A spirited Westmeath side bowed out of the Leinster Minor Football Championship having produced a gutsy display against strong favourites, Offaly, at wind swept Cusack Park, Mullingar last Wednesday.
The Lake County came into the game on the back of a defeat by Wexford, while Offaly had lost narrowly to Dublin, suggesting they would be a massive test for Aidan Lennon’s charges. Offaly’s convincing win when the midland neighbours met in the Leinster League earlier in the season suggested Westmeath faced a huge task, but the visitors led by just a goal at the break (1-8 to 0-8) and the contest was finely balanced (1-10 apiece) entering the final quarter.
Crucially, Offaly engineered a second goal with six minutes of normal time remaining and went on to secure their place against Kildare in the next round.
POSITIVE START
Although playing against the wind, Westmeath made a positive start and created some good openings, but all they had to show for that early dominance was a point from midfielder Finbar Coyne, who flicked the ball over from closerange. Aaron Roarke saw his effort rebound off the crossbar (after Coyne and Billy Berry combined to put him through); a goal would have given Westmeath an ideal start and made this contest very interesting.
Offaly settled and created a few good openings also as they established a 0-3 to 0-1 lead. Roarke’s lovely point from an acute angle cut the leeway while towering full forward, Joe Halligan levelled the match on 13 minutes, but Offaly were creating openings and the Westmeath defence looked shaky. Ryan Heavin and Shane Tierney (fisted effort) both opted for points when goals looked on. After 16 minutes, Offaly did make the breakthrough when Westmeath ‘keeper, Joe Hyland was adjudged to have fouled Tierney and from the resulting penalty, Tierney found the net.
Offaly pushed five points clear and it looked ominous for Westmeath, but they showed great battling qualities: Billy Berry curled over a tidy point and Cathal Daly converted a free. While Offaly again tagged on two unanswered points, Westmeath replied through Halligan and Daly (free) to trail by just a goal at the break.
HALLIGAN GOAL
Westmeath made an ideal start to the second half when a line ball from Aaron Roarke was collected by Cathal Daly, whose dangerous delivery across the face of goal was flicked to the net by Joe Halligan.
The Lake County took the lead (1-9 to 1-8) in the tenth minute when Ronan O’Toole intercepted a clearance and shot over, but points from Shane O’Brien and Dylan Hyland saw the Faithful County regain the lead. At this juncture, Cathal Mannion worked the ball out to the reintroduced Finbar Coyne, who scored a mighty point to bring Westmeath level again.
It was anyone’s game at this stage, but Hyland lofted over the lead score for Offaly, before Daly was off target with a free.
Westmeath’s chances of causing an upset were dealt a mortal blow on 54 minutes when Offaly overturned the ball as the home side were making their way out of defence. Kyle Higgins, Dylan Hyland and Ryan Heavin all combined before the ball was fed to Jack Walsh who crashed it to the back of the Westmeath net.
Westmeath were rocked on their heels at this stage and never looked like getting the goal they needed to turn this tie around. Instead, two points from Hyland sealed victory for Offaly, who march on to a meeting with the Lilywhites.
While it was a major improvement on last year’s listless display against Offaly in Tullamore which resulted in an 11-point defeat for Westmeath, this result means the Lake County has failed to win a game in the Leinster Minor Football Championship for the second year running. And the long wait for victory over Offaly in the Leinster Minor Football Championship continues: the Lake County haven’t won against their neighbours at this level since 1963.
SCORERS – Offaly: Dylan Hyland (0-5, 1f), Shane Tierney (1-1, 1-0 penalty), Jack Walsh (1-1), Ryan Heavin (0-3, 2f), Ronan Hynes, Ciaran Maher and Shane O’Brien (0-1) each.
Westmeath: Joe Halligan (1-2), Cathal Daly (0-3, frees), Finbar Coyne (0-2), Billy Berry, Aaron Roarke and Ronan O’Toole (0-1) each.
OFFALY – Kevin Kinahan; P J Daly, Clint Horan, Ronan Hynes; David Dempsey, Gavin Smyth, Adam Keyes; Ciaran Maher, Cathal Mangan; Jack Walsh (Capt), Kyle Higgins, Andrew Delaney; Shane Tierney, Dylan Hyland, Ryan Heavin. Subs: Shane O’Brien for A Delaney (41 mins.), Jordan Hayes for C Maher (41 mins.), Joe Lowry for K Higgins (58 mins.)
WESTMEATH – Joe Hyland; Sean O’Neill, Garrett Carr, Plunkett Maxwell; Emmet Nally, Darragh Healy, Billy Flynn; Finbar Coyne, San Duncan; Aaron Roarke, Ronan O’Toole, Cathal Daly (Capt); Cathal Mannion, Joe Halligan, Billy Berry. Subs: Siya Nxumalo for B Flynn (20 mins.), Adam Loughlin for F Coyne (26 mins.), F Coyne for J Halligan (inj, 41 mins.), Maitiu Scully for S O’Neill (45 mins.), Paddy Sleator for D Healy (47 mins.).
REFEREE – David Moore, Laois.
