Garrycastle determined to scale new heights

FIVE counties have yet to win the Leinster club senior football championship.

Wexford, Louth, Longford or Kilkenny won’t be changing that statistic this year but Westmeath might, even though their representatives face the power of Ballyboden St Enda’s, bidding to become Dublin’s third successive All-Ireland champions.

If Garrycastle do upset the odds in Mullingar tomorrow, they will in fact become only the fourth Lakeside team to book a place in the decider, after Athlone (1971), The Downs (1972) and Tyrrellspass (2007).

The Athlone-based club are in the midst of a fourth stab at provincial honours, having won their first county title as recently as 2001.

And there are plenty of reasons for optimism. Topping the list is the huge experience that is in the set-up, with many of the players either current or past members of Westmeath senior panels. The Dolan brothers, Dessie and team captain Gary, David O’Shaughnessy, Doran Harte, Paddy Mulvihill, Cathal Mullin, John Gaffey, Karl Henson and Justin McAteer have all worn the county jersey. That equips them well for club championship fare, as does the fact that their manager, Anthony Cunningham, is a two-time All-Ireland SHC winner with Galway, who also helped St Brigid’s of Roscommon garner their only Connacht title in 2006.

Dessie Dolan and O’Shaughnessy have been beset by injury troubles in recent years, with both only playing bit-part roles for the Lakesiders this year. Dolan was sidelined by hamstring problems, while O’Shaughnessy was struggling with his knee, having fought a career-threatening back injury in previous seasons.

O’Shaughnessy is one of the best midfielders in the country when unhindered by the frailties of his body but Dolan’s form has been a revelation. The 30-year-old has turned back the clock in recent weeks. He scored five points in the county final, with four of those coming from play. Even better though was his tally of 1-5 (2fs) in the two-point win against Clonguish, the game in which O’Shaughnessy made his comeback.

Dolan was unstoppable that day and along with his younger brother Gary, O’Shaughnessy and Harte, will have a major part to play if Garrycastle are to win tomorrow.

“They’ve a lot of experience with Westmeath but they might see it that they mightn’t be starting out on their careers anymore and they’d like to do something with their club” said Cunningham.

“They’re definitely striving to win; a Leinster club championship would be top of their agenda. They’ve let a few slip through their hands and they were very determined get back and to work a bit harder this year.

“The team has just improved but the acid test is whether we’re good enough to beat Ballyboden. They have done very well in this competition over the last few years. They’ve won the last two All-Irelands. The standard is obviously very high in Dublin club football. But we’d be happy enough with our own progress. We respect (Ballyboden) but we don’t fear them.”