Who would be a pundit?
“Do any of you actually predict that Westmeath will win today?” asked host Joanne Cantwell on The Sunday Game Live just as the Leinster final pre-match analysis wrapped up.
“The long answer or the short answer?” asked Peter Canavan.
“Short,” replied Cantwell.
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“No,” came Canavan’s answer. Paul Flynn and Raymond Galligan were more or less in unison.
By half-time, however, the pundits were much more bullish about the Lake County’s chances against Dublin – but not bullish enough to tip them.
At the end of the interval, Cantwell posed the same question, with Flynn positing that Westmeath were “exactly where they want to be” and “if they can continue to force Dublin long…”, good things may happen for them.
The Ulstermen beside him didn’t have time to respond.
Later, there was some confusion over the score.
“They have the advantage and they have a nine-point lead,” stated commentator Ger Canning at half-time in extra time. Back in the studio, Joanne was caught out, too.
“Paul Flynn, how on earth are Dublin nine points behind?” she asked, before correcting herself a few seconds later.
What was perhaps most striking about the half-time discussion was that the hooter, signalling half-time, appeared to malfunction at Croke Park. This was not mentioned.
The McHughs have a special recipe for rejuvenation
Westmeath’s turnaround must be the most dramatic in GAA history. Last year they secured one point in Division 2, lost the first round of Leinster to Kildare and were beaten twice by Division 4 opposition in a calamitous Tailteann campaign.
Fast forward 11 months and they’ve beaten Dublin by eight points in the Leinster final. They did so without their leading light Luke Loughlin. Sunday’s triumph followed victories against Kildare, Meath and Longford.
The last similarly earth-shattering change in fortunes could perhaps be attributed to Cavan in the mid-1990s. Having not won a single championship match since 1987, they were Ulster finalists in Martin McHugh’s first season as manager and won it for the first time in 28 years in his third.
Martin’s son Mark, of course, was wearing the bainisteoir bib yesterday.
Armagh draw comfort from reliable route to victory
In the last 21 years, including 2005, Armagh have qualified for the Ulster final seven times. Remarkably, six of those matches have been level after 70 minutes.
In 2005, Kieran McGeeney captained the Orchard County to a replay win over Tyrone. Three years later, they defeated Fermanagh at the second time of asking. And of course, from 2023 to 2026 inclusive, in the post-replay era, all four Ulster finals involving Armagh went to extra time.
The odd one out was 2006, when they beat Donegal by a goal at Croke Park.
To put it in context, the Ulster final has only gone to a replay or extra time on two other occasions in the last 50 renewals, neither of which involved Armagh (Tyrone v Donegal in 1989 and Tyrone v Down in 2003).
Paul Galvin’s crystal ball
Speaking of Loughlin and McHugh, hats off to Paul Galvin, who was spookily prescient on GAA+ a few weeks ago. Previewing the Leinster semi-final – with John Heslin joining in – the Kerry great threw out an interesting suggestion.
“I was just thinking there, John would be the man to put in for Loughlin. I don’t think Kildare would like to see John Heslin coming,” Galvin said.
“I’ve a feeling, just listening to Mark McHugh the last day, that they had their sights set on bigger things than maybe any of us gave them credit for and I think in this type of a game, that counts.”
Word of Mouth
“Unfortunately, this particular group have a history of doing this. We know that and we try to address it . . . but when we start hurling in fear, we’re a really moderate team.” Tipp manager Liam Cahill takes no prisoners after a heavy championship loss to Clare.
By the Numbers: 5,803
Days since Dublin last lost to Leinster opposition in Croke Park. That came against Meath in the 2010 Leinster semi-final.
