John Heslin hopes Westmeath can make an impact in Leinster
Westmeath star John Heslin pictured at the Leinster Senior Football Championship launch.
By Cian O'Connell
Westmeath talisman John Heslin is hopeful Colin Kelly's charges can generate some Leinster Championship momentum once more.
Having reached provincial deciders in 2015 and 2016 Westmeath have acquitted themselves well in recent campaigns.
Laois, Wexford, Louth, Carlow, and Kildare are all on Westmeath's side of the draw with Heslin acknowledging that all those counties will believing a couple of victories can be stitched together. "I've said a number of times, if you take Dublin out of Leinster, it's anyone's game on the day," Heslin admits.
"It just depends on your preparation, if you're injury free, on fitness, things like that, if everyone's got a clean bill of health.
"Once you get a win over any team, you obviously have that confidence to beat them again. Anyone on our side of the draw, as Dublin are on the opposite side of the draw, will be confident they can reach the Leinster final, provided results go their way.
"There's going to be five other teams thinking the same thing. We're looking forward to it, and our eyes are fully focused on the first round of the Championship." The winners of Wexford and Laois will face Westmeath at the Quarter-Final stage in Leinster.
Last year Westmeath suffered a 4-29 to 0-10 loss against Dublin in a Leinster Semi-Final, but that confidence wasn't hugely dented by that particular loss.
"You have to be honest with yourself where you're at," Heslin says. "As a team, I wouldn't think so to be honest with you. I wouldn't think that once you're beaten by five, you could be beaten by 50! "People would say that's not good, 'oh look they threw in the towel'.
"We didn't have an opportunity to win any of those games when we played them in. It wouldn't have taken any confidence from me personally, and I don't think it would have affected the team.
"They're just better than us. They're a good few points better than us at the moment, and it is what it is. They're potentially, arguably - you could have an argument with a fella for the night over a couple of pints - the best team ever.
"We'll see in the next few years if they can win a couple of more All-Irelands, if they're the greatest ever."
