No sign of gloom lifting in Westmeath, insists Ward

FITTINGLY, for someone who has represented both counties, PJ Ward’s house in Kilbeggan straddles the Westmeath-Offaly border. But on a day when local derbies abound in the football Championship, the former forward, who also played for New York, has found the build-up to today’s Leinster SFC quarter-final a little subdued.

With both Donegal and Kerry making their first appearances of the summer, little attention has been paid to this local war. Even in Kilbeggan. Of course, that may have something to do with Westmeath’s dreadful form. They have just dropped into Division 4, their third successive relegation, and a number of players have left the squad for America. Expectations are low.

‘The build-up has been very quiet around here, there hasn’t been much word of the rivalry between Westmeath and Offaly,’ explains Ward, who has taken up bodybuilding as a new sporting career following his football retirement. ‘The mood isn’t great, after getting relegated from Division 4 and there’s probably a fair bit of pressure on Tom [Cribbin]. The gloom around Westmeath is in stark contrast to the mood across the border in Offaly. Pat Flanagan (below) has just led the Faithful County to their first win in Leinster in nine years and Ward feels Flanagan is the type of manager who could plot a path to a possible provincial final. ‘I have worked with Pat Flanagan at club level and he is a very shrewd manager,’ says Ward. ‘He has brought in some young players like Joey O’Connor and you can see the progress that Offaly have made. So I would fancy Offaly to get past Westmeath here.’