Kildare 1-11 Westmeath 2-7 BRENDAN HACKETT always said the Westmeath job was about rebuilding first, and results later, but he could hardly have envisaged a more painful divide than this. A fifth successive defeat has now effectively resigned them to Division Three football next season, but the big disappointment here was Westmeath "beat themselves", as Hackett accurately surmised.
They were seven points up within the first 15 minutes, and still three points up going in the last 15 minutes – before Kildare produced a late gallop and some fine scores from John Doyle to snatch victory.
Westmeath helped them on their way by repeatedly conceding frees and relinquishing clean possession, and yet were still in front with only four minutes to play. No wonder Hackett looked a little shook afterwards.
“That’s frustrating, more than disappointing,” he said, “because I would say we beat ourselves, rather than being beaten by Kildare. That’s the hard part to take.
“We were up enough on the scoreboard, and had enough possession, to win it. Relegation was not the issue coming here. The issue was turning the corner. If we were beaten by a better team, okay, but we weren’t beaten by a better team on the day. It’s just this team just can’t seem to catch a break at the moment.”
None of this should diminish the fact that Kildare were very poor, particularly in the first half. They conceded two goals early on – first a penalty converted by Paul Bannon, when Martin Flanagan was pushed from behind; and then a complete giveaway, when goalkeeper Paul Flood kicked the ball straight to Bannon, who calmly passed off to Flanagan.
Flanagan was causing huge problems for Kildare as the target man at full forward, so much so that his man Damien Hendy was called ashore after just 18 minutes.
It took 15 minutes for Kildare to register their first score, from centre forward Anthony Rainbow and – even if they were missing some big names like Dermot Earley – there was no excuse for scoring only four points in the first half, by which stage Westmeath had 2-3.
Things improved marginally for Kildare in the second half, with Eamonn Callaghan firing to the net on 40 minutes, before Doyle finally found his scoring boots.
But they ended up with 16 wides, and if Westmeath hadn’t allowed them back into it (also mysteriously abandoning Flanagan’s threat up front) there would have been even more woe for Kieran McGeeney after the heavy loss to Armagh last weekend.
“Well I wouldn’t be clapping them on the back,” said McGeeney, “but I would clap them on the back for winning the game after giving away two early goals.
“Once the two goals went in we were playing against 14 men in defence and we tried to break it down. We took some silly options, but two positives would be that we came from five points behind at half-time to win, and we won the game playing poorly.”
McGeeney used all five substitutes within the first hour, and Ronan Sweeney helped make a difference, but it was Doyle – who missed some sitters earlier – who hit Kildare’s last five points, including two long-range frees, and one superb point from out by the right sideline. Morgan O’Flaherty also stood out at wing back, and Kevin O’Neill introduced some stability to the defence. Yet overall Kildare lacked tactics, and indeed confidence, and, against a team like Westmeath, that has to be worrying.
They’re still in the hunt for promotion, with Laois and Meath to come, but the depth in players and consistency that McGeeney has been seeking this season hasn’t been revealed. No yet anyway.
For Westmeath, who next week face table-toppers Down, the only hope now is their long-term future; it seems a long way away.
“We’ll just have to keep learning,” said Hackett.
“It’s not easy to build a team in Division Two. It’s easier to build a team in Division Three, or Division Four. There is a new team being built here, with new players, but for them it’s a baptism of fire.
“We don’t have our under-21s either, because there’ll still in their championship.”
KILDARE:P Flood; H McGrillan, D Hendy, E Bolton; M O'Flaherty (0-2), B Flanagan, M Scanlon; D Flynn, H Lynch; R Kelly, A Rainbow (0-1), D Whyte; E Callaghan (1-1), K Ennis, J Doyle (0-6, five frees). Subs:K O'Neill for Hendy (18 mins), R Sweeney (0-1) for Lynch, J Kavanagh for Ennis (both 25 mins), K Donnelly for Rainbow (43 mins), K Cribbin for Scanlon (58 mins).
WESTMEATH:G Connaughton; K Gavin, D O'Donoghue, J Gaffey; M Dalton, F Boyle, W Coyne; D Duffy, G Flanagan (0-1); D Harte (0-1), J Smyth, M Ennis (0-1); P Bannon (1-2, penalty, two frees), M Flanagan (1-2), P Greville. Subs:G Hoey for Greville (13 mins, inj), T Warburton for Hoey (ht), G Glennon for Coyne (39 mins), D Healy for Smyth (46), A Finnan for Warburton (68).
Referee:A Mangan (Kerry).
