Westmeaths losing streak ends with win over dcu

Westmeath's senior footballers ended one of their worst losing streaks in recent memory at Kinnegad last night, by getting their Bord na Mona O'Byrne Cup football campaign off the ground with a win over DCU.

The competition started with a forgettable outing against Meath on Sunday - a 15th defeat on the trot for the Lake County - and the Dublin students, on the crest of a wave after winning the Higher Education League, were fancied to make it a 16th.

But in a timely boost for new manager Tom Cribbin and his players, goals from James Dolan, Lorcan Smyth and Ger Egan ensured a 3-11 to 2-13 win.

Goals from Dolan and Egan built up a 2-3 to 0-4 lead after 24 minutes before DCU's Conor McNally pounced for the students' first goal.

But with Athlone's Ray Connellan in scintillating form from both open play and frees, the Lakesiders held on to a 2-5 to 1-6 lead at the break.

Mullingar Shamrocks clubman Smyth extended that advantage with a goal on 42 minutes, but DCU kept in touch after some poor Westmeath defending led to a major for Davy Byrne seven minutes later.

However, some sublime kicking from Connellan and Egan kept the hosts' noses in front, and two minutes from time, a black card for DCU's Tom Flynn didn't help Niall Moyna's charges, as Westmeath held on to win by the minimum.

Sunday (2pm) in Ballymahon sees the Maroons take on Longford in their final group game.

Westmeath: Darren Quinn; John Gilligan, Kevin Maguire, Timmy Mescall; Damien Dolan, Kieran Martin, James Dolan (1-0); Paul Sharry, John Stapleton; David McCormack, Ger Egan (1-4, 0-2f), Paddy Holloway; Ray Connellan (0-7, 5f), Lorcan Smyth (1-0), Alan Coffey. Subs: John Egan for McCormack (20), David Lynch for D Dolan (45), Mark McCallon for Gilligan (45), David Whelan for Smyth (68), Killian Daly for Coffey (68).