Oxygen weekend denied to Westmeath after another Royal choking

Deep down, a dismal league campaign followed by an unmerciful hammering by Dublin in Croke Park made me all too aware that a passionately-sought championship win over Meath was extremely unlikely last weekend.However, I still innocently harboured thoughts of penning an emotional piece to salute our first team to down the Royals in senior summer action - "Westmeath"s Catch 22" (in our 22nd clash). Alas, it was not to be and a glorious era for Lake County football was well and truly terminated last Saturday in Cusack Park, appropriately by the county which has broken our hearts more often than we care to remember.In my own case, I do remember them…and vividly! Last week, I was asked by the sports editor of our sister paper, the Westmeath Independent, to list previous Meath v. Westmeath games. I could rhyme off the previous 15 results and venues since 1965 without pausing for breath - 13 losses and two early Christmas presents, or draws to use the technical term. And the only real difference between the first of those setbacks that I attended 44 years ago and last Saturday, was that the tears were shed by a middle-aged man rather than a young boy. Interestingly, I turned to a friend during the pre-match kickaround and commented specifically on how 'lean and mean' the normally burly Joe Sheridan looked. By 7.30 pm on Saturday, the latter player had joined the "Red" Collier (take your pick from the four 1965 to1968 defeats inclusive), Kevin McConnell in 1973 and Ollie Murphy (take your pick from the trio of 2001 heartbreaks) as tormentor-in-chief of maroon and white-clad fans.So is the entire Meath business 'an incurable disease', as my great friend and fellow-columnist, Bernie Comaskey suggested six years ago? Of course it"s not, but many of arguably the best group of players ever at our disposal will soon retire (or be retired) without having achieved the goal.In this newspaper at Christmas 2001, the then-editor put "Ollie Murphy" at the top of the list of low points of the year then ending. Eight years ago, the States had 9/11, Westmeath had two tragedies - 6/3 (Leinsterquarter-final) and 8/5 (All-Ireland quarter-final). Ollie Murphy was the suicide bomber who came into Croke Park (twice no less, so there must be life after death for suicide bombers) to wreck our ambitions. Indeed, the ghost dressed in green and gold who nudged Dessie Dolan as he took that infamous free two years later, remains unidentified! (Shame on the loud-mouthed visiting "fan" who roared reminders of this inexplicable blip to Dessie as he shaped up for his first free - his decent fellow-supporters were far from impressed.) I will argue forever (albeit pointlessly) that we would have beaten Meath had we met them in 2004 under Páidí, or last year under Tomás. However, that day will come. And the wait will have been worth it. Even it means watching it from a wheelchair in a nursing home!So where do we go from here? Hopefully, not like Northampton Town in the 1960s freefalling down the ranks into a football wilderness. But prospects are not good and it would be an utter fool who does not accept this. Since winning the provincial minor title in 2000, as part of an unprecedented underage double, we have beaten only Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny in Under-18 championship action. Our Under-21 record is not quite as dismal, but is still well short of the heady days of almost the entire 1990s and, of course, 2000 (when the Leinster win was crowned by defeating Meath in the final). Clearly, there is a massive slowdown in the conveyor belt needed to keep our senior team dining comfortably, at even a reasonable place at football"s top or medium tables.Nine key Westmeath players are in their 30th year or older and all bar Gary Connaughton (70 per cent involvement) and Martin Flanagan (90 per cent) have been regulars all through the "noughties". Had all nine being fully fit (and fitness levels this year were worryingly low across the board in the panel) it is likely that they would all have played the entire 2009 championship. Less than half of these outstanding servants seem likely to don the county jersey again and a massive void will therefore need to be filled by the new manager, whoever he or she is. (I was greatly impressed in 2004 over a meal in Paddy"s Point in Spain with the footballing brain of Patricia Kernan, wife of Joe, and told them both so!) Midfield is an enormous headache (and has needed varying degrees of Aspirin since the incomparable Rory O"Connell quit the inter-county scene). The half back and forward lines also need dramatic surgery. It is also a concern that the form of a couple of relatively young players has noticeably dipped in the past year or two. To compound this, a few players who could make an impact have refused to join the panel and put the necessary hard graft into accepting the huge honour and privilege that is representing their county. Frankly, albeit from a fanatic"s viewpoint, this is baffling in the extreme.It is not my prerogative to (publicly at least) throw names of potential managers into the ring. I would imagine that the aforementioned dearth of underage success will be all-too-familiar to high-profile outsiders and a case can certainly be made for a number of individuals closer to the local scene. All this columnist can do is wish well to those entrusted with the job to find a new bainisteoir and to thank Tomás Ó Flatharta for his great service over six years (particularly his "uimhir a dó" role in "04). The new incumbent should be allowed time to rebuild a squad by his "employers" and fans alike. However, given the large entourage now forming a backroom team, a high level of fitness is a basic prerequisite for championship participation. Repeat, absolute basic. A serious and stand-alone assault on the Under-21 grade is also essential. It may not matter in the traditional counties but, by God, it matters in Westmeath.And, for now, all we can do is dream again of witnessing another Lake County manager, fist clenched and mouth frothing, in Croke Park in the middle or end of July, roaring into the TV cameras: 'They are tough men in Westmeath'!