It is better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all. While the footballers of Garrycastle and Tubberclair will be disappointed this week to have fallen short at the final hurdle in Leinster, they can take solace in the fact that they did what very few club players ever get the chance to do - represent their club in a provincial final. In doing so they put Westmeath football back in the spotlight after an eminently forgettable year on the county scene.
The effort and entertainment provided by both sides since their respective county final successes will not be lost on the countless supporters who have travelled enthusiastically from Pearse Park to Cusack Park to O’Moore Park and from the familiar surrounds of Tubberclair to Walsh Island and on to Maynooth.
Enda Mulvihill’s equalizer against Clonguish, Gary Connaughton’s heroics between the posts against both Palmerstown and Walsh Island not to mention Mark McCallan’s all important goal against Ballyboden are just some of the individual highlights which have lit up the local football scene at an otherwise drab time of the year.
In terms of team performance Garrycastle’s heroics against Ballyboden St Enda’s, in particular their second half display, will long be remembered. They became the first Westmeath side to defeat a Dublin side in this competition. Tubberclair’s successful sojourn into enemy territory in Walsh Island was perhaps their finest hour.
Ultimately the final hurdle proved to be a step too far for both sides. Of the two Westmeath sides, Tubberclair were undoubtedly the unluckiest, losing out to a late Karl Ennis goal. Garrycastle failed to reach the heights of previous rounds and would be the first to admit that on the day the better team won.
Portlaoise 1-9
Garrycastle 1-5
As mentioned here last week, Portlaoise have been tipped by many as genuine all-Ireland contenders. Their performance last Sunday underlines their credentials. Despite being reduced to 14 players before half time the Laois champions were full value for their 4 point winning margin.
Strong in possession allied to great teamwork and above all speed of movement from defence into attack mark them out as a team that will take beating in the remainder of the competition.
Garrycastle will rue the fact that they conceded a goal minutes after Gary Dolan bagged a major. They can also point to a host of missed chances including a number dropped into the goalie’s hands. Yet the truth is that over the hour they never looked likely to cause an upset.
For Garrycastle to win against a side of Portlaoise’s undoubted quality they needed everything to go right. They certainly needed their ‘big’ players to perform. Unfortunately on the day it didn’t happen. Or perhaps Portlaoise didn’t let it happen. Either way many of Garrycastles marque players looked off colour on the day.
Dessie Dolan being limited to a single point and that from a free.‘Shocco’ being replaced early in the second half and Paddy Mulvihill following suit after 50 minutes was not what was expected if the green and reds were to write their names into the history books.
Yet rather than point the finger of blame,which is a well-known Irish pasttime, albeit usually by people who wouldn’t get a kick in a horsebox, perhaps it further emphasises the talent embodied in this Portlaoise side.
Barry Fitzgerald may have bagged 1-2 on his way to claiming the man of the match award but the performance of Cahir Healy at number 6 marked him out as a player of serious talent.
Despite a trojan effort by Seanie O’Donoghoe in particular, the Laoise men controlled most of the vital midfield exchanges and not surprisingly this gave them an all-important edge.
1-5 was never going to be enough to bring a first ever senior Leinster title to the Lake County. Partial blame lies with the Garrycastle forward division but undoubted credit must go to a mean Portlaoise defence,who yet again underlined their credentials.
I have no doubt that Portlaoise will grace Croke Park on March 17. Munster champions Kilmurray/Illbricken stand in their way. The Clare champions, who dramatically downed Kerry representatives Kerins O’Rahilly last weekend have local connections through Peter and Robert O’Dwyer who both reside in Athlone. Robert is a teacher in Athlone Community College. They are a formidable outfit but Portlaoise would appear to have an edge, particularly in the forward division. Indeed when Garrycastle played the newly crowned Munster champions in a challenge a month ago, Anthony Cunningham’s men emerged victorious.
For Cunningham, his backroom team and indeed his players it’s time to sit back and take stock of a very successful year. They have managed to reclaim the Flanagan Cup for the first time since 1994. They became the first Westmeath club side to beat a Dublin side in the provincial campaign. They became only the fourth Westmeath side (after Athlone, The Downs, and Tyrrellspass ) to contest a Leinster final.
My advice is for them to enjoy what they have achieved because when the new year arrives all will be forgotten and 11 other teams will be bidding to dethrone the reigning champs. Till then adieu and well done.
Ennis’s goal the difference
Maynooth 1-08
Tubberclair 0-08
Luck is often the forgotten ingredient in many a successful side. Unfortunately for the men from Tubberclair, lady luck deserted them when they needed it most. Ultimately it was the width of the posts which separated these sides.
Kildare County player Karl Ennis justified his decision to forego a two week trip to the States with his county comrades by clinching the all important goal which decided this enthralling contest.
Little fault can be pointed at Tom Lennon’s men who gave it their all over the hour.
The absence of the suspended Mark Fitzgibbon was an undoubted loss to the men from Glasson, as was the absence of the talented Ian Coffey who recently opted out of the panel. To win a Leinster club title at any level you must be drawing from a full deck.
With that said it was a moment of magic by Ennis which decided this battle. Having been moved to full forward the well known Lillywhite caught a high delivery ahead of Tubberclair’s full back James Martin and fired beyond the reach of Gary Connaughton with a little help from the post.
This left Tubberclair trailing by a point against the run of play, but it was the home side who finished the stronger with two late converted frees to seal a memorable victory on their home patch.
2009 has been a memorable year for the men from Tubberclair and the performances of Gary Connaughton, Simon Lawless, Niall Walker, ‘Beano’ Cassells, Conor Elliot, and Fergal Wilson amongst others would indicate they have every reason to relish the challenges that lie ahead in 2010.
