All-Ireland SFC Round 1: Westmeath beat Cavan in thriller
Patrick Lynch of Cavan in action against Kevin O'Sullivan, left, and Daniel Scahill of Westmeath during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 1 match between Westmeath and Cavan at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar, Westmeath. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 1
Westmeath 1-31 Cavan 3-21 (after extra-time)
By Gerry Buckley at TEG Cusack Park
Fresh from lifting the Delaney Cup for only the second time, Westmeath proved they are worthy Leinster standard-bearers with a pulsating four-point win over Cavan after extra-time, in front of a capacity crowd of approximately 12,000 in Mullingar.
After a couple of earlier misses, Westmeath took the lead in the fifth minute courtesy of a great two-pointer from midfielder Brían Cooney. They increased this when Brandon Kelly pointed neatly some three minutes later. However, Cavan, under the tutelage of last year’s Westmeath manager Dermot McCabe, were on level terms by the 12th minute via a point from play by the ever-threatening Emmanuel Shehu and a two-point free from Paddy Lynch – he had missed from a similar range in the seventh minute.
Kelly (a fisted score) and Shehu (a classy score) traded points, as did Shane Corcoran (at the end of a great move) and Ryan Donohoe, sandwiched between which the home team spurned the only half-chance of a goal in the first moiety. Mark McHugh’s men, who were significantly quicker on the counterattack than their opponents, took control between the 22nd and 27th minutes, firing over five unanswered points from the boots of Kelly, Matthew Whittaker, Sam McCartan (a great two-pointer), and team captain Ronan Wallace (a delightful finish). Conor Brady reduced the deficit with a fisted point, before Conor Dillon and Senan Baker (with his fist after a technical foul) pointed to leave the Leinster champions ahead by 0-12 to 0-6 at the interval.
Westmeath had a major let-off a minute after play resumed when half-time sub Darragh Lovett hit the post with a goal at his mercy. The Lake County made the most of this by rattling over three unanswered points via McCartan (a free), Baker and Wallace. Tiarnan Madden kicked three points from frees at the other end – the first of them a two-pointer – before full back Charlie Drumm came forward to kick an inspirational point for the home team.
In the 47th minute, Lynch found the net at the end of a fine move to leave his team trailing by 0-16 to 1-9. A routine free conversion by McCartan preceded a free from Madden and a great two-pointer from sub Conor Casey, and when sub Dara McVeety – who was unable to start despite being selected – pointed, the gap was down to the bare minimum.
Westmeath looked to have regained the initiative with points from Dillon, Kelly and sub Robbie Forde to go four clear (0-20 to 1-13). However, a Lynch free and a tapped goal from Paddy Meade (after Lovett’s third goal attempt had come back off the crossbar) tied up the scoring. Points from Whittaker and Kelly appeared to be enough but Casey kicked a great two-pointer to tie up the scoring again. John Heslin, who had been introduced to a great ovation in the 53rd minute, was unable to win the game from a long-range free with time almost up, leaving the scoreboard reading at the hooter: Westmeath 0-22 Cavan 2-16.
The rain came down at the start of extra-time. Points from sub Jack Duncan and Heslin edged Westmeath ahead but Cavan looked to have sealed an unlikely win with a brace of two-pointers from Lovett, either side of a goal from McVeety from close range. A Lynch free put the Breffni men 3-21 to 0-24 ahead at half-time in extra-time.
However, there is a massive spirit in this Westmeath squad and McHugh was dancing with delight on the sideline as his troops whittled away at the six-point deficit. Two-pointers from Baker and Wallace were followed by a single point from Kelly (his sixth from play) to leave the gap at just one. Then up popped Kevin O’Sullivan to find the net with three minutes remaining as the huge home following roared with delight. Two routine free conversions from Heslin sealed a famous win.
Scorers for Westmeath: B Kelly 0-6, R Wallace (1 2pt), S Baker (1 2pt), S McCartan (1 2ptf, 2f) 0-4 each, K O’Sullivan 1-0, J Heslin 0-3 (2f), M Whittaker, C Dillon, B Cooney (2pt) 0-2 each, J Duncan, S Corcoran, R Forde, C Drumm 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cavan: P Lynch 1-4 (1 2ptf, 2f), D McVeety 1-1, T Madden 0-4 (1 2ptf, 2f), D Lovett (2 2pt), C Casey (2 2pt) 0-4 each, P Meade 1-0, E Shehu 0-2, Conor Brady, R Donohoe 0-1 each.
Westmeath: Jason Daly; Daniel Scahill, Charlie Drumm, Tadhg Baker; Ronan Wallace, Shane Allen, Matthew Whittaker; Brían Cooney, Ray Connellan; Kevin O'Sullivan, Sam McCartan, Conor Dillon; Shane Corcoran, Senan Baker, Brandon Kelly. Subs: Robbie Forde for Corcoran (47), John Heslin for S Baker (53), Jack Duncan for Cooney (57), Eoghan McCabe for Allen (61), Harry Niall for Dillon (68), Adam Treanor for S Baker (start of e/t), Senan Baker for Whittaker (inj., 76), Eoghan McCabe for T Baker (80), Ian Martin for Scahill (inj., 89).
Cavan: Liam Brady; Barry Donnelly, Brían O'Connell, Evan Crowe; Gerard Smith, Ciarán Brady, Conor Brady; Jensen Tynan, Paddy Meade; Tiarnan Madden, Ryan Donohoe, Emmanuel Shehu; Caoimhan McGovern, Fionntán O’Reilly, Paddy Lynch. Subs: Darragh Lovett for McGovern (h-t), Conor Casey for O’Reilly (48), Dara McVeety for Donnelly (52), Niall Carolan for Crowe (58), Cormac Brady for Tynan (67), Ryan Brady for Carolan (start of e/t), Ryan Tobin for Shehu (start of e/t), Peter Corrigan for Ciaran Brady (85), Niall Carolan for Donohoe (85).
Ref: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).
