Shay Murtagh Senior Championship Final:
St Lomans Mullingar 0-09 Coralstown Kinnegad 0-07
The 1st of October saw the sun set on the Westmeath senior championship for 2023. The two best teams this season, St Lomans Mullingar and Coralstown Kinnegad would battle it out for the Flanagan cup on a beautiful autumn day. The atmosphere in TEG Cusack Park was electric with huge waves of support for both sides. The Blues were the bookies favourites after having so much experience in finals over the last number of years compared to Kinnegad who were making their first county final appearance in over twenty years.
The sides faced off three times this year, drawing in both the league and group stage of the championship and the other a victory for Kinnegad in the league final. Despite all the media speculation of this being a one-sided affair, everybody in St Lomans were aware that this was never going to be easy and would go down to wire, which Paddy Dowdall, Ronan O’Toole and John Heslin all reiterated after the game.
The game was always going to be cagey, Jack Cooney and Paschal Kelleghan at the helm for Coralstown have built their campaign on being strong in defence which has worked brilliantly for them. St Lomans also defended in numbers as really it was what the game required, although it may not have pleased the neutrals. The first score came after five minutes courtesy of Sam McCartan after his strong run and accurate left footed effort bisected the posts. The Saints found their groove in the middle of the first half with a further three scores added courtesy of two placed balls from John Heslin either side of a super score from Shane Dempsey.
Sam McCartan added to his tally after twenty minutes with a beautiful score, this time with the outside of his right boot. Kinnegad got off the mark shortly after with Eoin O’Brien doing the damage. Paschal Kelleghan’s side would have been disappointed the deficit was not smaller with his team hitting several first half wides. However, at half time the gap was four points, and the Mullingar side would be playing into a fair wind in the second half, so everything was still up for grabs.
Coralstown started the second period with a huge degree of intensity and hit four unanswered scores to level the match with twenty minutes to play, their scores coming courtesy of Liam Daly, Darren Giles (free) and a Shane Fleming double (free and a mark). Crucially Lomans responded quickly in regaining the lead thanks to a superb score from Kevin Regan. Darren Giles levelled proceedings once more momentarily, but Heslin responded in kind to see the pendulum swing back in the Blues’ favour.
Brian Cooney pointed from a free to tie it up once again and with five minutes to play it was all in the balance. John Heslin hit another perfectly executed free to see Paddy Dowdall’s side get their noses in front just before injury time. Kinnegad searched for an equaliser and at one stage a dangerous ball looked destined for the net, but Jason Daly brilliantly claimed under severe pressure. In stoppage time Kelvin Reilly, found his fellow substitute TJ Cox who accelerated away from the Kinnegad defence at great speed and confidently converted what turned out to be the insurance score. A late goal was all that could save Coralstown Kinnegad but the last play saw Kelvin Reilly intercept a pass emerge out of defence with the ball. Referee Alan Coyne blew the full-time whistle which was met with elation from all in blue.
Not one for the purists but that doesn’t take away the satisfaction for all our players, management, and supporters. The victory was hard-fought, and the saints showed tremendous character in the closing stages. After losing a four-point lead, our lads had their backs against the wall, but they bounced back even stronger and finished the game well. It’s been a feature of this team that they’ve finished strong all year, and this was the case again last Sunday.
On the day the blues had several impressive performers to thank. Eoghan Hogan, in his breakthrough season was exceptional once again and never gave his opponent an inch of space. Darragh O’Keefe along side him was also excellent and he has been a model of consistency this season. Sam McCartan a leader in this team was another contender for player of the match, he covered so much ground, was involved throughout, and hit two scores from play. Ronan O’Toole although not featuring on the scoresheet, he was at the heart of the attack and his leadership was crucial in earning another senior medal in the same week he earned an all-star nomination.
John Heslin kicked four points from placed balls at crucial stages and watching him the last decade, all the blues supporters never doubted him for a moment. Our captain’s leadership and experience were key, particularly in the closing minutes. Man of the match though, was our vice-captain David Whelan. Whelan patrolled the defence brilliantly and snuffed out numerous attacks all afternoon. Whelan, Heslin and Kelvin Reilly now all move onto seven senior football medals as a player which is another fantastic achievement.
It must be said, commiserations to Coralstown Kinnegad who have been brilliant throughout this year. After going through the unspeakable pain of losing a teammate so tragically early in the year, they absolutely did their club proud in 2023. Many of the Kinngead side also last their grandfather during the week after the passing Of Dermot Cooney (father of Jack), all at St Lomans Mullingar extend their condolences to his family. With Cooney and Kelleghan at the helm, along with a young team there’s no doubt they’ll be competing for many honours in the years ahead.
After last year’s defeat to The Downs, there was a lot of pain in Lakepoint Park. However, after playing his last senior game in last year’s final, our own Paddy Dowdall took up the manager’s job and assembled a brilliant management team. A huge thanks To Paddy, Phillip Wolfe, Niall Spain, Frank Aughey, David Geoghegan, Joe Matthews, Alan Bracken, Paul Devine and Gary Devine for their work with team. The feel-good factor in the club at the minute is great to see and they’ve been instrumental in setting the tone. Dowdall adds to his fifteen senior medals as player across both codes with another as manager in his first season!
After appearing in a ninth successive final St Loman’s Mullingar now move on to ten county finals alongside the Downs. Three of these have been claimed in the last four years, six in the last 8 years and seven in the last eleven years. This group have brought us our most successful spell in history and we’re so lucky have this bunch of players that continue to excel year after year, and we should never take success for granted.
We now begin a Leinster campaign in three weeks’ time where will the face the Wexford champions, who our playing their semi-finals next weekend. Details will be announced closer to the time, but please get behind the lads in Leinster. Finally, a huge thanks to all the supporters who turned out in Cusack Park last Sunday, it was great to see so much blue on the TG4 camera’s!
Team; Jason Daly, Eoghan Hogan, Darragh O’Keefe, Oisín Hogan, Jack Geoghegan, David Whelan, Kevin Regan (0.01), Enda Gaffney, John Heslin (0.04, 0.04f), Tristan Graham, Sam McCartan (0.02), Danny McCartan, Ronan O’Toole, Shane Dempsey (0.01). Subs used; TJ Cox (0.01), Kelvin Reilly, Conor O’Donoghue.
