Westmeath conquer the Kingdom
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
THREE FOR THE ROAD: County captains Andrew Mitchell and Colin Harris shake hands in front of referee Tony Carroll ahead of throw-in.
Westmeath 2-16 Kerry 1-18.
IT WAS as good a game as had been played at headquarters for many years. End to end excitement with the sides level on five occasions, four in the second half. There has been little between the sides in recent years with the counties meeting regularly in the league with Kerry shading it. The Kingdom were by far the superior side as the played into the canal end for the opening thirty five minutes with John Egan and Darragh O'Connell giving a commanding performance between them contributing seven points with John Griffin cleaning up loose ball in the middle of the field.
For Westmeath the backs needed time to settle as the Price brothers Adam and Eoin swapped wings on the full back line but full back John Shaw stood firm keeping the Kerry full forward Gary O'Brien scoreless. Darren McCormack at left half back carried an injury going into the game but played his part in defence before being called ashore at half time.
Although Westmeath trailed by two points at the interval, by then all of the six forwards had written their names into the score sheet. There was no breeze as they played into Hill 16 but missed three easy chances to open the scoring the first from an Andrew Mitchell free from the middle of the field from where the team captain has converted on many occasions this year, Brendan Murtagh missed from both 50 and 30m respectively from play before an Eoin Price clearance on the full back line travelled downfield and eventually founds its way into the hand of dual player Paul Greville who split the posts, after five and a half minutes.
Thirty seconds later Kerry were back on level terms when Darragh O'Connell converted a free in what would have been the first of four unanswered points that would have made the Westmeath supporters feel very uneasy. O'Connell pointed another free from the left wing, while Shane Nolan found a path free around the defence and O'Connell brought his side's tally to four.
Paul Greville was in line for the man of the match award had Westmeath defeated Louth in the football championship seven days previously, and now he was worrying the Kerry defence before sending a ball across the field to Joe Clarke who has his side's second. John Egan brought Kerry's total to the half dozen. Westmeath needed the keep the pressure on and when Brendan Murtagh launched a long solo run, the Clonkill man saw Blaine Lehate free and the Castletown Geoghegan man narrowed the gap.
Stephen 'Dude' Bardon pointed from the right wing while at the other end John Egan set up Michael Boyle to add to the Kerry account. Westmeath were awarded a 20m free when Brendan Murtagh was dragged down and when the latter went for goal his effort was blocked down by both the goalkeeper and Mike Conway on the line. Paul Greville set up Enda Loughlin for a Westmeath point, while Darragh O'Connell and Brendan Murtagh swapped points on either side of the field.
However Kerry would return three unanswered points to open a five-point gap. John Egan stole a point after the defence failed to clear, Stephen Bardon had his effort blocked down and the ball cleared up field to James Flaherty who brought Kerry's tally to ten, while O'Connell found a gap in the defence to add to his total. With three and a half minutes to go to half time Westmeath needed something special and Dan Carthy supplied it with a well-taken goal. Paddy Dowdall came in for Blaine Lehart at full forward with a minute remaining. A '65 by Andrew Mitchell dropped into the hand of the Kerry goalkeeper and John Griffin split the posts from the middle of the field. A minute into injury time Leo Smith sent the ball to Paul Greville for the last score of the half with Kerry leading 0-12 to 1-7 at the break.
Westmeath lost Darren McCormack at left half-back who gave way to injury. Until the 44th minute the crowd would witness a blow for blow contest. Darragh O'Connell opened with another converted free, while Carthy at the canal end replied. O'Connell added a free but when Joe Clarke was about to shoot for a point he was hooked and Paul Greville swept up the loose ball and drove it to the net. O'Connell sent over another point but Brendan Murtagh would catch a Kerry puck out a minute later and drove it between the posts. John Egan had Kerry's sixteenth point in the 44th minute but his side would fail to score again until the 60th minute.
In that space of time Westmeath hit five points. Paddy Dowdall went for a goal but the goalkeeper stopped his effort but Paul Greville set up Brendan Murtagh to tie up the scores. Stephen Bardon took his point as Egan tried to close him down. Westmeath went for a goal but his effort came off the post to Dan Carthy who hit the crossbar. Carthy had the ball in the net but the referee disallowed it. Brendan Murtagh delivered to Stephen Bardon who took on the centre back and split the posts. Dan Carthy and Joe Clarke made it 2-14 to 0-16 with nine minutes remaining.
Kerry had Shane Brick on the field and when he went for goal Pat Burke stopped it but Brick was there for the rebound and it was game on with ten minutes remaining. Michael Boyle found the equalising point in the 63rd however his side would have a goal disallowed when Shane Brick set up Gary Nolan but the referee declared the full forward was in the square.
Andrew Dermody came on for Stephen Bardon unaware of the role he would play in deciding the destination of the silverware. With two and a half minutes remaining John Egan gave the ball to the unmarked Mike Conway to give the Kingdom the lead with a minute and a half of normal time remaining. Brendan Murtagh supplied the equaliser after Ronan Whelan was fouled. With a minute of injury time being played substitute Conor Jordan brought the ball up along the ring wing towards Joe Clarke and Joe Dermody was available to drive the ball between the posts into the canal end. The whistle sounded and Westmeath were back in the big time.
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