Westmeath reaping benefits of local presence Cooney at helm

Here’s a starter for 10: Which county team has lost the least number of times this year? Not Derry, whose nine straight League wins preceded three victories and two defeats in the McKenna Cup. Tyrone also have a couple of reverses in their account, as do Kerry and Mayo.

With one loss in 13 competitive outings in 2019, Westmeath are at the top of the pile, February’s 0-10 to 0-9 defeat to Down in Newry the only blot in their copybook. Look for the reason why they have fashioned such a handsome return and the presence of a native at the helm for the first time since 1992 is the automatic response.