Westmeath 0-16 Wicklow 1-10

STEEPED as they are in the pure footballing ethos of their native Kerry, respective managers Tomas O Flatharta and Mick O’Dwyer must have been quietly pained at the level of skill and ability on view at Tullamore yesterday.

The basic skills of catching, accurate passing and above all, kicking the round sphere between the big white sticks at either end of the pitch are natural to the Kerry footballing psyche, but it’s a cruder game in Leinster as Westmeath and Wicklow showed yesterday.

At the end of an untidy marathon affair — lasting 93 minutes in total — Westmeath earned the right to play reigning Leinster champions Dublin in the provincial semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday week.

Wicklow, who could and should have won the game in normal time, now go ‘on the road’ in the Qualifiers and O’Dwyer’s 120th game as a manager will be in the back-door series.

The 73-year-old had to concede the victory to O Flatharta, but knew that his side had missed a handy opportunity to give him one more tilt at the Dubs.

“We certainly have nobody to blame only ourselves. We got the chances and we didn’t take them — simple as that,” he said.

O Flatharta said: “There was nothing special about the game. It was a hard-contest. Poor football and very sloppy at times. But I am just delighted that we got through to the next round.”

That might not have happened if Wicklow had taken advantage of a penalty opportunity they forged after just nine minutes. Westmeath had a two-point lead thanks to scores by Conor Lynam and Fergal Wilson, but it looked certain to be rubbed out by a foul on Wicklow’s Paul Earls by Westmeath corner-back Francis Boyle.

Earls was jinking his way through and ready to pull the trigger on a close-range shot when Boyle tumbled him over and conceded the penalty. A yellow card for Boyle was quickly forgotten when his ‘keeper Gary Connaughton saved from Tony Hannon‘s spot-kick.

Although Hannon scored four points in total, his penalty miss and some other wides meant he was less of a threat than Westmeath might have expected.

Ironically, he opened Wicklow’s account after 18 minutes with a point from a free. The effort and commitment by both sides could not be faulted, but it says much for Westmeath’s lack of killer instinct as they were still stuck on 0-3 when Hannon got that first point for Wicklow. Leighton Glynn got a point shortly after that, but Conor Lynam extended Westmeath’s lead to two with a 22nd-minute score.

The hits were hard but generally fair, and most of the action centred on the crowded area between the respective ’40s’ which was one reason neither team scored for nine minutes until a Hannon free gave Wicklow their third point.

Four points to three and the game was yawning its way towards a much anticipated interval break when suddenly, the Wicklow fortunes changed completely.

Wicklow’s Thomas Walsh sent in a high ball which ‘keeper Connaughton claimed as his, but as he took it, Paul Earls leaped high and contested the possession, causing the goalie to drop it.

As he fell in a tangle with Earls, the ball broke loose and Dean Odlum poked it home for a goal. The half-time score read 1-3 to 0-4, and Wicklow looked lively at the start of the second half as they tagged on a point by Odlum.

Westmeath then upped the ante and finally drew level on 44 minutes with two scores by Denis Glennon and another by Lynam, making it 1-4 to 0-7.

At this stage, injuries began to affect the game’s rhythm — especially when Wicklow’s Damien Power required a lengthy spell of treatment before being stretchered off.

Defenders Alan Byrne and Paddy Dalton had to leave the pitch injured as well, so it was a costly toll and as O’Dwyer said afterwards: “We don’t have the panel to make up for losing some of our strongest players.”

That said, they battled away and it was nip and tuck until they were level again when a James Stafford point made it 1-7 to 0-10 on 63 minutes.

Hannon — the man who missed the penalty — looked like he was the hero for Wicklow when he scored from an angled free to give his team a one-point lead as the game entered five minutes of added-time caused by injuries.

But extra-time beckoned once Fergal Wilson notched over a close-range point and, with the scores at 1-8 to 0-11 at the final whistle , another 20 minutes was required. Glennon and Dessie Dolan gave Westmeath a two-point cushion at the end of the first period of extra-time and further points by Lynam and Wilson (two) saw Westmeath home.

Scorers — Westmeath: F Wilson 0-5 (0-4f), C Lynam 0-4, D Glennon 0-3 (0-1f), F Boyle, D Duffy, D Dolan, K Scally 0-1 each. Wicklow: D Odlum 1-1, T Hannon 0-4 (0-3f), L Glynn, S Furlong (0-1f), J Stafford, D Hayden, JP Dalton 0-1 each.

Westmeath — G Connaughton 7; F Boyle 7, K Gavin 7, J Keane 7; D O’Donoghue 6, D Heavin 7, W Murtagh 6; M Flanagan 7, D Duffy 7; K Scally 6, J Smyth 6, D Harte 6; F Wilson 7, D Glennon 7, C Lynam 7. Subs: M Ennis 6 for K Scally (40); D Healy 6 for D Heavin (59); D Dolan 6for D Harte (63); D O’Shaughnessy 6for M Flanagan (64); J Connellan 6 for W Murtagh (68); D Harte 6 for D O’Donoghue (80); M Flanagan 6 for D Duffy (81); C Reilly for J Smyth (90).

Wicklow — M Travers 7; C Hyland 6, D Power 6, A Byrne 6; P McWalter 6, D O’Hannaidh 7, P Dalton 6; J Stafford 6, T Walsh 7; T Hannon 6, L Glynn 6, R Nolan 6; D Odlum 7 , S Furlong 6, P Earls 6. Subs: B McGrath 6 for P Dalton (42); D Hayden 6 for D Power (47); S Kelly 6 for A Byrne (51); C Jones 6 for R Nolan (65); J P Dalton came on for extra-time to restore Wicklow to 15 men; P Cunningham 6 for P Earls (80).

REF — J McQuillan (Cavan).

STEEPED as they are in the pure footballing ethos of their native Kerry, respective managers Tomas O Flatharta and Mick O’Dwyer must have been quietly pained at the level of skill and ability on view at Tullamore yesterday.

The basic skills of catching, accurate passing and above all, kicking the round sphere between the big white sticks at either end of the pitch are natural to the Kerry footballing psyche, but it’s a cruder game in Leinster as Westmeath and Wicklow showed yesterday.

At the end of an untidy marathon affair — lasting 93 minutes in total — Westmeath earned the right to play reigning Leinster champions Dublin in the provincial semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday week.

Wicklow, who could and should have won the game in normal time, now go ‘on the road’ in the Qualifiers and O’Dwyer’s 120th game as a manager will be in the back-door series.

The 73-year-old had to concede the victory to O Flatharta, but knew that his side had missed a handy opportunity to give him one more tilt at the Dubs.

“We certainly have nobody to blame only ourselves. We got the chances and we didn’t take them — simple as that,” he said.

O Flatharta said: “There was nothing special about the game. It was a hard-contest. Poor football and very sloppy at times. But I am just delighted that we got through to the next round.”

That might not have happened if Wicklow had taken advantage of a penalty opportunity they forged after just nine minutes. Westmeath had a two-point lead thanks to scores by Conor Lynam and Fergal Wilson, but it looked certain to be rubbed out by a foul on Wicklow’s Paul Earls by Westmeath corner-back Francis Boyle.

Earls was jinking his way through and ready to pull the trigger on a close-range shot when Boyle tumbled him over and conceded the penalty. A yellow card for Boyle was quickly forgotten when his ‘keeper Gary Connaughton saved from Tony Hannon‘s spot-kick.

Although Hannon scored four points in total, his penalty miss and some other wides meant he was less of a threat than Westmeath might have expected.

Ironically, he opened Wicklow’s account after 18 minutes with a point from a free. The effort and commitment by both sides could not be faulted, but it says much for Westmeath’s lack of killer instinct as they were still stuck on 0-3 when Hannon got that first point for Wicklow. Leighton Glynn got a point shortly after that, but Conor Lynam extended Westmeath’s lead to two with a 22nd-minute score.

The hits were hard but generally fair, and most of the action centred on the crowded area between the respective ’40s’ which was one reason neither team scored for nine minutes until a Hannon free gave Wicklow their third point.

Four points to three and the game was yawning its way towards a much anticipated interval break when suddenly, the Wicklow fortunes changed completely.

Wicklow’s Thomas Walsh sent in a high ball which ‘keeper Connaughton claimed as his, but as he took it, Paul Earls leaped high and contested the possession, causing the goalie to drop it.

As he fell in a tangle with Earls, the ball broke loose and Dean Odlum poked it home for a goal. The half-time score read 1-3 to 0-4, and Wicklow looked lively at the start of the second half as they tagged on a point by Odlum.

Westmeath then upped the ante and finally drew level on 44 minutes with two scores by Denis Glennon and another by Lynam, making it 1-4 to 0-7.

At this stage, injuries began to affect the game’s rhythm — especially when Wicklow’s Damien Power required a lengthy spell of treatment before being stretchered off.

Defenders Alan Byrne and Paddy Dalton had to leave the pitch injured as well, so it was a costly toll and as O’Dwyer said afterwards: “We don’t have the panel to make up for losing some of our strongest players.”

That said, they battled away and it was nip and tuck until they were level again when a James Stafford point made it 1-7 to 0-10 on 63 minutes.

Hannon — the man who missed the penalty — looked like he was the hero for Wicklow when he scored from an angled free to give his team a one-point lead as the game entered five minutes of added-time caused by injuries.

But extra-time beckoned once Fergal Wilson notched over a close-range point and, with the scores at 1-8 to 0-11 at the final whistle , another 20 minutes was required. Glennon and Dessie Dolan gave Westmeath a two-point cushion at the end of the first period of extra-time and further points by Lynam and Wilson (two) saw Westmeath home.

Scorers — Westmeath: F Wilson 0-5 (0-4f), C Lynam 0-4, D Glennon 0-3 (0-1f), F Boyle, D Duffy, D Dolan, K Scally 0-1 each. Wicklow: D Odlum 1-1, T Hannon 0-4 (0-3f), L Glynn, S Furlong (0-1f), J Stafford, D Hayden, JP Dalton 0-1 each.

Westmeath — G Connaughton 7; F Boyle 7, K Gavin 7, J Keane 7; D O’Donoghue 6, D Heavin 7, W Murtagh 6; M Flanagan 7, D Duffy 7; K Scally 6, J Smyth 6, D Harte 6; F Wilson 7, D Glennon 7, C Lynam 7. Subs: M Ennis 6 for K Scally (40); D Healy 6 for D Heavin (59); D Dolan 6for D Harte (63); D O’Shaughnessy 6for M Flanagan (64); J Connellan 6 for W Murtagh (68); D Harte 6 for D O’Donoghue (80); M Flanagan 6 for D Duffy (81); C Reilly for J Smyth (90).

Wicklow — M Travers 7; C Hyland 6, D Power 6, A Byrne 6; P McWalter 6, D O’Hannaidh 7, P Dalton 6; J Stafford 6, T Walsh 7; T Hannon 6, L Glynn 6, R Nolan 6; D Odlum 7 , S Furlong 6, P Earls 6. Subs: B McGrath 6 for P Dalton (42); D Hayden 6 for D Power (47); S Kelly 6 for A Byrne (51); C Jones 6 for R Nolan (65); J P Dalton came on for extra-time to restore Wicklow to 15 men; P Cunningham 6 for P Earls (80).

REF — J McQuillan (Cavan).