Louth Vs Westmeath

[Croí na hÉireann]

Big guns return for Westmeath
09 March 2007

John Keane and Martin Flanagan return to the Westmeath team for Sunday's NFL Division 1B clash with Louth in Dundalk.

Former All-Star Keane returns from injury to replace teenager Kieran Gavin at left corner back. Tyrrellspass clubman Flanagan, who missed the win over Down because of a pre-arranged holiday, slots back into midfield in place of under 21 player David Duffy.

Dessie Dolan continues at centre forward while Paul Bannon, who produced a man of the match performance against Down, is again named at full forward.

Westmeath (SF v Louth): G Connaughton; F Boyle, M Ennis, J Keane; A Rigney, D O'Donoghue, D Heavin; D Healy, M Flanagan; F Wilson, D Dolan, J Smyth; A Mangan, P Bannon, Denis Glennon.

Surprised to see Flan back starting, I'd have preferred to have seen him starting on the bench since he was unavailable two weeks ago. Kieran Gavin can count himself unlucky too to lose out but it's great to see JK back. Healy didn't spend too much time around the middle last time out, will be interesting to see if he stays in the middle this time. Team has a nice look about it and it's fairly settled at this stage. One change I'd like to see is someone else tried out at half-forward, Smyth hasn't impressed so far.

Anyways tickets got for Sunday and looking forward to the game. Anyone got directions to the ground coming from Dublin? Past Dundalk as I understand it... And where the hell is midLouth these days???

[Croí na hÉireann]

Horrible day out for the Lakers yesterday, nothing went our way from the minute we took to the field. Donal O'D twisting his ankle in the warm up and delaying the start whilst he was having it taped up didn't help. The pitch was a state as was the ground. Apparently it was recently done up, I'd hate to have seen it before. The playing surface was a marginal improvement on the one we played on in Drogeda two years ago, you wouldn't put cattle out to graze on that one. The dimensions of the pitch were obviously reduced to suit puke football and play like this with the added blanket Louth did. From the off they set out to intimidate and stretch the rules to the limit they did. Beilieve there was a member of the team on LMFM after the match saying that Westmeath only came up to fight and they deservedly had their men sent off. Fact is Westmeath were caught reacting to the heavy handed tactics. There was a couple of incidents of one in all in and the ref took the easy option of just booking the incident that was deemed to have caused it when there was clearly a couple of Louth players that came in swinging a la Liam McHale, particulary the no 28. Don't really want to go down the route of blaming the ref but he was less than useless and gave us nothing. Louth folk were even commenting that he had lost control from an early stage. See that there's a thread on the Sligo Cavan ref and the performance here wouldn't be a million miles away. I legged it up to Dundalk after my club game yesterday morning and if there's gonna be shitheads like this reffing I wish the GAA would flag us in advance to save us bother.

From the actual football that was played, we're gonna have to toughen up a bit. Flan and Glennon are gonna have to learn to get rid of it earlier as they're taking too much out of the ball. They might get away with it for Tyrrellspass but not at this level. Budda looked good early on but got no ball in to him after the first tem minutes. Dessie as always was everywhere. I wouldn't have Smyth on the panel never mind the team, taken off before half time, enough said. Wilson was also subjected to off the ball treatment which the ref and linesman saw and in their wisdom did nothing about. Bannon never got to the speed of the game and Flan was moved in to full forward early as we were being cleaned out at midfield. Healy as always ran his socks off but I don't think he's a midfielder. We only started to compete here when Shaugho came on for Smyth. Horse of a man, brought some much needed physicality to the Westmeath team and we need him fit sooner rather than later. Louth forwards were well built and they've obviously been on the weights. We've got to learn to deal with the Martin O'Rourkes of this world and not be standing off them. Lennon looked a class act and was a handful. Heavin spent most of the game stratching his groin and it clearly affected him. He had to go off with it and hopefully it's not too serious. I'd say the ref must have carded every one of our backs and some of the frees were shocking. JK probably deserved his second yellow but the first and the ticking weren't even frees. Didn't see what Healy did.

We've a lot to take from this game. Yes the pitch was shite as was the ref and the weather but we're gonna have to become more physical and burst through the tackles. Glennon and Flan in particular are gonna have to stop taking too much out of the ball and running into trouble. Need to get Shaugho and Gary Dolan back fit. Also have to learn how to play against the blanket defence, when we delivered quick long ball into the corners we caused them problems. Much improvement needed for the next game, which is a home game against Gaillimh. Should be looking to win our last two home games, all still to play for in 1B.