltoom, Westmeath 1-14 Roscommon 0-6

5/4/2015, Cusack Park, Roscommon 2-13 Westmeath 0-12

I recall a lovely introductory moment back in 2006 when I interviewed Limerick legend Eamonn Cregan for my ‘55 Years of the Croke Cup’ book. The Claughaun man, with no provocation whatsoever from this Westmeath fanatic, said that one of his boyhood heroes was our very own John ‘Jobber’ McGrath, specifically recalling the Rickardstown maestro scoring 4-4 for the Lake County against his beloved team in green and white in a league match in 1956.

I don’t think I am offending anybody to suggest that we don’t have a ‘Jobber’ on board just now, and that we will not repeat the great win from 64 years ago, when the 2018 All-Ireland champions meet Shane O’Brien’s men next Sunday. If Cooney has injury concerns, O’Brien has enough to fill a hospital ward! Respectability – and a clean bill of health – will surely be the Westmeath manager’s double-target ahead of the aforementioned clash with Carlow – who looked to be an improving side based on last Sunday night’s brief television highlights of their winner-takes-all clash in a Portlaoise mud-bath.

The 1956 success was just one of two wins by Westmeath in ten league encounters over the years, as follows:

Westmeath v Limerick, previous NHL meetings

31/3/1945, Cusack Park, Westmeath 6-5 Limerick 5-4

14/10/1951, Limerick, Limerick 7-5 Westmeath 2-2

11/3/1956, Cusack Park, Westmeath 5-8 Limerick 3-10

29/2/1976, Cusack Park, Limerick 5-7 Westmeath 1-11

30/10/1977, Limerick, Limerick 3-11Westmeath 0-5

6/12/1981, Limerick, Limerick 1-14 Westmeath 3-7

28/11/1982, Castletown-Geoghegan, Limerick 4-18 Westmeath 0-6

12/10/1986, Limerick, Limerick 3-16 Westmeath 1-7

19/11/1995, Limerick, Limerick 4-15 Westmeath 2-4

19/2/2011, Limerick, Limerick 1-20 Westmeath 0-15.