St Loman’s: 2-13
Garrycastle: 1-8
By Damien Maher
Defending champions St Loman’s came through a solid test to defeat a resurgent Garrycastle side in the Westmeath Senior Football Championship quarter-final, at TEG Cusack Park last Saturday.
It was workmanlike from the Flanagan Cup holders, who played within themselves at times and never really kicked on when they established a six-point lead after 38 minutes. Sean Flanagan’s goal was the critical score in that crucial period after half-time that saw Luke Dempsey’s men take a stranglehold of this quarter-final.
Garrycastle, who had real momentum coming into the match, showed character to battle back and Alex Gardiner rounded off a fine performance with a stunning goal in the 47th minute. There then followed the game’s big talking point as players from both sides got involved in an ugly skirmish that resulted in referee Barry Kelly taking firm action, issuing four red cards, two for each side.
St Loman’s lost substitute Ciaran Kilmurray and Gary Glennon following the fracas and both may now miss the semi-final on Sunday week (pending an appeal). Jack Donohue and Gary McCallon also picked up red cards following the incident and the absence of two defenders left Garrycastle exposed in the remaining 10 minutes, during which St Loman’s added 1-3 to record a slightly flattering victory.
At half-time it was a much tighter affair with St Loman’s leading by just a point (0-6 to 0-5) and the shock many had predicted didn’t seem impossible, but in a blistering spell St Loman’s scored 1-3 and that ultimately proved decisive. Garrycastle talisman Dessie Dolan was unable to play due to injury and that was a major blow for the 2014 champions.
ADMIRABLE PACE
The talented Gardiner gave Garrycastle the lead after eight minutes with a neat point, but a neat move involving Paul Sharry and the returning Shane Dempsey saw the former point in neat fashion. Sharry and Ken Casey soon created an opening for Dempsey to put St Loman’s ahead for the first time after 12 minutes and they were never headed from there to the end.
David Whelan showed admirable pace to slip clear for the next point and Casey made it 0-4 to 0-1 after 16 minutes. Garrycastle replied with points from Mark McCallon and Conor Cosgrove (free), but St Loman’s should have had the opening goal when Kelvin Reilly and Casey engineered a chance for Heslin, whose shot was saved by Sean Brennan.
Heslin made amends with a 29th minute point, but Garrycastle had not gone away. Gardiner joined the end of a fine move that involved Doron Harte and Anthony Larkin to fire over. After Dempsey replied, a late Cosgrove free left just the minimum between the sides at the interval.
Heslin notched two points on the restart (one free) as St Loman’s went three clear again, but Gardiner cut in and saw his effort go over via the upright for his side’s sixth point. David Windsor had a goal chance following a nice move, but his own player inadvertently got in the way. Still, a Heslin free made it 0-9 to 0-6 by the 36th minute and a fine move led to a great goal for Sean Flanagan.
Sharry, Glennon, Conradh Reilly and Glennon again had all combined before the ball was fed to Flanagan, who finished well to the net. After a good Michael Monaghan point, Ronan O’Toole shot over to make it 1-10 to 0-7. Gardiner then showed good pace to skip inside and crash the ball to the roof of the net on 46 minutes as Garrycastle battled back.
Following the melee, Heslin pointed a free, but Gardiner replied with a neat score after a good move to keep the gap at three points. Casey then shot over at the end of a patient move as Shane Flynn, Kelvin Reilly and Heslin combined. With the game in added time, O’Toole and casey combined to set up Dempsey, who rounded the opposing ‘keeper to score his side’s second major.
A fine point from a Heslin free rounded off the scoring as St Loman’s advanced to a semi-final encounter with Killucan. Luke Dempsey’s men are clearly moving in the right direction, but Killucan’s high energy game will be more difficult to counter as things ramp up another notch in the last four.
SCORERS – St Loman’s: J Heslin 0-6 (4 frees); S Dempsey 1-2; S Flanagan 1-0; K Casey 0-2; P Sharry, D Whelan and R O’Toole 0-1 each.
Garrycastle: A Gardiner 1-4; C Cosgrove 0-2 (frees); M McCallon and M Monaghan 0-1 each.
ST LOMAN’S MULLINGAR – Stephen Gallagher; Shane Flynn, Jason O’Toole, Gary Glennon; Shane Flanagan, Gerry Grehan, David Whelan; John Heslin, Paul Sharry; Conradh Reilly, Kelvin Reilly, Paul Sharry; Ken Casey, Ronan O’Toole, Shane Dempsey. Subs: Ciaran Kilmurray for C Reilly (47), Neil O’Toole for Windsor (59), Conor O’Donoghue for Flanagan (62), Daniel Sheridan for Sharry (63).
GARRYCASTLE – Sean Brennan; Jack Donohue, Mark McCallon, Anthony Larkin; Karl Henson, John Gaffey, Gary McCallon; Doron Harte, Seanie O’Donoghue; Rory McGowan, James Dolan, Justin Barrett; Michael Monaghan, Alex Gardiner, Conor Cosgrove. Subs: Johnny McGuire for McGowan (inj., 3); Damien Rushe for O’Donoghue (40); Tom O’Halloran for Cosgrove (55); Neal Rattigan for McGuire (59).
REFEREE – Barry Kelly (Mullingar Shamrocks).
