U20 footballers recovered well to reach All-Ireland 'B' decider

The Westmeath U20 footballers failed to make much headway in the Leinster championship in 2024, but they went on to enjoy a good run in the All-Ireland ‘B’ competition, reaching the final where they lost out against Down.

Manager Damien Gavin has since departed the scene and is replaced by former St Loman’s star Kenny McKinley, who has built up a strong coaching CV at club level. Westmeath County Committee Secretary Brendan Shaw, while acknowledging Westmeath struggled against strong opposition in Leinster, noted the importance of the U20 grade in developing new players.

“In a tough Leinster championship draw, Westmeath struggled in both games against Dublin and Meath and did not qualify for the knockout stages. Westmeath then turned their attention to the ‘B’ competition and generated good momentum with wins over Carlow and a very tight victory against Longford in TEG Cusack Park,” he noted.

“With a win over Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final, Westmeath qualified for the final versus Down. In a very entertaining and high tempo game, a late Down goal proved the winning score in Navan. It must be acknowledged that this team showed great resilience and character to get back on track after a poor Leinster campaign. Granted Westmeath were competing in the ‘B’ championship, it proved invaluable game time for this cohort of players.

“As a development grade the U20 grade is a preparatory environment for players and the hope is that many of these players will establish themselves on the senior panel over the next few years,” wrote the secretary in his annual report to County Convention.