Westmeath v Donegal

[J70]

Final score 1-13 to 1-8

Good performance from Donegal. The ship has been steadied. Not many teams will win as easily in Mullingar.

[ONeill]

Dread meeting Donegal again. They owe us one.

[Shamrock Shore]

Hmm

Shall I comment......our should I stay quiet cos I have feck all to shout about myself.

Oh heck

[aodhruadh]

The roller coaster season continues, this time on the up.

Are we away again in the next round or first team out of the hat get home adv? Preference would be for Laois or Monaghan as they wont have much time to recover for a qualifer game assuming the games tomorrow go with form. Def want to avoid Cork (esp away)

Hopefully have todays squad available for the next day, plus Dunnion, Roper, McFadden, Hegarty, etc

[Hound]

Are we away again in the next round or first team out of the hat get home adv? Preference would be for Laois or Monaghan as they wont have much time to recover for a qualifer game assuming the games tomorrow go with form. Def want to avoid Cork (esp away)

First out of the hat means nothing for the next round (two different hats). Presumably that means games will be in neutral venues or in Croker.

[The Voice Of Reason]

Finally looks like we've got the show back on the road ... our best performance since the Kerry match in the league

[AN other]

Westmeath have had a big problem with consistency this year, the games the past two weekends just about summed up the season, with us producing a brilliant performance against Longford, and not turning up for the majority of the match against Donegal. Few of the players came anywhere near the standard they produced against Longford, with Denis Glennon perhaps the only Westmeath player to do himself justice, along with the ever reliable Gary Connaughton, possibly the best keeper in the country.
The amount of enforced errors to give the ball away, in the second half especially, was criminal. Midfield never got into it at all, and the half forward line was completely absent apart from Dolan's decent spell towards the end of the first half.
Flanagan was terrible after a brilliant outing against Longford, and showed why he isn't and never was one of the top players in the country. His inconsistency has been the story of his career.
The best of luck to Donegal who were the undoubted deserving winners, but their wide count and score must be a bit of a worry considering their near total domination.
Back to the drawing board for Westmeath, who are likely to part with Healy and Flanagan at least, although Healy could do a job for another year or two if he had the desire and enthusiasm.

[Mentalman]

Well, what can you say? First off congrats to Donegal, and thanks for not making it a lot worse than it was! Donegal could easily, no exaggeration, have registered twice what they put on the score board. Even at that, a last minute goal took the mean look off the score, which in fact was one hell of a deserved beating.

Unlike last week, when it was easier to pick out bad performances, this week it was easier to pick out the good performance, singular. Davie Duffy gave it his all, but was fighting a lone battle in midfield, I actually felt sorry for the lad, and he was banjaxed by the middle of the second half. And that's it. End of for Westmeath.

Denis Glennon seemed to have one of those games where he was getting on his own nerves, doesn't seem to be able to recover from a personal bad start. The fact that two Donegal boys ended up getting the line over incidents with him isn't a good omen for them for future matches against better opposition, that was a bit stupid against a beaten side. I wouldn't mind only their full back line had done a great job on Dessie, getting out in front, therefore depriving him of the chance to draw fouls, frees and ticks for his men, number 4 roasted him. Gary Dolan...why? Him and Mangan. You just can't go into championship matches with 2 out of your 3 front men contributing nothing from play, not even movement. That was some penalty effort. Incidentally the penalty we got was the softest ever, but next in line must have been Donegal's. Flan was back to the Martin we saw in the first Longford game. Should have been switched inside earlier, but then again when the best you can do is bring on another player to midfield who's hardly trained in Shaugho, well you are up against it. Most everybody else was just anonymous, rather than just terrible. Disappointing, but I had the same feeling about that match on Saturday as I did about the qualifier against Fermanagh a few years back. Although at the start we showed flashes of good play, it was all haphazard, whereas Donegal had a game plan, and individuals had their orders and stuck to them. You'd want to get the free taking sorted before the next day though! BTW great fans I have to say, good to see so many travelled, best of luck in the next round.

* Forgot to mention Connaughton, some saves in there, helped keep the score down!

[Croí na hÉireann]

Well that's it till Jan but we could have at least gone out with some sort of effort instead of a whisper. Out muscled as per the Dublin game last year and Louth in the league this year, this issue still hasn't been addresed. A lot of the players looked to be carrying heavy legs out there with Nachie probably the case in point. Usually buzzing all around the field but has been quiet in the championship. Healy was a big loss and probably won't be back next year. It's a long aul drive from Galway for training etc and had to be begged to come back this year apparently. Had manys the fine day in the maroon and white. May or may not see Flan again, depends on injuries/ lack of I suppose. He certainly shouldn't have been left at midfield for so long and it was criminal not to put him in to full forward and launch high balls in to him. When we did it was too little, too late. Gary Dolan, well he wasn't a full forward when he came into the team in 2003 and he still isn't, needs to lose the arse, as does O'Donoghue. Budda blows either hot or cold and usually it's sub zero. Scored one point and gave away two, would have been better off starting with 14.

Looked like we might give Donegal a run for their money in the first half playing against a slight wind but loosing Heals and the goal knocked us for 6. Heads dropped (as did the Donegal free takers) and the game was as good as over. Donegal ruled midfield with Cassidy catching everything and built their win from there. Duffy tried to compete but as has been said, was fighting a lone battle. Donegal will need to improve for the next day, hope they go far, were well represented on and off the field (including that lunatic with the pipes, gave Gary Connaughton a good run for geeing up the crowd).

If we're not careful we're gonna end up back in the bad old days. I think it's time for a change in management, we don't have a massive draw and certainly can't afford to be chasing players away to other counties etc. Dessie Dolan Senior or Sean Boylan would be my choices, in that order due to ongoing drug testing  . 2007 was a strange old year for the Lakers, accounted well for Laois, Derry and Down in the league and came out the wrong side in tight finishes against Galway, Kildare and Armagh. Championship was a bit like Budda on match day, blitzed Longford for a game and a half and didn't bother to come out for the other game and a half. Not sure what 2008 will bring but not overly optimistic at the moment, we live in hope...

[orangeman]

Donegal should progress to the 1/4 finals - Monaghan played magnificently but it will be hard to raise the game for Donegal again.

[Iarmhí Abú]

Congrats to Donegal.  Good side who played well at times.  They might be a little worried however at the length of time it took to put us away despite owning midfield. Healy was a massive loss and the goal came from a terrible error. If those two incidents didn't occur then things might have been a bit hairier for DL although you could never see us winning it.

Gary Connaughton - best goalkeeper in the country.  No question!

Time for a new manager. The last championship game we won was against Laois on July 24, 2004, all others have been back door.  Too many players not involved with county set-up.

Damian Healy - we won't see him again.  A wonderful footballer and a tremendous athlete.  He battled to the end and never knew when he was beaten.  One of the gang including Rory, Mitch, Gerry, Spanner, etc who dragged Westmeath football off it's knees.  He started off by losing two Leinster U21 finals but eventually finished up with a pair of Div 2 medals, a few Interprovincial medals and the Flanagan Cup to top it off. A Westmeath legend and a gentleman.  Thanks for the memories Heals.

[AN other]

and the Flanagan Cup to top it off.

I presume you mean the Delaney Cup as he never came close to winning the Flanagan Cup! Well said though, can't imagine you'd find many people with a knowledge of Westmeath football to disagree with any of that. It's only a shame he never got that all-star.

[J70]

I wouldn't mind only their full back line had done a great job on Dessie, getting out in front, therefore depriving him of the chance to draw fouls, frees and ticks for his men, number 4 roasted him.

Take a bow (AGAIN!) Karl Lacey!

[Iarmhí Abú]

AN OTHER You're right.  Meant the Delaney Cup.  Was thinking of Martin Flan at the time. Heals got the Intermediate Championship about twice I think (1995 and a few years ago too). It's at times like this as we see heroes retire that the full value of 2004's campaign emerges.  The one glaring pity was that Ger Heavin wasn't around at the time.

Heals and Connaughton were unlucky not to get All Stars but there was a limit to what we could get that year and Dessie and JK were the marquee names.

[Goin Down]

Pity I was hoping Westmeath would come close but sure someone else will just have to do the job of knocking out Donegal.