Leinster SFC quarter-final: Meath 0-25 (0-4-17) Westmeath 4-18 (4-1-16)
The first seismic shock of the football championship as Westmeath toppled their neighbours Meath in what was an absorbing Leinster SFC quarter final at Glenisk, O’Connor Park, Tullamore on Sunday.
It took Westmeath 80 years to register a championship victory over Meath and that came back in 2015 and they have now won two on the trot following what was a thoroughly deserved win by a much hungrier and resolute Lake County outfit.
Westmeath had put five goals past Longford in their opening round win but somehow Meath failed to heed the warnings and were sliced open far too easily in what was a display full of free-flowing and precision football from Mark McHugh’s charges.
Just as they had done in the first round win Westmeath laid down a marker in the opening half against their out of sort opponents. They showed their intent throughout the first 25 minutes and then took control of proceedings for the remainder of the half, boosted by a brace of goals that left them in a commanding position for most of the remainder of the contest.
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Westmeath led 2-9 to 0-9 at half-time and the lead extended to 10 points at one stage in the second half before Meath staged a rousing revival in the closing stages to reduce the deficit back to two with 90 seconds remaining.
However, Meath hopes of forcing the game to extra-time with a late two-pointer were dashed as Ray Connellan won a hurried kick-out and Tom Molloy set up Danny McCartan for the clinching goal just as the hooter sounded.
Westmeath won most of the individual battles with Meath talisman Jordan Morris well held by Conor Dillon while Daniel Scahill and Charlie Drumm were also outstanding in defence for the winners.
Midfielder Connellan enjoyed superiority in the middle third with Sam McCartan, and inside forwards Shane Corcoran, Luke Loughlin and Brandon Kelly causing the Meath rearguard endless bother.
Their opening goal arrived from Matthew Whittaker who somehow got a shot away despite the attention of a couple of opponents and that left Westmeath leading 1-5 to 0-6. The second goal was another of the soft variety from a defenders perspective as Shane Corcoran’s effort trickled over the line with keeper Seán Brennan stranded.
Westmeath restarted where they had finished in the opening half with a two-pointer from Luke Loughlin and they led 2-16 to 0-15 at the midpoint of the second half before Corcoran cut in from the right and hit an unstoppable effort to the roof of the net.
The introduction of James Conlon improved matters for Meath and the diminutive corner forward ended with four points while Ruairi Kinsella (two) and Jack Flynn accounted for two-pointers as Meath eventually started to produce the form that saw them crowned Division Two champions.
And when Jordan Morris converted a free it left Meath just two points in arrears and their opponents on the back foot. However Westmeath were not to be denied a famous win as McCartan put the issue beyond doubt with his side’s fourth goal.
MEATH: S Brennan; S Lavin, S Rafferty, B O’Halloran; D Keogan, S Coffey, C Caulfield; J Flynn (0-1-1), B Menton (0-0-1); J O’Connor (0-0-2), R Kinsella (0-2-2), C McBride; J Morris (0-0-3, 2f), E Frayne (0-1-2), A Lynch (0-0-2). Subs: J Conlon (0-0-4) for Lynch (37 mins), K Smyth for O’Halloran, C Hickey for McBride (both 50), C Duke for O’Connor (54), K Curtis for Frayne (56).
WESTMEATH: C McCormack; D Scahill, C Drumm, C Dillon; S McCartan (0-0-4, 3f), S Allen, M Whittaker (1-0-0); B Cooney (0-0-1), R Connellan (0-0-2); K O’Sullivan (0-0-1), R Wallace, T Baker; S Corcoran (2-0-2), L Loughlin (0-1-4), B Kelly (0-0-2, 1m). Subs: J Daly for McCormack (9 mins), S Ormsby for Cooney (40), R Forde for Loughlin (50), T Molloy for Allen (53), D McCartan (1-0-0) for Kelly (61).
Referee: B Cassidy (Derry)
