St Loman's lay down a marker in Leinster

The Westmeath side had too much for a lethargic Dunshaughlin. 

PUSH AND SHOVE: St Lomans’ Fola Ayorinde and Rory Sheahan celebrate after the game. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

AIB Leinster club senior football championship: Round 1: St Loman's (Westmeath) 2-17 Dunshaughlin (Meath) 2-4 

St Loman's look set for a novel midweek Leinster club SFC fixture, and on their own pitch in Mullingar, after powering through to the province's last eight.

The 2017 finalists, who have claimed four of the last five Westmeath titles, never let up in Navan and must be considered serious silverware contenders after the 13-point Round 1 win.

Dunshaughlin are the last Meath club to win this competition but any hopes of repeating their 2002 success were quickly extinguished.

Loman's hit Richie Kealy's crew hard and early, scoring the first five points of the game and all but sealing victory by half-time when they were eight clear.

Fola Ayorinde, who struck 1-2, and top scorer Danny McCartan, with 1-3, impressed while county stalwart John Heslin weighed in with 0-5.

Their reward is a quarter-final clash with Castletown of Wexford, initially pencilled in for next Sunday at a Westmeath venue.

But with Castletown possessing a number of dual players who have a Leinster club junior hurling tie next Saturday, the football game has now been pushed back to the following Tuesday evening at 7.30pm.

"Look, it's not ideal," said St Loman's manager Paddy Dowdall of the midweek outing. "We're obviously pushing for it to be played at the weekend. We just have to listen and see what way it goes."

There's also the issue of where to play the game as Westmeath's county ground in Mullingar isn't floodlit.

Dowdall said his understanding is that TEG Cusack Park isn't available anyway due to ground works and suggested that his own club, which has floodlights and regularly hosts major games, should be used.

"We're hoping to maybe get it at home," he said.

It's understood that the Leinster Council will confirm the fixture and venue on Monday with the likelihood that St Loman's will play host.

What's certain is that if Loman's can repeat this sort of performance, they'll be tough to beat.

They famously let the title slip from their grasp in 2017 when they coughed up a late six-point lead against Moorefield.

Dowdall was on that Loman's team and six other players who started that match lined out again in Navan for this encounter.

One of those experienced performers was Heslin who kicked into life in the final quarter this time, scoring five points in that period alone.

With holders Kilmacud Crokes out of the picture, and a relatively kind draw, Loman's must feel like this could be their year.

"This group, we set our expectations very high and we strive to meet them every year," said Dowdall. "When we don't meet them, obviously we're not happy. But all we can focus on at the moment is one game, we can only focus on the Castletown game."

It's the end of the line for Dunshaughlin, coached by ex-Dublin star Paul Curran who managed Ballymun to the 2012 Leinster title.

They never truly got going, conceded the first five points and didn't score a point from play themselves until the second-half.

The athletic and pacy Ayorinde pounced on Dunshaughlin's lethargy with 1-2, including a stunning solo goal, in the first-half.

Brothers Sam and Danny McCartan were terrific too and Loman's weren't flattered by their 1-9 to 1-1 half-time lead.

Aaron Murphy tapped in Dunshaughlin's goal after Mathew Costello's shot from a tight angle on the right hit the far upright.

Dunshaughlin captain Jared Rushe pinched a second goal after the break but they never got any closer to Loman's than seven points.

And when Heslin kicked into top gear in the closing quarter he struck a series of sumptuous scores that stretched the gap.

Former Westmeath attacker Shane Dempsey came off at half-time but Dowdall said it was precautionary as he returns from injury.

The Loman's boss was happy too with their excellent work on the opposition kick-out, forcing Dunshaughlin to live off scraps.

"I think we had 15 or 16 turnovers on their kick-out, which is a lot," said Dowdall.

St Loman's scorers: D McCartan (1-3); F Ayorinde (1-2); H Heslin (0-5, 2 frees, 1 mark); S McCartan (0-3, 1 45); S Flanagan (0-2); J Geoghegan, R O'Toole (0-1 each).

Dunshaughlin scorers: A Murphy (1-1); J Rushe (1-0); C McCarrick (0-2); M Costello (0-1, 1 free).

St Loman's: J Daly; D O'Keeffe, J Geoghegan, O Hogan; E Hogan, D Whelan, S McCartan; J Heslin, S Flanagan; K Reilly, R O'Toole, R Sheahan; F Ayorinde, S Dempsey, D McCartan.

Subs: TJ Cox for Dempsey (h/t); K Regan for Sheahan (44); E Gaffney for O Hogan (45); P Foy for Ayorinde (54); C O'Donoghue for Whelan (55).

Dunshaughlin: T O'Sullivan; Niall Byrne, J Rushe, A Kealy; D Fildes, D McKenna, C McCarrick; C O'Connor, C Gray; C Duke, R Kinsella, B Duggan; A Murphy, M Costello, L Mitchell.

Subs: F Blake for McKenna (22); J McDonagh for R Kinsella (30); F Hartigan for Fildes (h/t); Neil Byrne for Duggan (44); T O Dushlaine for Niall Byrne (63).

Ref: A Nolan (Wicklow).