Garrycastle prove more adept in conditions

LEINSTER SFC SEMI-FINALS/Garrycastle 1-8 Ballyboden 0-6:WARNING: THIS match report may contain traces of football.

That’s what happens when two teams find the elements hurl constant derision at their efforts. Still, the announcement that they’d abandoned play over in Portlaoise because of the foul weather was greeted here with some amusement. Should they abandon this too, on grounds of foul football? It was far from pretty, and that’s not just talking about the conditions.

Not that Garrycastle will be bothered. The Westmeath champions will next month contest their first Leinster club football final, and at the same time look to become the first Westmeath club to win it. The Athlone club have come a long way in a short time, having won a first county title in 2001, and on the basis of this display, probably aren’t finished yet.

The only surprise was how much better they were than the Dublin champions.

Indeed it was a disappointing afternoon for Ballyboden St Enda’s, who had hidden hopes of replicating the achievement of the past two Dublin champions by going all the way to St Patrick’s Day and winning the All-Ireland club title outright. But just as their hurling team discovered last Sunday in their Leinster semi-final, maybe that was always going to be a hurdle too high.

It should be pointed out, however, that they were severely handicapped by the absence of three key players. Midfielder Declan O’Mahony was suspended, and also missing were two full forwards: Kenny Naughton, due to a dislocated shoulder, and Conal Keaney, due to a bad dose of the flu. Keaney did appear for the last 10 minutes, although by then Garrycastle were already home and dry, so to speak.

Consider this: the game was 18 minutes old before it produced its first score from play. Ballyboden didn’t score until the 20th minute, and only added one more point in the first half, right before it ended.

They had one great goal chance before that, which Stephen Hiney blasted wide, and that really was about as good as it got for them. Needless to say they were never going to win with a return like that.

Garrycastle hardly set the game alight to any great extent either but at least when they did it was impressive. Patrick Mulvihill and Dessie Dolan hit a couple of nice points in the first half, but the best move of the game came midway through the second half, which produced the only goal and thus proved hugely decisive.

Mark McCallon played a big role in starting it, and finishing it. The 19-year-old wing back is clearly a bright prospect for Westmeath.

Collecting a long pass from full back John Gaffey, McCallon went on a darting run forward, and after briefly passing off to Mulvihill, collected the ball again before drilling it low into the left corner.

That pushed Garrycastle 1-6 to 0-3 in front, and with just over 10 minutes left to play, the Dublin champions found themselves chasing an unassailable lead.

Dolan had hit a gem of a score from the right sideline just before the goal, and with Seanie O’Donoghue and David O’Shaughnessy in command at midfield, and Gary Dolan showing up for more ball too, there was never likely to be a way back for the Dublin champions.

“Our guys are very good at holding the ball, playing the short game, and I think that worked well in the conditions,” said Garrycastle manager Anthony Cunningham, still better known in some quarters as the former All-Ireland hurler with Galway.

“We played with four forwards, pulled two guys back, and I think put in a great performance, particularly in the second half. We picked up a lot of ball from the half-back line, and held it, played it intelligently.

“But look, it’s no good winning today if we don’t get over the line the next day. I’d just hope the final still goes ahead in two weeks’ time. We’ll have no Christmas if it doesn’t. Clara we’d know well. They’re our neighbours. Portlaoise are one of the top teams in Leinster. At least we’ll have the chance to go see them next Sunday.”

Cunningham hardly concealed the fact that his team have real ambitions of winning a first Leinster club title for Westmeath: “I think the team has improved drastically this year, on the work done over the last few years.”

For Ballyboden manager Liam O’Dywer there were no excuses, beyond the obvious: “The biggest disappointment was having to field today without three key players. When it comes to this stage of the Leinster championship you need your full squad.

“Conal was down all week with a flu virus, no energy at all. So we knew we couldn’t ask him to play 60 minutes. So we had to plan from the start without him. That’s two full forwards.

“Still I thought our first-half display was still good, that we did exactly what we wanted to do. But I have to hand to Garrycastle. It’s talent and heart and determination that wins matches in these conditions. And that’s what they had in the second half. Everything you need for these conditions, winter time football, they seemed to have.

“Still I have to pay credit to our squad. They’ve been outstanding this year. To come from a position of finishing mid-table in the league last year, to winning the championship this year. It’s still a huge achievement for the club.”

GARRYCASTLE: C Mullen; P Rattigan, J Gaffey, E Mulvihill; M McCallon (1-0), K Henson, D Harte; S O’Donoghue, D O’Shaughnessy (0-1); P Dillon (0-1, a free), J Duignan (0-1), J Dolan; P Mulvihill (0-1), G Dolan (0-1), D Dolan (0-3, one free). Subs: A Browne for Mulvihill (51 mins, inj), S O’Reilly for Dillon (54 mins), D Hermbusche for J Dolan (60 mins).

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: D Walsh; J O’Hara, I Clarke, M O’Sullivan; D Nelson, D Kiernan, C Dolan; M McAuley, P Galvin; D Davey, S Hiney (0-1), C Smyth (0-1); S Durkin, S Lambert (0-1), A Kerin (0-2). Subs: C Hiney for Davey (48 mins), C Keaney (0-1, 45) for Dolan (50 mins).

Referee: E Kinsella (Laois).