Monaghan goal caps off heroic Garrycastle win

GARRYCASTLE regained the Westmeath senior football title in dramatic fashion in Mullingar yesterday, coming from eight points down after 19 minutes to deservedly win a riveting contest by four points.

The sides were tied at 0-1 each when Luke Dempsey’s troops pounced for their first goal in the eighth minute, former Offaly player Ken Casey finding the net after Paul Whelehan’s initial shot had been saved by Sean Brennan.

Three minutes later, a foul on the overlapping Sean Flanagan resulted in a penalty for the Mullingar side. John Heslin’s penalty wasn’t overly well struck but it still found the net.

Fola Ayorinde almost got in for a third goal in the 14th minute, but there was to be no denying Heslin five minutes later when he produced a delightful low finish after being cleverly picked out by Casey.

Garrycastle received a lifeline when Tom O’Halloran was adjudged to have been fouled, but Jason Daly pulled off a great save from Alex Gardiner’s spot kick. At the break, St Loman’s led by 3-4 to 0-5.

However, Gary Dolan’s charges were a different team on the change of ends. Four unanswered points by the 39th minute – the last of them from sub Conor Cosgrove with his first kick of the ball from a free – left them four points down.

In the 41st minute, a foul on James Sheerin – who had replaced 40-yearold Dessie Dolan at half-time – gave Gardiner a second chance from the spot, and he made no mistake.

A second Cosgrove free levelled the scoring. TJ Cox briefly restored the St Loman’s lead, but they were to only add a converted free by Heslin to their tally in the closing stages.

Eoin Monaghan’s 54th-minute goal propelled Garrycastle towards victory and they sealed the deal with classy late points from Monaghan, Cosgrove and Gardiner. St Loman’s woes were compounded by the redcarding of Conradh Reilly deep into injury-time.

SCORERS – Garrycastle: A Gardiner 1-4 (1-0 pen); E Monaghan 1-2; C Cosgrove 0-4 (3f); J Dolan, T O’Halloran (f), M Monaghan 0-1 each. St Loman’s: J Heslin 2-2 (1-0 pen, 2f); K Casey 1-1; S McCartan, R O’Toole, TJ Cox 0-1 each.

GARRYCASTLE – S Brennan; M Guiheen, J Donohue, M McCallon; D Harte, J Gaffey, G McCallon; J Barrett, J Dolan; T O’Halloran, E Monaghan, M Monaghan; J Nugent, A Gardiner, D Dolan. Subs: J Sheerin for D Dolan (h-t), C Cosgrove for Nugent (37), G Heneghan for M Monaghan (53), E Mulvihill for O’Halloran (60), C Mannion for E Monaghan (60+3).

ST LOMAN’S MULLINGAR – J Daly; S Kelly, S Flanagan, P Dowdall; D Whelan, K Reilly, P Whelehan; F Ayorinde, C Reilly; S McCartan, R O’Toole, D Windsor; K Casey, J Heslin, TJ Cox. Subs: K Regan for Ayorinde (48), C O’Donoghue for Whelan (58), G Hickey for O’Toole (inj., 60), J Cox for Casey (inj, 60+1).

REFEREE – D Maher (Ballynacargy).