All five South Westmeath GAA clubs competing for the prized Flanagan Cup will be aiming to attain their first senior football championship victories this weekend when the second round of fixtures take place.
Fresh from their draw with local rivals and 2019 Westmeath senior football champions Garrycastle, Athlone play The Downs in TEG Cusack Park on Saturday evening (throw-in, 6pm ).
In the scoreboard ascendancy as their opening championship fixture approached its conclusion, Athlone will be disappointed not to have secured victory, but with the hopeful return of Ray Connellan to the playing fray, Liam McHale’s charges will be quietly confident of garnering a brace of SFC Group 1 points on Saturday evening.
The Downs, perennial knockout phase participants, started their quest for county championship success with a well merited one point win over reigning champions, St Lomans, and will be significantly boosted by such an achievement.
A close encounter is certain to ensue with the victors well placed prior to the third set of round robin fixtures.
Garrycastle, who failed to reach maximum potential during their parity fixture with Athlone, will hope for a more positive outcome when they play Tyrrellspass, a game which takes place in TEG Cusack Park on Saturday (throw in, 3.30pm ).
Opponents Tyrrellspass, who were unfortunate to lose the 2020 county final by the minimum, tasted defeat in their opening fixture to an improving Coralstown-Kinnegad team and will be hopeful that the group table shows points in their favour come the shrill of the final whistle.
Momentum is vital to all teams at this early stage of their championship quests - momentum breeds confidence and belief as the rounds progress and heightens the opportunity for ultimate success in November.
Meanwhile, in SFC Group 2, Caulry, under the guidance of former Roscommon custodian, Shane ‘Cake’ Curran’ make the short journey to Fr O’Growney Park in Rosemount to play Killucan, as the Mount Temple-Baylin team aim to achieve their first brace of championship points, a game which throws in on Saturday evening at 6pm.
Completing the Group 2 set of fixtures, Rosemount play Shandonagh (who defeated Caulry in their opening game ) in TEG Cusack Park Mullingar on Sunday (throw in, 12pm ), while Moate All Whites face the challenge of Mullingar Shamrocks (victors over Rosemount in their opening contest ), a game which also takes place in TEG Cusack Park Mullingar (throw in, 6.30pm ).
