Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup final: Westmeath finish in style to take the title

Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup final

Westmeath 1-18 Kildare 1-16

By Paul Keane at Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge

Let nobody be in any doubt about the value of two-point scores under Gaelic football's new rules.

Behind by a whopping eight points with just 16 minutes remaining in Newbridge, Westmeath reeled off no less than five two-pointers, along with a goal from the inspired Ronan Wallace, to turn a near lost cause into a famous fifth Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup title success.

They registered six two-pointers overall with Tailteann Cup Team of the Year member Luke Loughlin firing over three of those and finishing with 0-8.

But Wallace outdid him with a quite incredible display, finishing with 1-7 from his wing-back position, a haul that included three two-pointers and the 48th minute green flag score that really ignited Westmeath.

It's a terrific start to life under new manager Mark McHugh and augurs well ahead of Sunday week's Allianz League Division 3 opener against Sligo.

Aside from lifting a rare piece of silverware, it was also a useful three-game campaign from the point of view of assessing new talents like Harry Niall while there was a welcome return for former AFL player Ray Connellan.

Kildare will be disappointed to let slip such a big lead, particularly on home soil where they hadn't been beaten in a competitive game since the ground was reopened after redevelopment work.

But it was more precious game time for Brian Flanagan's young side with goalscorer Liam Kelly and Ben Loakman, who hit 1-3 between them, coming off last year's U-20 team and several more starters coming from the successful U-20 sides that Flanagan managed in 2022 and 2023.

Kildare simply have to move on following the retirements of David Hyland, Daniel Flynn, Mick O'Grady and Niall Kelly while key figures like Darragh Kirwan, Colm Dalton and James McGrath are also out injured.

The home team took a while to find their range early on, firing three wides and dropping another effort short in the opening five minutes, before asserting themselves.

Kevin Feely took on the responsibility and boomed over a two-pointer at the town end to open the scoring - and it cracked a seal.

Full-forwarwd Loakman found space at the top of the arc soon after and split the posts.

Clearly inspired, Brian McLoughlin then took on a two-point attempt from way out on the right wing and, again, an orange flag score was the result.

The exhibition of long-range scoring left Kildare 0-6 to 0-1 up after just eight minutes - and apparently ready to cut loose.

Wides continued to haunt the hosts though and they returned to their earlier wasteful ways with three more misses in quick succession.

Westmeath weren't able to take advantage at the other end. Matthew Whittaker and Jonathan Lynam had two separate goal chances in the 10th and 17th minutes.

But both shots were blocked out for 45s and Loughlin could only convert one of them.

Still, when captain fantastic Wallace drilled a 20th minute point for Westmeath, it was back to a one-score game, 0-6 to 0-3.

Kildare did their best to create space around the arc for two-point attempts but couldn't convert any more, finishing the half with eight wides. They went 21 minutes in the half without a score.

The Lilywhites were grateful to McLoughlin and Eoin Cully for slotting singles on the brink of half-time, giving them a 0-8 to 0-4 lead.

It was a better second-half, from both teams, full of energy and invention.

Kildare used the third quarter to put significant daylight between the teams. Loakman hit the point of the half when he sold his man a sumptuous dummy and screwed one over off the outside of his boot.

Kelly came on and netted within minutes, scoring from close range after a scrum in front of the posts.

With 44 minutes on the clock, Kildare led by 1-13 to 0-8 and looked likely winners, but Westmeath, beaten at this venue by the Lilywhites in last year's Leinster championship, simply refused to accept defeat again.

And Wallace was the man who dragged them to a brilliant win, cutting in from the left and slamming to the net in the 48th minute to cut the deficit to just two.

Alex Beirne points for Kildare kept Westmeath at bay in the closing minutes but when Wallace and Loughlin closed out the game with two-point scores, it sealed a brave win for the Lake County, their first in this competition since 2019.

Westmeath scorers: Ronan Wallace 1-7 (3 tp), Luke Loughlin 0-8 (3 tp, 1 45), Danny McCartan 0-2, Senan Baker 0-1 (0-1f).

Kildare scorers: Alex Beirne 0-5 (1 tp, 1 free), Brian McLoughlin 0-4 (1 tp), Liam Kelly 1-0, Ben Loakman 0-3 (1 tp), Kevin Feely 0-2 (tp), Eoin Cully 0-1, Callum Bolton 0-1.

Westmeath: Jack Connaughton; Tadhg Baker, Charlie Drumm, Boidu Sayeh; Ronan Wallace, Danny Scahill, Jonathan Lynam; Harry Niall, Ray Connellan; Senan Baker, Brian Guerin, Brandon Kelly; Danny McCartan, Luke Loughlin, Matthew Whittaker.

Subs: Brian Cooney for Guerin h/t, Kevin O'Sullivanfor Niall h/t, Robbie Forde for Kelly 42, Tom Molloy for McCartan 42, TJ Cox for S Baker 42, Jack Duncan for Lynam 52.

Kildare: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Padraic Spillane, Ryan Burke; James Harris, Eoin Lawlor, Brian Byrne; Kevin Feely, Brendan Gibbons; Brian McLoughlin, Alex Beirne, Callum Bolton; Sam Doran, Ben Loakman, Eoin Cully.

Subs: Liam Kelly for Doran h/t, Mick Spillane for Lawlor 45, Darragh Swords for P Spillane 53, Darragh Mangan for Gibbons 57.

Referee: Kevin Williamson (Offaly).