Derry’s demise could be Westmeath’s opportunity

The Extra Mile, by Sports Editor Damien Maher

The dip in form of Derry has been one of the talking points of the All-Ireland football series. Mickey Harte’s men didn’t seem to learn much from their defeat against Donegal and their rather porous defence was caught for three goals by a strong Armagh side on Sunday. The latter were 3-17 to 0-15 winners on the day.

If Westmeath are good enough to capitalise in the final round, there’s a big opportunity for Dessie Dolan’s charges. It’s a real pity that Westmeath did not get the result their overall performance deserved in TEG Cusack Park on Sunday, but a late Galway goal from danger man Shane Walsh put the kibosh on it. It came after a stray cross-field ball and it just shows the perils of the modern approach where lateral passing is unfortunately the dominant feature. How many similar goals have we seen already? It’s a symptom of the problem teams are encountering with a cagey approach based on statistics and retaining the ball with very little in the way of adventure. The stat of no wide in the first half from Westmeath is rightly lauded, but a more significant one is just three scores in the second half.

Galway were depleted in the absence of Seán Kelly, Damien Comer (both muscle injuries) and Rob Finnerty (knee) but got a vital 1-12 to 0-11 victory. It was the day to catch the Tribesmen and some 8,000 supporters turned out in TEG Cusack Park, so Westmeath will certainly be disappointed.

The manner in which Westmeath conceded the goal was very similar to what Derry have been doing and the defence which is most ruthless in the final round could perhaps be the one that prevails. It may well be a tight, tense, low-scoring game. Westmeath will look to put a bit more on the scoreboard as 0-11 may not be enough to get them through. Derry have conceded 9-42 in three games. Their frustration has shown at times and the sending off of Ciaran McFaul against Armagh underlined that.

It would be a massive achievement if Dessie Dolan can lead his side to qualification from a seriously competitive Group 1 and they will certainly not lack confidence when they meet Derry. However, the latter are still Division 1 champions and won the Ulster title last season, so they will be a wounded animal in that final round and it’s a game fraught with danger in that regard.

The venue choice for that game will be interesting also. Westmeath would not be favoured by a return to Breffni Park as it’s an Ulster venue, so maybe there could be a compromise and play the game in Carrick-on-Shannon? It will be interesting to see just how the big knock-out games are scheduled. Is a Croke Park double header out of the question? There are big knock-out championship games on the line, a lot bigger than some of those which have taken place at Croke Park this year, attracting minuscule crowds.

Elsewhere, Mickey Harte’s former side Louth are enjoying a fine run. Not only did they overwhelm a disappointing Meath side, they also earned a draw with Monaghan last weekend in the second round (2-10 apiece).

Meath have been very poor and there will surely be concerns in the county. Colm O’Rourke did guide them to Tailteann Cup glory but they have struggled to make the step up and Sunday’s game against Kerry was a rather tepid affair in front of a big crown in Navan. Meath football ought to be in better health, but just like their Leinster neighbours Kildare, they have regressed in recent years. Donegal lost to Cork, who now top Group 3

Dublin are Sam Maguire Cup favourites for a reason, and they remain ahead of the posse at this stage.

Hurling red card divides opinion

The red card for Galway’s David Burke in the Galway versus Dublin Leinster hurling championship game has divided opinion.

Burke was sent off for a late, high challenge on Fergal Whitely by referee Colm Lyons, who consulted with his linesman before making the decision.

Jackie Tyrrell and Donal Óg Cusack differed in their opinions live on TV; Richie Hogan, just like Tyrrell, believes it was a yellow card rather than a red. Cusack saw it as a red card, agreeing with the referee. Later that evening, Anthony Daly of Clare felt it would never have been considered a red card in his era.

Galway manager Henry Shefflin also saw it was a yellow card infraction and felt the Dublin manager Micheál Donoghue influenced the linesman by his reaction.

Hogan suggested common sense should have won the day and that Burke ought to have remained on the pitch.

In former years, Burke’s tackle would not have raised an issue, but the game has changed a lot and for the better in all honesty. The key point here is that there is an onus on the player making such a challenge to get it spot on in all aspects. It must be timed properly and it must be accurate and fair.

Shoulder to shoulder is fair, but Burke’s challenge was frontal and there was a coming together of the heads, which undoubtedly makes it dangerous.

Anthony Daly was such an inspirational figure and a great hurler: he and that great Clare team gave terrific entertainment, but tackling has changed a lot since. Why did the Galway player even need to make the challenge? His timing wasn’t good and if it’s frontal, it makes a strong case for the tackle to be considered dangerous, which means only one colour.

Richie Hogan’s view that quite often the ball is over carried and it’s missed, so therefore such a tackle as Burke’s should be permitted, is not a great argument: there is a difference between technical and aggressive fouls and missing five steps or not spotting a throw ball isn’t quite as serious as missing a red card, in fairness.

As to the opposing manager’s efforts, or otherwise, to sway the linesman, that is something that exists and the officials need to be strong enough to make their own judgements.

Shefflin has learned that management is a different ball game to playing: while he was such a wonderful hurler for Kilkenny, his term as Galway manager has been disappointing and it would not be a major surprise to see him depart.

Major achievement for Offaly

Offaly hurling received a major shot in the arm once again as their U20 side won the All-Ireland title with an impressive 2-20 to 2-14 victory over Tipperary in Nowlan Park. The scenes were incredible – a crowd of almost 26,000 supporters turned out and it meant such a big deal to the proud hurling county.

Tipperary U20 manager Brendan Cummins, an inspirational goalkeeper in his playing days, said it was great for the game. “Hurling was the real winner and I think everyone in Tipperary wouldn’t begrudge seeing hurling coming back to Offaly again. The GAA need the likes of Offaly back to the table again, in their prime they were an unbelievable hurling team,” he said.

“Could we see this Offaly hurling team to go on and win a senior hurling All-Ireland? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, stuff like what we saw Nowlan Park in Kilkenny is stuff we need to see more of, and fair play to TG4 for having it on LIVE TV.”

Offaly’s success shows the kind of progress they have made in the small ball game, and it can only give hope to a county like Westmeath, who are trying desperately hard to build at minor and U20 level.

Cumann na mBunscol and U12 finals

The recent Cumann na mBunscol finals in TEG Cusack Park provided an unforgettable week and hats off to all those involved in the running of the finals. It was followed at the weekend by the U12 football finals and the Westmeath Coiste na nÓg, led by chairman Barry Kelly and secretary Peter Collins, who are to be commended for their outstanding work. Next weekend the U12 hurlers get their chance to play at GAA HQ and it’s certainly one way to raise the interest levels and give young players a sense of achievement and an incentive to stay involved with the games.