Galway left by the wayside

All-Ireland SFC fourth round qualifers/Westmeath 1-18 Galway 0-10: Two revelations from Pearse Stadium: Westmeath football is alive and full of vigour but Galway, though speckled with two-time All-Ireland winners, can no longer influence a championship contest of this intensity.

So, trying to follow Páidí Ó Sé's quick sojourn in Westmeath was not a mistake after all. The Kerry legend ensured Tomás Ó Flatharta would become team trainer before taking the reins in 2002. A Leinster title immediately followed before the wheels fell off.

Ó Sé went home. Ó Flatharta stayed. Now we understand why.

Two months ago Westmeath seemed lost in an injury crisis. Dessie Dolan's season looked set to end under the surgeon's knife. Rory O'Connell took enforced retirement. They were emptied from the provincial championship by Offaly, and a return to the bad old days seemed likely. Maybe 2003 was just a dream.

And yet Midlanders continued the championship pilgrimage to London, Sligo and on to Salthill. Next stop Dublin in Croke Park on August 12th.

The traffic trailed back to Moate as referee Aidan Mangan tossed the ball into play. An official attendance of 9,920 was nowhere near the reality.

This was supposed to be Galway's rehabilitation game before returning to prime-time viewing with the Dubs. Their desire paled in comparison to the opposition.

"There is a certain bit of mettle in this team," said Ó Flatharta. "This is their third All-Ireland quarter-final in six years. That's not a mean achievement for one of the supposedly weaker counties."

Ja Fallon was initially named as a substitute, but his inclusion from the start was hardly a surprise.

Fiachra Breathnach was struck down by a mysterious "stomach bug", which, oddly, didn't prevent him taking part in the warm-up or appearing as a late replacement.

Fallon impressed in the opening stages but his return to the county colours ended disastrously in the 14th minute. The 33-year-old was forced to follow up a high shot that stalled in the wind, but he was met mid-air by the imposing frame of Westmeath goalkeeper Gary Connaughton. The result was concussion and a smashed collarbone.

He made the same slow march around the touchline that a 41-year-old Mickey Linden took after meeting a similar, and legal, end at the hands of Francie Bellew in the Ulster club final two years ago. Seeing a legend fall evokes plenty of sympathy but, equally, it is a reminder of the unforgiving nature of high-level sport.

The remaining All-Ireland winners from 1998 and 2001 also look to be past their sell-by date. Pádraic Joyce had a stinker, kicking some terrible wides in an ageing display. Michael Donnellan and Matthew Clancy were anonymous.

Peter Ford switched Joe Bergin to full forward for the second half but the supply into the square was infrequent.

This was down to some supremely stubborn defending, with Damien Healy and John Keane, in particular, excelling in their man-marking duties on Joyce and Micheál Meehan, who, combined, registered just a single score from play.

Westmeath won the toss and elected to play with a strong breeze. Points flew over from great distances, Denis Glennon even launching one probe from the 65 that bounced straight over the bar.

Despite the advantage, they held only a two-score lead, 0-6 to 0-4, at the turn.

Galway had midfield sown up. Ó Flatharta solved the problem by asking David O'Shaughnessy to bury the pain of his Achilles tendon. The imposing Garrycastle man stemmed the flow of clean possession for Barry Cullinane and Bergin.

The Dolan brothers, Dessie and Gary, kept Galway on the back foot with two low-hit scores into the sea breeze early in the second half. Joyce, Donnellan and Meehan replied with some shocking wides.

Gary Dolan then ensured a four-point cushion coming down the home straight with a well taken goal. He received a return pass from his elder brother before threading the ball past Alan Keane.

Two scores from Fallon's replacement, Cormac Bane, and another from Bergin sparked a late revival, but the loss of Meehan, with a damaged shoulder, meant the right-side free-taking duties passed to Joyce.

A Donnellan free reduced the margin to a single score three minutes into injury time and Mangan incensed the already nervous Westmeath following by allowing one more passage of play.

Galway won a free on the 45, near the touchline. Ford desperately tried to reintroduce Meehan but to no avail. Joyce's effort was short and while Gary Sice gathered the break, the debutant fisted wide.

Westmeath: 1 G Connaughton; 3 J Keane, 2 D Healy, 4 F O'Boyle; 5 M Ennis, 6 D O'Donoghue, 7 G Glennon (0-1); 8 D Duffy, 9 P Bannon; 10 D Heavin, 11 G Dolan (1-1), 12 A Mangan (0-1); 13 J Durkan, 14 D Glennon (0-2), 15 D Dolan (0-3, three frees). Substitutes: 28 J Connellan for J Durkan (23 mins), 24 D O'Shaughnessy for Duffy (31 mins), 26 P Martin for Connellan (62 mins), 30 B Nannery for Heavin (72 mins).

GALWAY: 1 A Keane; 4 D Burke, 3 F Hanley, 2 K Fitzgerald; 5 D Meehan (0-1), 6 D Burke, 7 G Sice; 8 B Cullinane, 9 J Bergin (0-1); 10 M Clancy, 11 P Clancy, 12 M Donnellan (0-1, one free); M Meehan (0-4, three frees), 14 P Joyce (0-1, one free), 24 J Fallon. Substitutes: 23 C Bane (0-2) for Fallon (13 mins), 21 N Coleman for Clancy (48 mins), 15 F Breathnach for M Meehan (69 mins).

Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).