Gerry Buckley: No slip in Ruislip for Hanley's youngsters

Since the football ‘back door’ was opened in 2001 (much to the benefit of an emerging Westmeath side) there has been speculation as to the authenticity of what has been always portrayed as a live draw.

However, those of us watching the radio on television (there’s an Irishism for you) last Monday at 8.35 am could see the balls being jumbled on the Morning Ireland programme. And what an intriguing set of pairings emerged for the Liam McCarthy Cup Qualifiers.

In truth, an Offaly v. Waterford tie would not have been on the agenda had the draw been rigged, as many Doubting Thomases often suggested. Having travelled to Tullamore nine days ago (in truth, mainly to see Brian Cody’s awesome Kilkenny side in the flesh), I was impressed with our neighbours, albeit at least two of the Faithful County’s four goals would not have helped Cody’s well-documented heart condition. They will surely not be replicated against the tiny first tier of the small ball game. An ailing Decies side will have their work cut out in a partisan O’Connor Park next Saturday, and a definite member of hurling’s second tier will depart the championship with eight days remaining in June.

This, in truth, is unsatisfactory for the losers, even if the winners will, on all known form, be victorious in their next encounter – away to the winners of London and Westmeath. For Brian Hanley’s young side, this is anything but a gimme next Saturday. Yes, Westmeath are unbeaten (11 wins and two draws) in 13 competitive games (four championship and nine league) against the ‘Exiles’ between 1975 and 2007, but this is almost entirely a very youthful and lightly-built maroon and white-clad squad playing a ‘county’ which has been hugely buoyed by their footballers’ recent heroics in Connacht.

I recently read an article about one of London’s current players, Laois native John Walsh. I had the pleasure of interviewing Walsh for ‘55 Years of the Croke Cup’. An extremely talented musician to boot, the affable Ballinakill man is now in his prime as an athlete and, to put his ability in context, he captained St. Kieran’s, Kilkenny to Croke Cup success in 2004... a team that included the established Cats duo of Richie Power and Richie Hogan.

Yes, our U21 hurlers’ performance in Wexford Park earlier this month was highly commendable, even for those of us who normally abhor ‘moral victories’. Incidentally, congratulations to Carlow who defeated Dublin in the same competition last week. The Barrowsiders’ underage progress in recent years has shown that ‘moral’ victories’ can turn into ‘real’ victories with the ‘stictatitness’ I went on about a fortnight ago after the senior footballers’ hammering by Dublin.

However, the step-up to senior is huge and many of the current Westmeath team are at just the preliminary stages of body-building and physically conditioning. They will face an all-adult side in green and white next Saturday who present a serious banana skin for Brian Hanley. The Galwegian called for patience after the Wexford defeat and alluded to the real possibility of lean years at senior level while his youngsters matured. Ok, but they simply can’t be too lean or the interest will dwindle.

The four championship meetings between the sides to date have been in All-Ireland ‘B’ finals, with Westmeath triumphing in 1975 (after a replay), 1984 and 1991 before losing quarter-finals ‘proper’ to Galway, Galway and Antrim respectively. I vividly recall attending the 1975 (Athlone) and 1991 (Dundalk) defeats, both of which were very heavy (and somewhat embarrassing), but I missed the very respectable showing in 1984 in Birr as our minor footballers were contesting the Leinster final in Croke Park that day.

Details of the four championship games to date follow:

15/6/75, Croke Park, Westmeath 4-16 London 3-19
Westmeath: O. Gallagher, F. Shiels, J. Burke, J. Corroon, S. Fagan, M. Fagan (0-1), W. Shanley, G. Whelan, P. Curran, C. Connaughton (1-7), M. Flanagan (3-2), M. Kilcoyne (0-3), N. Fitzsimons, J. Keary (0-1), E. Clarke. Subs: E. Fagan (0-1) (for Fitzsimons), M. Cosgrove (0-1) (for Clarke).
London: E. Walshe, J. Barrett, G. Rea, F. Reilly, J. O’Leary, P. Cronin, M. Hughes, L. Corless (0-2), R. Cashin (0-4), M. Cahill, M. Linnane (1-1), S. Collins (1-2), M. Jordan, P. O’Neill (0-2), F. Gantley (1-8). Subs: R. O’Coinn (for Cahill), P. Kilkenny (for O’Coinn), J. Roche (for Hughes).

22/6/75 (Replay), Croke Park, Westmeath 3-23 London 2-7
Westmeath: O. Gallagher, F. Shiels, P. Jackson, M. Cosgrove, S. Fagan, M. Fagan, W. Shanley (0-1), G. Whelan (0-1), P. Curran (0-1), C. Connaughton (1-6), J. Keary (0-5), M. Kilcoyne (0-3), E. Fagan (1-3), M. Flanagan (0-2), E. Clarke. Sub: N. Fitzsimons (1-1) (for Clarke).
London: E. Walshe, J. Barrett, G. Rea, F. Reilly, M. Hughes (0-1), P. Cronin, J. O’Leary, R. Cashin, L. Corless, S. Collins (0-1), P. O’Neill (1-3), M. Jordan, F. Gantley (0-2), M. Linnane (1-0), P. McDermott. Subs: S. Coughlan (for McDermott), J. Roche (for O’Leary), P Kilkenny (for Rea).

8/7/84, Ruislip, Westmeath 4-10 London 1-16
Westmeath: S. Greville, N. Fitzsimons, T. Doyle, R. Shaw, R. Gavin (0-1), W. Burke, G. Jackson, D. McCormack (2-0), W. Shanley (1-0), M. Daly, J. Fitzsimons, E. Gallagher (0-1), D. Kilcoyne (0-8), M. J. Corrigan, M. Kilcoyne (1-0). Subs: P. Browne (for Daly), P.Curran (for J. Fitzsimons), M. Kennedy (for Gallagher).
London: T. Murphy, T. Roche, P. Quinlan, G. Kelliher, T. Donoghue, N. Daly, K. Whyte, M. Burke (0-4), G. Kennedy (0-1), B. Grealish (0-1), B. Byrne (0-1), P. Lonergan, P. Hoctor (0-1), M. Ryan, W. Glavin (0-8). Subs: M. Hughes (1-0) (for Ryan), M. Ryan (for Grealish), P. Maher (for Lonergan).

7/7/91, Cusack Park, Westmeath 2-12 London 2-6
Westmeath: S. Greville, P. O’Brien, P. Connaughton, G. Reilly, A. Weir, B. McCabe, M. Kennedy, P. Clancy (0-3), S. McLoughlin (0-1), R. Galvin (1-1), D. Gillen (1-0), A. Devine (0-1), J. Donoghue, D. Kilcoyne (0-3), J. Kennedy (0-2). Subs: E. Gallagher (0-1) (for Gillen), J. Coyne (for Kilcoyne).
London: V. Murnane, N. Darcy, L. Long, C. White, D. McKenna (0-2), J. Donoghue, D. Buckley, K. Morrissey, J.J. Shiels, M. McGrath (1-0), N. Daly (0-2), M. Cunningham, J. Murphy (1-1), A. Woulfe, P. Lynch (0-1). Subs: B. Caulfield (for Darcy), P. Cooley (for Daly), T. Whelan (for Murphy).