Kieran Gavin aware of price of heavy final mauling

Westmeath’s Kieran Gavin admits their historic first championship win over Meath will be forgotten if they are beaten heavily by Dublin on Sunday.

That Leinster semi-final win over their neighbours was stunningly dramatic but Martin, who didn’t feature in the game but is expected to see action at the weekend, warns it will be consigned to the dustbin if they don’t perform in Croke Park in the decider.

“It’s a final and we have to try and go and win it. We celebrated after beating Meath for a couple of days but Tom (Cribbin) and the lads were very conscious of getting us back and down to earth to try and perform in the final.

“If we go out and get absolutely hammered by Dublin it (beating Meath) won’t really stand for anything. There’ll be a little asterisk beside it. We have to try and go out and get our heads back down.”

Gavin knows several of the Dublin team only too well having lived and played with them for several years in DCU.

Paul Flynn was his flat-mate while he was and remains on good terms with fellow Glasnevin students Jonny Cooper, James McCarthy and Dean Rock. Is his inside information on them any use?

“You could tell the lads one thing and they (the Dubs) could do something totally different and something outrageous. You just have to treat it as another game.”

That’s essential for Gavin as the main concern is that the fanfare surrounding a provincial final can be distracting and Dublin will pounce of the slightest lack of focus.

“I remember Dublin beat us by 27 points. Even a couple of years ago, we thought we were all set and going well and the next thing it was 0-8 to 0-0 after 22 minutes (Westmeath lost by 16 in the end). So the first couple of minutes will be absolutely huge psychologically just to say ‘look, we’re in this thing’. They can blow teams away and we’ve all seen that. We’re just trying to keep in the game for the first 15 minutes.

““If you can just keep in the game who knows what can happen but it’s easier said than done.”

Westmeath are slow-burners, as proven by their second half displays against Meath and Wexford in this campaign. That will offer positivity for later in the game but they must stay with Dublin, says Gavin who has fully recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon 11 months ago.

“It’s all about the first couple of minutes and keeping in the game,” he said.

Of the second half blitz against Meath, he said: “I suppose it does give you encouragement so far as that we’re fit. Even in the Wexford game, I think we scored 1-8 in the last 10 minutes so the fitness levels are good and the bench is making an impact. If we start like that (against Meath), we all know the game is going to be over and it’ll be 20 points down at half-time. We’re not going to have anything to claw back. It’s a big occasion for us and hopefully the occasion just doesn’t get to us.”