Sporting Advent Calendar #2: Westmeath end their derby hoodoo

It was mid-July and the football championship had yet to come alive - worse still it was 80 years since the first championship meeting of Meath and Westmeath and the latter had yet to win their first.

Westmeath came into the Leinster semi-final stuck in a 22-game losing cycle against their near neighbours, with back-to-back league relegations still on the mind, and so despite moral lifting wins over Louth and Wexford it didn’t seem likely that this would be the year to break their duck.

Even the county's greatest ever forward Dessie Dolan couldn't end the hoodoo when presented with a last minute 20 metre routine free, fast forward 12 years though and his latest heir would have his chance to finally alter history.

This Meath side though are far from teams of old, a lethargic league campaign was followed up by a worrying performance against Wicklow, in a province where they have become resigned to their status as next best - after Dublin of course, champions 10 of the previous 11 years.

Nonetheless Meath had breezed into the lead, eight up at the interval and Westmeath’s experimental blanket defence had fallen asleep under the covers. By the 50th minute Meath led 2-17 to 1-11, but then came a game-changing decision.

Meath’s hugely influential half forward Graham Reilly was wrongly black carded for an apparent trip. From here Westmeath rallied and Meath panicked - not helped by their line who were keen to answer the concession of every score with a substitution or two.

The Lake County's full forward John Heslin, and centre-back/corner forward Kieran Martin had been keeping their team in the game, and from here they sniffed blood.

Martin would score his second goal by running directly at Meath’s best defender Donal Keogan, along the inline, back across him again, before burying his effort past Paddy O’Rourke.

Then scoring-chief Heslin added some delightful points and Westmeath were somehow in the lead. As Meath pushed on for an equaliser, a late turnover found a lurking Heslin in acres of space just inside the Royals’ 45 metre line - he had nothing else on his mind. Two right footed solos and a left footed strike into the bottom corner, that was 1-9 for him - and Westmeath had a new hero.