St Loman's forward Shane Dempsey. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Westmeath SFC Final Replay
St Loman's, Mullingar 1-15 The Downs 2-12 (after extra-time)
St Loman’s win 3-0 on penalties
It needed a penalty shootout for St Loman’s to retain their Westmeath senior football crown in ideal conditions in Mullingar.
After a cagey opening, Shane Dempsey, who had missed the epic drawn game six days earlier due to injury, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal for the holders in the seventh minute at the end of a probing delivery by Danny McCartan.
This proved to be the difference between the teams at half-time, St Loman’s ahead by 1-5 to 0-5, with three of The Downs’ scores having come from their mercurial skipper Luke Loughlin, one each from play, a mark and a free.
Andrew Kilmartin and Danny McCartan traded points shortly after play resumed before Loughlin superbly converted from the spot after a foul on Niall Mitchell, to level the scoring.
There was very little between the teams as the second half progressed, with Loughlin leading the way for The Downs with a couple of marvellous points. Joe Moran's great block as Ronan O'Toole looked set to find the net in the 57th minute kept the 2022 champions' hopes alive, and corner back Eanna Burke almost won the day for them with seconds left in injury-time as his shot dropped agonisingly short. They remained tied at 1-10 each, thereby ensuing extra-time.
St Loman's led by 1-12 to 1-10 when Ian Martin found the net to nudge his team ahead eight minutes into the first period of extra-time. The outstanding Kelvin Reilly and sub Matthew Cunningham traded points leaving The Downs ahead by 2-11 to 1-13 at the end of the first period of extra-time. In the second period, Heslin and Mitchell swapped points from frees, but O’Toole’s fine score brought the game to penalties.
It was a disastrous shootout for The Downs with the hitherto-excellent Loughlin missing the first spot-kick, his Westmeath colleague Jason Daly pulling off a fine save.
Charlie Drumm also had his shot saved, while Kevin O'Sullivan blazed his kick over the crossbar. Sam McCartan, O'Toole and John Heslin, who had been quiet by his high standards, all scored their kicks to secure an eighth Flanagan Cup in 12 years for the Mullingar men.
Scorers for St Loman's, Mullingar: J Heslin 0-5 (5fs), S Dempsey 1-0, R O’Toole, K Reilly 0-2 each, D McCartan, F Ayorinde (m), S McCartan, TJ Cox, J Geoghegan, S Flanagan 0-1 each.
Scorers for The Downs: L Loughlin 1-5 (1-0 pen, 1f, 1‘45’), I Martin 1-2, A Kilmartin, K O'Sullivan, N Mitchell (f), M Cunningham, P Martin 0-1 each.
St Loman’s, Mullingar: J Daly; D Whelan, D O’Keeffe, O Hogan; K Reilly, E Hogan, S McCartan; J Geoghegan, F Ayorinde; R Sheahan, R O’Toole, S Flanagan; D McCartan, J Heslin, S Dempsey.
Subs: TJ Cox for Dempsey (inj., 38), K Regan for Sheahan (45), E Gaffney for Ayorinde (51), P Foy for D McCartan (e/t, 5), N Lally for O Hogan (e/t, 10), D McCartan for Geoghegan (e/t, 20).
The Downs: T Martin; P Murray, C Drumm, E Burke; J Moran, C Nolan, O Murphy; J Lynam, C Coughlan; I Martin, A Kilmartin, K O’Sullivan; L Loughlin, N Mitchell, P Martin.
Subs: O Loughlin for Coughlan (inj., 13), A Shaw for Murray (40), M Cunningham for P Martin (54), D O’Callaghan for Murphy (60+1), O Murphy for Moran (e/t, 5).
Referee: B Pierce (St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge).
