Three debutants for Westmeath
Keith Scally, Conor Lynam and Willie Murtagh will make their Leinster SFC debuts for Westmeath against Wicklow at O'Connor Park on Sunday.
By Randal Scally
Martin Flanagan and Fergal Wilson will also make their first appearances since last July's narrow All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Tyrone, while Donal O'Donoghue returns as well after missing most of the National League.
But Dessie Dolan and Michael Ennis aren't included in Tomas O Flatharta's starting XV after failing to recover im time from knee and Achilles tendon injuries.
Tyrrellspass clubman Scally and St. Loman's teenager Lynam will make their championship bows at right half forward and left corner forward respectively, while Ballynacargy's Murtagh - who saw action as a sub in last year's All-Ireland qualifiers - has been given the nod to start ahead of Damien Healy at left half back. Healy only recently returned from a stint abroad, and his lack of match practice means he has to be content with a place on the subs bench.
Martin Flanagan renews his midfield partnership with David Duffy after recovering from ankle surgery, while Fergal Wilson has also put his injuries problems behind him to line out alongside Denis Glennon and debutant Lynam in the full forward line. Lynam's inclusion comes as something as a surprise given that fellow under 21s Thomas McDaniel and John Connellan were believed to be ahead of him in the pecking order in the event of Dessie Dolan not been passed fit.
Garrycastle's Doran Harte has been selected at left half forward, but is expected to play as an extra defender just as he did against Dublin and Tyrone last year.
Westmeath (SF v Wicklow): G Connaughton; F Boyle, K Gavin, J Keane (captain); D O'Donoghue, D Heavin, W Murtagh; M Flanagan, D Duffy; K Scally, J Smyth, D Harte; F Wilson, D Glennon, C Lynam.
I wonder is that the team or is Tomás giving Dessie & Natchie every possible opportunity to prove their fitness? Light enough team & hopefully the lads on the bench will be fit enough to come on if needed. Donal O'D hasn't played in the half backs in years for us & Murtagh wasn't given much opportunity there is the league either. Harte hasn't played in the "forwards" since last year & Scally didn't exactly play every league game. I think this is a massive gamble by Tomás and maybe he's no choice here but it certainly evens the field & nullifies any percieved advantage we were supposed to have. The only thing we have left in our favour is that Micko hates the sight of the Maroon jersey, hopefully that is still intact Sunday evening. O'Connor Park has been decent to us recently too. There's a fine view from the new stand, hope they're ready with the season tickets, no word on the aul email yet...
Anyways I hope Heavin picks up Glynn & sticks to him all game. Much like Redmond Barry & Wexford, if u shut Glynn down you'll go a long way to helping your chances of winning. Full back line looks tight enough, can't give away frees inside the 45 as that's what killed the Slashers.
Will be travelling somewhere between hope & expectation.
Interesting selection...Murtagh never really impressed me in any of his league games but he must be doing something right. Scally has never impressed me. I would have thought that Connellan/McDaniel would have been in there ahead of Lynam, or even Kilcoyne, although I did see Connellan recently playing for Athlone and he wasn't overly impressive. Lynam was decent in the league.
I can't see Harte not playing in the half back line and O'Donoghue will probably be more around the middle than half back. Maybe with Flanagan pushing forward a little, will be interesting to see how long the legs last...Kind of expect to see Glennon and Lynam inside with Wilson coming out a little too. Or maybe Flanagan could be pushed into full forward with O'Donoghue slipping direct into midfield and Harte coming back. I'd like to see Flanagan in midfield though. Aside from the full back line, Heavin and Harte playing in defence somewhere and Duffy in midfield the rest is anybody's guess!
I hope Heavin is a little sharper than he was in the league at times. Duffy seems to have had a nice little run the last couple of months without injury so hopefully there's a big summer in him...
I hope we have enough to get over Wicklow. The likes of Murtagh, Scally and Lynam will be out to try and cement a place for when Dolan, Ennis and Healy come back.
There's a strong enough bench there with Healy, Ennis and Dolan all hopefully having a say if necessary.
It's a strange enough team. I would certainly have JC or McDaniel in before Lynam but Tomas obviously sees more than we do. I'd say Healy just didn't get the start as he was away so long that he couldn't just walk back in. I hope Dessie and Natchie are ready to come in I feel that things would certainly be bolstered with their arrival. I think Kilcoyne may be a little disappointed too not to have gotten a look in.
The team that we are familiar with over the last few years has a fair few miles on the clock. This could be the last year that many of them will be around. Hopefully the wheels won't come off. On the other hand if they rediscover the old solidity at the back then they could give us a bit of craic this year again. Looking forward to the extra bit of adrenaline the first championship match always produces.
I'd have put Heals in the corner & brought Boyle out to half back. Whatever he lacks in fitness (and he's naturally fit anyway) would't have counted as much in there, plus he's back 2 months anyway. Remember the job he did on Pauraic Joyce down in Pearse Stadium??? Anyways he should get a good reaction if/when introduced...
Bit early to be thinking of retirements :D Flan & Heals only real dangers of that I'd think...
Hope you're right Croi. The recent ten year anniversary of the trip to Limerick for the U21 final made me realise that some of the lads have been around a while and can't go on forever. It will be the end of an era when Healy eventually calls it a day. Hopefully not for a while yet :)
She'll be looking an oscar for that rendition of the anthem
I don't like Joe Mc Quillan as a ref.
Penalties are hard to convert in GAA.
Plenty of hard hitting in this contest - not much football - more like basketball.
Score update please.
1-3 to 0-4 to Wicklow just scored a goal after mistake by Connaughton
Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 14, 2009, 02:33:45 PM
Score update please.
Wicklow just after scoring dodgy goal - w
Wicklow 1-3 Westmeath 0-4 almost half time
Cheers lads,
Can you beleive he blew for half time when Wicklow were just about to score ?.
absolute pants. Neither would beat Dublin's junior team. And considering how average we were last week that tells you how bad that 35mins was.
Quote from: INDIANA on June 14, 2009, 02:44:11 PM
absolute pants. Neither would beat Dublin's junior team. And considering how average we were last week that tells you how bad that 35mins was.
Spillane was very complimentary - sending the DVD to the Americans to use as punishment for ghe detainees in Guantanamo Bay !!!!!!!! ;D ;D
Quote from: orangeman on June 14, 2009, 02:45:43 PM
Quote from: INDIANA on June 14, 2009, 02:44:11 PM
absolute pants. Neither would beat Dublin's junior team. And considering how average we were last week that tells you how bad that 35mins was.
Spillane was very complimentary - sending the DVD to the Americans to use as punishment for ghe detainees in Guantanamo Bay !!!!!!!! ;D ;D
He used something similiar after the 97 Connacht final Sligo 1-7 to mayo 0-11, said teachers should make the students watch it as punishment or something like that the fecker.
What a score by Lynham - 2 lovely dummies.
I'd say Datlon's collar bone was well tested there.
Spillane pointed out at half time that Wicklow should be putting in high balls as the only one they put in during the 1st half resulted in a goal - they've been doing it now for 10 minutes and it's like throwing buns to a bear.
Mc Quillan getting more abuse now.
Tony Hannon is having a nightmare since he missed that penalty.
Quote from: Jinxy on June 14, 2009, 03:10:47 PM
Tony Hannon is having a nightmare since he missed that penalty.
Along with the rest of the Wicklow team - they are completely awful. It's shocking how bad they are. Westmeath are only slightly better. And even at that Wicklow are only one behind.
The free count seems to be very high so far.
Dolan on,will swing it for Westmeath.
Extra time ????
Momentum behind Wicklow now. Reckon they might sneak it. They can feel a bit hard done by if they don't advance here. Some curious calls by McQuillan.
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on June 14, 2009, 03:27:41 PM
Momentum behind Wicklow now. Reckon they might sneak it. They can feel a bit hard done by if they don't advance here. Some curious calls by McQuillan.
No foul there by the full back - Wicklow one up - 2 minutes left - a draw guaranteed.
5 minutes extra time - now you're talking !! ;)
Quote from: orangeman on June 14, 2009, 03:31:30 PM
5 minutes extra time - now you're talking !! ;)
At least 5 a player was down for a 1 min 30 there
There's an awful lot of lying down right enough.
denis glennon has to be the biggest prima donna on a Gaa pitch.
Extra time. Wicklow back up to 15 now I presume or was that silly rule done away with??
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on June 14, 2009, 03:37:42 PM
Extra time. Wicklow back up to 15 now I presume or was that silly rule done away with??
Silly rule still applies.
Seany Furlong is some lump of a lad !
Whatever the outcome of this game, Mick O'Dwyer is some manager to get some very average footballers to even compete with Westmeath who on paper should be beating Wicklow handy.
Imagine if he had a few more footballers to work with.
This was a bit like watching two bald men fighting over a comb.
Dublin will murderise Westmeath.
Quote from: Jinxy on June 14, 2009, 04:18:04 PM
This was a bit like watching two bald men fighting over a comb.Dublin will murderise Westmeath.
Spillane would have been proud of that one. ;) :D
If there were awards for shite matches handed out this one would clear the boards.
Awful awful awful stuff.
Auld Shore has expressed a wish that Dublin beat Westmeath by 147 points.
I concur!
Quote from: Shamrock Shore on June 14, 2009, 04:39:19 PM
If there were awards for shite matches handed out this one would clear the boards.
Awful awful awful stuff.
Auld Shore has expressed a wish that Dublin beat Westmeath by 147 points.
I concur!
We are aiming for 125 considering the year that is in it
I thought it was awful too. Then I watched the hurlin. God Almighty.
Quote from: Shamrock Shore on June 14, 2009, 04:39:19 PM
If there were awards for shite matches handed out this one would clear the boards.
Awful awful awful stuff.
Auld Shore has expressed a wish that Dublin beat Westmeath by 147 points.
I concur!
Agree awful match - Made Fermanagh v Cavan look quite good and that's some feat!
Just back from the game, if maddog doesnt put the dublin westmeath game spread at Westmeath +125.5 then its the Dubs Bonus for me. only good thing to come out of it was to see Shocko back and playing well. Doran harte played well also. the rest were very poor. i thought RTE were going to have to delay the Angelus there were that many injuries!
Happy to have got the win but that's about it. Only positives are that Lynam showed well, O'Shaughnessey looks fit and hungry and made some difference and nobody will give us a snowballs chance in hell of beating the Dubs (even if their junior team tog out).
Scrapy in the extreme. Full back line solid enough. O'Donoghue was taken to the cleaners and I think he should have been switched or substituted earlier. Midfield was poor until O'Shaughnessey came on and won some great ball there, Flanagan overdid it alot of the time and Duffy was very average.
Lynam was probably our best forward.
it's a long time since I have seen such a game where players were just colliding into each other, getting injured, dislocating shoulders, running into goal posts even one player reputedly broke his ankle. A hospital game.
Eh - I only got to see the 2nd half and thought it was exciting enough. Quality was missing but there was good effort and a decent amount of end to end. Maybe I am too easy to please...
Out of Jail. No other word for it. I said here that I was surprised Lynam was starting. He was excellent and really impressed me. Willo took responsibility well at the end too. Dessie made a difference when he came on although one terrible pass left us in bother. He's not half fit and hopefully this will bring him on. Great to see Shaugho make an impact again. Turned the game when he came on. I spoke to Natchie's brother afterwards and he said that he is carrying an injury and hopefully it won't have flared up again. I suppose tomorrow will tell a lot there. Denis mixed the good with the bad. He doesn't get much protection from the ref which causes him to sulk a bit. Flan was not great and Duffy showed in patches. The defense looked like creaking at times although Keano was superb as always. There were a number of last ditch tackles and dispossesions when we looked stretched. A better attack could make us pay. Healy looks quite unfit and Derek Heavin will want to forget this one. Gary was excellent apart from the goal which was a bit of a gift.
Wicklow were good value for a replay and Tony Hannon will want to forget today. He kicked 5 or 6 wides in addition to the penalty. I thought the 45 at the end lacked conviction. If he was in the kind of form that he showed as an U21 against us we'd be hoping to avoid Kerry in the draw at this stage. He certainly let us off the hook.
The question now is are we going to push on from here with the game brushing away the cobwebs or are we watching the team gradually come to the end of its life cycle. The Dubs will not be too worried when they see this. The semi final could be painful if we don't improve greatly.
Quote from: Iarmhí Abú. on June 14, 2009, 10:29:16 PM
Out of Jail. No other word for it. I said here that I was surprised Lynam was starting. He was excellent and really impressed me. Willo took responsibility well at the end too. Dessie made a difference when he came on although one terrible pass left us in bother. He's not half fit and hopefully this will bring him on. Great to see Shaugho make an impact again. Turned the game when he came on. I spoke to Natchie's brother afterwards and he said that he is carrying an injury and hopefully it won't have flared up again. I suppose tomorrow will tell a lot there. Denis mixed the good with the bad. He doesn't get much protection from the ref which causes him to sulk a bit. Flan was not great and Duffy showed in patches. The defense looked like creaking at times although Keano was superb as always. There were a number of last ditch tackles and dispossesions when we looked stretched. A better attack could make us pay. Healy looks quite unfit and Derek Heavin will want to forget this one. Gary was excellent apart from the goal which was a bit of a gift.
Wicklow were good value for a replay and Tony Hannon will want to forget today. He kicked 5 or 6 wides in addition to the penalty. I thought the 45 at the end lacked conviction. If he was in the kind of form that he showed as an U21 against us we'd be hoping to avoid Kerry in the draw at this stage. He certainly let us off the hook.
The question now is are we going to push on from here with the game brushing away the cobwebs or are we watching the team gradually come to the end of its life cycle. The Dubs will not be too worried when they see this. The semi final could be painful if we don't improve greatly.
welcome iarmhí abu , is that the faint sound of a bandwagon i hear
QuoteWicklow were good value for a replay and Tony Hannon will want to forget today. He kicked 5 or 6 wides in addition to the penalty. I thought the 45 at the end lacked conviction.
He didn't miss a kick all day against Longford. Jaysus. ::)
Its more a case of "Welcome Back" Ros. I first appeared here when AZ Offalywas probably still in the US and people like FirstTouchJoeCooney and KerryMike were opinion leaders. You're obviously fairly new yourself as it's only 18 months since I ceased to be a regular contributor. Had to re register but only added a full stop to the name.
As regards a bandwagon, it's a bit late hopping on when the wagon appears to be runnining out of steam ;)
I was going to defend your honour, but you beat me to it :D
I was bemoaning the lack of a Daithi vs Fogarty spat there, that would have livened things up :)
Good man AZ. Daithi was there yesterday but the old fire is dwindling :D I think he's been sated somewhat by the relative success of recent times (massive success if you consider where we used to be at) and domestic duties - a recent heir has meant that he missed some O'Byrne Cup and League fixtures this year. Unthinkable in the past. It would probably take a derby with the auld enemy to the south to get his dander up properly. He won't like me to say it but he actually had good craic with some of our biffo mates leading up to last years match and was magnanimous afterwards. This is far removed from his old fire and brimstone tirades in his youth. I guess maturity comes if we wait :)
Had a wry smile when I read your post about things we never thought we'd see. There's more of us were in that boat than just yourself. These things come in cycles however, so we'll always peer anxiously over the border.
Didn't enjoy much of that apart from the display by the full back line, right up there with Cork's as the best in the country, only reason we were still in the game at the end of normal time. We were destroyed at midfield & only started to compete when Shaugho came on. I don't think Duffy brought one ball out of the sky & Flan needs to cut out shooting from ridiculous distances and angles. Half back like was very suspect, Murtagh was probably the best of the bunch & I can't even remember him doing much positive. Donal O'D didn't have the pace to stick with Glynn & couldn't believe he wasn't moved off him.
Smyth & Harte in the half forwards got through some amount of work, Harte is a great man for winning breaking ball and getting the hand in to dispose. Smyth had a couple of last minute full length block downs as well. Scally tried, took his point well but I wouldn't expect to see him start the next day. FF line did well, the problem was getting the ball into them. Lynam looked dangerous anytime he got the ball and took his points well, especially the score where he sold two dummies, one off either foot, one of the few highlights of the day as well as his last point in extra time to go 2 up. The number 2 had a hold on Glennons jersey the whole game & not once was it spotted by the ref, umpires or linesman. Did well when he got the ball for someone who was supposed to be carrying an injury. Willo saw a good bit of the ball, always does well in O'Connor Park.
On the point that was scored when Wicklow had a man on the ground, I think it was a case of crying wolf once too often. Westmeath were on a roll after scoring a few points in a row and two members of the Wicklow full back line went down looking for treatment. IMO (and probably the refs as well) they were looking to hold up and disrupt the momentum we had. On the incident itself Lynam had played the ball and was given the obligatory push in the chest to stop him moving clear and both players went down in a heap. Ref had a good view of this & must have decided that if there was any injury it was self inflicted. Unfortunately he must have turned over on his ankle and had to be removed from play (btw it was a nice touch to see Lynam go over and shake his hand as he was being stretchered off). Now of course the ref should have held up play if it was a serious injury but you can only cry wolf so often.
Anyways we've got a hell of a lot of work to do for two weeks time. Don't think it's sufficient time to bring on Dessie, Heals & Natchie, all looked rusty enough when they came on. The signs aren't encouraging but sure we'll turn up anyway. The game will go one of two ways, like the championship game last year which was nip and tuck or like the league game this year which wasn't. Hopefully it's the former...
Scratch that post, I think this sums the game up...
(http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/images/tile/2009/0615/1224248848361_1.jpg)
Quote from: Iarmhí Abú. on June 15, 2009, 12:51:57 PM
Good man AZ. Daithi was there yesterday but the old fire is dwindling :D I think he's been sated somewhat by the relative success of recent times (massive success if you consider where we used to be at) and domestic duties - a recent heir has meant that he missed some O'Byrne Cup and League fixtures this year. Unthinkable in the past. It would probably take a derby with the auld enemy to the south to get his dander up properly. He won't like me to say it but he actually had good craic with some of our biffo mates leading up to last years match and was magnanimous afterwards. This is far removed from his old fire and brimstone tirades in his youth. I guess maturity comes if we wait :)
Had a wry smile when I read your post about things we never thought we'd see. There's more of us were in that boat than just yourself. These things come in cycles however, so we'll always peer anxiously over the border.
Superb stuff, Daithi was an all time board legend.
Flanagan and Duffy didn't compete at all with big Walsh yesterday. They weren't even near him. There was a good number of times when Walsh was collecting the ball on his own and running knocking over Westmeath halfbacks and halfforwards and no sign of the midfield. Noticed that when Shaughnessy came on the first thing he did was plough a couple of jostles in to Walsh.