Westmeath SFC Final

ST LOMAN’S, MULLINGAR 0-13 GARRYCASTLE 0-13

** By Gerry Buckley at TEG Cusack Park**

A converted 30-metre free by John Heslin with the last kick of the game ensured that St Loman’s, Mullingar held on their Westmeath senior football title for at least another week after a pulsating game played in ideal conditions for football at TEG Cusack Park this afternoon. 

The lively Alex Gardiner opened the scoring for the challengers, but Heslin equalised with a terrific ‘mark’. St Loman’s, playing in their seventh consecutive final, led by a point (0-3 to 0-2) after eight minutes, but Garrycastle – managed by their former player Gary Dolan, Dessie’s brother – took control, playing incisive football from defence to attack, and they fired over seven unanswered points, three of them from Michael Monaghan by the 25th minute.

Veteran James Dolan’s flicked point from point-blank range at the end of a Gardiner delivery, directly after the water break, might have been a goal on another day. TJ Cox almost got in for a goal at the other end, but the same player gave the reigning champions a great lift approaching the half-hour mark with a wonderful long-range point. Garrycastle were full value for their four-point lead at the interval (0-9 to 0-5).

In sharp contrast to the early stages of the first half, the opening ten minutes of the second moiety was full of ragged and disjointed football, with both sides – St Loman’s, in particular – kicking poor wides. Ten scoreless minutes preceded a converted free from Heslin. The impressive Cox added one from play and Gardiner’s 40-metre free with the last kick before the second water break was Garrycastle’s first score of the half, leaving them in front by 0-10 to 0-7.

The last quarter was full of drama, if not necessarily quality football. A brace of points from Heslin, including his only score from play, left his side a point down approaching the end of normal time. The introduction of 42-year-old Dessie Dolan at that stage was a surprise to the huge crowd. With time almost up, Gardiner bore down on goal and opted to go for a three-pointer which Jason Daly saved, enabling Heslin to save the day with his last-gasp free.

Scorers for St Loman’s: John Heslin 0-7 (5f, 1m), TJ Cox 0-3, Ronan O’Toole 0-1, Peter Foy 0-1, Kelvin Reilly 0-1.

Scorers for Garrycastle: Alex Gardiner 0-4 (1f), Michael Monaghan 0-3, Tom O’Halloran 0-1 (f), James Dolan 0-1, James Sheerin 0-1, John Gaffey 0-1, Justin Barrett 0-1, Conor Cosgrove 0-1 (f).

ST LOMAN’S, MULLINGAR: Jason Daly; David Whelan, Oisín Hogan, Darragh O’Keeffe; Jack Geoghegan, Kelvin Reilly, Conor O’Donoghue; Fola Ayorinde, Sam McCartan; Rory Sheehan, Ronan O’Toole, TJ Cox; Sean Flanagan; John Heslin, Peter Foy.

Subs: Kevin Regan for Rory Sheehan (23), Paddy Dowdall for Conor O’Donoghue (27), Shane Dempsey for Peter Foy (35), Ken Casey for Oisín Hogan (44).

GARRYCASTLE: Sean Brennan; Mark McCallon, Jack Donohue, Gary McCallon; Doron Harte, John Gaffey, Bill Kelly; Andrew Monaghan, Justin Barrett; Tom O’Halloran, Eoin Mulvihill, Eoin Monaghan; Michael Monaghan, Alex Gardiner, James Dolan.

Subs: Jason Nugent for Eoin Monaghan (44), Conor Cosgrove for Bill Kelly (50), James Sheerin for Michael Monaghan (52), Dessie Dolan for Tom O’Halloran (60).

Referee: Damien Maher (Ballynacargy).