Westmeath’s silverware supply line keeps producing

WESTMEATH 1-13 LAOIS 0-13

Watching Laois goalkeeper Graham Brody’s blunder at Croke Park, the mind was immediately drawn to a recent Mickey Harte comment.

Dashing upfield with the ball in trademark fashion, Portlaoise man Brody lost possession with a poor kick pass from which Ger Egan scored the 60th minute goal for Westmeath that decided the game.

Galway’s Ruairi Lavelle and An Spideal’s Maghnus Breathnach have suffered similar sweeper ‘keeper malfunctions this season but this one cost Laois the Division 3 title.

“You only need to get caught out once and the ball ends up in an empty net and that might end it for good,” commented Tyrone manager Harte last month of the adventurous tactic. “That would be a shame.”

To Brody’s relief, Laois manager John Sugrue is of the same opinion as Harte and won’t be curbing his goalkeeper’s enthusiasm despite the error.

“I’m in this job 18 months, Graham has come out (of goals) north of 100 times, I think we conceded one in Leitrim last year, again it was an execution issue,” said Kerry man Sugrue. “That’s the second one now. So out of 100 patterns of play that he’s been involved in, two goals is probably not a big return for the opposition. It’s a fairly significant one this time but they’re the margins you’re playing with.”

With just three points between the teams in the end - the same margin that separated them when Westmeath beat Laois in Round 4 in February - the goal was decisive.

“There’s probably a very small percentage of ‘keepers who actually employ that tactic,” said Westmeath manager Jack Cooney of Brody’s licence to roam.

“The way the game is going now, possession is key so if you can get the kick-out away short and retain possession then brilliant, the ‘keeper is an option to hold possession and continue the play further down the pitch. I think Graham is an exceptional goalkeeper, an exceptional outfield player, he was just unfortunate that he was turned over and got caught. We took full advantage of that. I think goalkeeping, in general, has been revolutionised throughout this generation of players. It’s brought football to a different dimension in terms of gaining possession from kick-outs and so on. Where it’s going to go, how that’s going to develop from here on, I don’t know.”

Brody could well argue that while he was at fault for the goal, the outfield players must hold their hands up to errors too.

Laois kicked 16 wides in total, one of those a Paul Cahillane goal attempt that struck the side-netting after the former soccer player rounded the goalkeeper. The 2018 Division 4 champions didn’t attempt to exploit the aerial ability of Donie Kingston and their taller forwards until late on either, when they were chasing the game. It led to suggestions that there may have been some shadow boxing going on with their May 26 Leinster championship quarter-final clash in mind.

“There probably was to a certain extent,” agreed

Cooney. “We had a huge relief the previous weekend to get promoted up to Division 2 because we see that as really good progress. It means that we can try to raise the standards next year in terms of performance over the seven games in Division 2. This game came very quickly for us then. Was there a bit of shadow boxing? Perhaps the game lacked a bit of intensity alright, even though Laois really went after it in the last 10 minutes or so and went very direct, hit balls inside.”

Sugrue, however, said there was no question of holding back as Laois attempted to win spring silverware for the second successive year.

He was hugely frustrated with the failure to do so and said that Westmeath ‘schooled’ his team at times, building on a 0-7 to 0-5 half-time lead.

“We need more clarity of thought, we need more concentration and we need to execute better,” said Sugrue, for whom Mountrath CS Leaving Cert student Sean O’Flynn debuted in defence, striking three wides.

“We’ll get back to the drawing board. We’ve certainly got a good bit of work to do before the 26th of May. I’m not afraid of it. I don’t think the boys in general are afraid of it. Let’s just see where we can get to on May 26.”

Sugrue rejected the suggestion that there may be a hidden positive in defeat if he can use the loss to motivate his players in the coming weeks.

“We probably don’t share the same thoughts,” he deadpanned. “This was a good chance to get closer to

Westmeath. We played them whatever it was, six or seven weeks ago, we were three points shy of them. We were three points shy of them again. That, to me, indicates no progress.”

Scorers for Westmeath: G Egan (1-7, 3 frees, 1 mark); R O’Toole (0-2); J Heslin, K Martin, R Wallace and D Lynch (0-1 each).

Scorers for Laois: E O’Carroll (0-6, 3 frees, 2 45’s); D Kingston (0-5, 2 frees, 1 mark); E Lowry and M Timmons (0-1 each).

WESTMEATH: E Carberry; R Wallace, B Sayeh, K Maguire; J Dolan, N Mulligan, K Daly; S Duncan, D Corroon; D Lynch, G Egan, R O’Toole; K Martin, J Heslin, L Loughlin.

Subs: N O’Reilly for Lynch (65); J Halligan for Mulligan (67); T McDaniel for Loughlin (71); D Giles for O’Toole (75).

LAOIS: G Brody; S Attride, M Timmons, G Dillon; T Collins, C Begley, S O’Flynn; J O’Loughlin, K Lillis; E Lowry, C Boyle, M Scully; D Kingston, P Cahillane, E O’Carroll.

Subs: R Munnelly for Lowry and B Carroll for Boyle (48); B Quigley for Lillis (57); P Kingston for Cahillane (57); D O’Connor for Scully (67).

Referee: J Henry (Mayo).