Cribbin overturns Lake history and his own heritage

WESTMEATH manager Tom Cribbin revealed that he endured a few sleepless nights at the prospect of facing Kildare, where he was reared. But that didn’t stop him guiding his adopted team to another bit of history, turning over Kildare in Leinster for the first time since 1960 and reaching successive provincial finals for the first time. ‘Yeah, I didn’t sleep the last two nights to be honest,’ he admitted afterwards. ‘It’s different preparing against your own county for a League match because you know it’s not do-ordie. But in Championship, you really want to see your own — you know, I was with them for the Leinster Under 21 a few years ago. I really, really found it difficult to be honest.’ Westmeath trialled a defensive system in last year’s final against Dublin and made it difficult for the All-Ireland champions-in-waiting before they won 2-13 to 0-6 to clock up their 10th provincial title in 11 years. Will he set his team up the same way? ‘I don’t know. I didn’t want to start looking past this game. How are we best going to try and give ourselves a chance of winning a Leinster.’ For Kildare manager Cian O’Neill (right), a key moment was a disallowed goal in the 69th minute when Tommy Moolick was penalised for a challenge on goalkeeper Darren Quinn. ‘For me it’s a totally legitimate goal. The keeper actually dropped it before there was any contact. It’s a big call and as I was saying during the match at one stage, whatever about the small calls, let’s get the big ones right. I’d like to look at it again but from looking at it on the big screen I thought it was shocking.’ He said that his players’ heads ‘got scrambled’ in the second half as Westmeath ensured a nine-point swing but took no solace from avoiding Dublin. ‘Dublin are always going to be looming in Leinster so it is what it is. It would have been nice to meet them in a Leinster final irrespective of how that match would have went but I certainly wouldn’t be saying it’s a good thing. I don’t think that’s the right attitude at all. ‘The draw is tough, especially with the shocks – Tipp beating Cork, Galway beating Mayo – so it could be a really tough, competitive process.’