National Football League: Division One A: Although manager Páidí Ó Sé gave Westmeath an Indian summer that will never be forgotten, there is no escaping the cold truth of the north-easterly winds of February.
As he stood on the sideline watching his provincial champions huff and puff in gale force conditions, Páidí might have dreamt himself on the high coast of Ventry.
He could as well have been for all he took from this game. Westmeath scraped a draw against a suddenly happening Cork team thanks to a hero's cameo by Martin Flanagan.
But as Páidí - perhaps drawing on a quarter century of such blustery forgettable league Sundays remarked afterwards - "it was one of those days when fellas were waiting for someone else to break ice".
As usual, the Westmeath congnoscenti descended upon Mullingar in droves, eager to shout on their heroes and searching for early signs of another immortal summer.
Billy Morgan's re-born Cork team gave them plenty to think about and as Ó Sé observed, found that their team was " a long way off their championship standard".
Nonetheless - trailing by 2-6 to 0-8 with four minutes remaining - the home team rescued the day. In other years, Westmeath teams might not have done that.
Cork might easily have made the long trip south reflecting on a perfect league record. It is too early to say for certain, but there is something of the old irrepressible glimmer about the Rebels that already hints that they will be a much different proposition this year.
They were vulnerable in this match at times, particularly when Westmeath played 10 minutes of blistering football after the break. But they were also motivated and confident and, despite the bracing wind, they played some sweet football.
Although James Masters was largely kept under wraps by John Keane, Cork's John Hayes had another fine afternoon, hitting 1-2 and generally playing a very smart and controlled game.
Eoin Sexton was rampant along the left wing and, across the way, Noel O'Laoire was unlucky to be yellow carded on 55 minutes after getting involved in a contretemps with Joe Fallon.
Although no final word has been given on the future of Colin Corkery, the county team perhaps plays a more liberated game in the absence of the great Nemo giant.
Their go-to man yesterday was Brendan Jer O'Sullivan, a different kettle of fish to Colin in every respect imaginable.
He tried to remain obedient to the traditional laws of full forward, but soon went roaming for possession and mixed some wild shots with some truly wonderful. None more so than his goal, which arrived, as the memorable ones always do, when his team needed it most.
Westmeath, after firing six point opportunities into the breeze in the first half had found their shooting boots with points from Alan Mangan, Joe Fallon and the excellent Denis Glennon.
With Rory O'Connell and the tidy John Brennan beginning to dominate at midfield and the team using the wind sensibly, Cork might have been the kid about to let go of the kite.
But a long ball by Alan Cronin found O'Sullivan loitering behind Donal O'Donoghue and, as the defence closed him down and Gary Connaughton raced out from his goalmouth, O'Sullivan delivered an audacious chip which fooled everyone in the stadium.
There was complete disbelief in Cusack Park, partly because the locals were in awe and partly because Cork appeared to travel with no fans. As if to prove it was no fluke, O'Sullivan floated a brilliant point two minutes later. Micheál Ó Croinín then found the range to leave Cork in control, 2-5 to 0-8.
"Maybe we were slightly fortunate to be in that position, because Westmeath had missed chances before that," said Morgan. "But we tried to play football out there and I suppose the main thing is we are going in the right direction."
Páidí revived local faith by entering Martin Flanagan into the arena at that point. Working his way back from a knee operation, the Tyrellspass man got the loudest ovation of the afternoon from the spectators.
As the game entered its last five minutes, however, it was all Cork, with Hayes working another fine point from a difficult position.
Westmeath's reprieve came from nothing. The Cork defence had been comfortable all afternoon, but when Dessie Dolan's angled shot dropped short, Flanagan rose from a crowd to fist it home.
That turned events completely around, with O'Connell turning possession Westmeath's way from the kick-out and Dolan converting a free from 20 metres to level the match.
Cork had a slim chance to win it with the last kick of the game, but few men - Colin Corkery excepted - could have directed a 50 through the gale that swept the midlands.
Alan Cronin's shot was flung way off target by the elements.
"We didn't deserve it," Páidí shrugged. "We got out of jail."
Music to Westmeath ears.
Further evidence, perhaps, that as long as the Kerry man is wielding his bag of charms, bad things will not happen.
WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; J Davitt, D O'Donoghue, J Keane; M Ennis, D Kilmartin, A Lambden; R O'Connell, J Brennan; J Fallon (0-3 frees), D Mitchell, C Galligan; A Mangan (0-1), D Glennon (0-3, 1 free), D Dolan (0-2, frees). Subs: P Tormey for C Galligan (32 mins), D Heavin for A Lambden (41 mins), M Flanagan (1-0) for A Mangan (57 mins), D Glennon for J fallon (61 mins), S Colleary for D Mitchell (64 mins), T Newman for J Davitt (70 mins).
CORK: K O'Dwyer; N Geary, M Cronin, G Murphy; N O'Laoire, S Levis, E Sexton; N Murphy, D Kavanagh; C O'Riordan, C McCarthy, K McMahon (0-1); J Masters (0-1, free), BJ O'Sullivan (1-1), J Hayes (1-02). Subs: M O'Croinin (0-1) for C O'Riordan (38 mins), A Cronin for J Masters (43 mins), D Hurley for D Kavanagh (53 mins).
Referee: H Beirne (Roscommon).
