Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Relief for Lake as Offaly fall
the visitors enjoyed a four point lead inside eight minutes but Waterford rallied to trail 0-11 to 0-9 after a lively half of football.
Damien Barton’s side worked patiently through the blanket defence with Niall Loughlin and Danny Tallon striking early doubles.
Derry sub Emmett McGuckin made an instant impression with the opening point on the resumption. Wing back Ciaran McFaul then swung over his second before another recognised defender Christopher McKaigue also raised a white flag.
Breathnach sent over Waterford’s first second half score after 58 minutes. The winners encountered difficulty with freeS and finished with 17 wides. WESTMEATH finally won their Leinster Championship battle with Offaly but manager Tom Cribbin admitted injuries to three key players could affect the war ahead.
John Heslin’s 1-6 haul and goals from Kieran Martin and John Egan were decisive in Mullingar where Westmeath beat Offaly at the second attempt to secure a Leinster semifinal clash with Dublin next Sunday.
That will be a repeat of the last two Leinster finals and though Cribbin feels his group is stronger generally this year, he admitted that injuries to Paddy Holloway, Callum McCormack and Denis Glennon are a major issue.
“If I didn’t lose three of my key players today I’d say we’re 100 per cent a better side this year,” he said. “But look, we have a few very good young lads coming through and this will present them with opportunities to step up.”
Offaly trailed just 0-13 to 0-11 with 54 minutes on the clock but Egan’s goal put Westmeath in the clear and they added late majors through Heslin and Martin.