Sligo have been relegated after this defeat at
Connolly Park on Sunday. In a game that was a good standard and played at pace
throughout the Westmeath goals came at the vital times to ease them to victory.
The weather was good with no wind at all. Sligo got
the first score from a free by Niall Murphy but this was followed by 5 from the
visitors. However we responded with good points from play by Neil Ewing, Paul
Kilcoyne and Liam Gaughan. Luke Loughlin who was to have an excellent game
throughout scored 2 from play and Ronan O’Toole with another extended the lead
to 0-5 v 0-5 at the 26th minute. Pat Hughes scored the point of the
day when he caught a long delivery and despite the attention of 4 defenders hit
one over from near the sideline. He was to do something similar a few minutes
later but only 2 defenders this time with him. A Niall Murphy free after Hughes
was fouled left the half time score 0-9 v 0-7.
Loughlin scored the first point of the half followed
by a Murphy free. In the 12th minute Loughlin went on a mazy run
from out on the sideline and left 3 Sligo defenders in his wake before passing
across the goal for John Heslin to palm to the net. Two points from Murphy and
sub Paddy O’Connor from play narrowed the gap to 4 but Westmeath were awarded a
penalty. Ger Egan finished it with aplomb and with 13 minutes to go division 4
was calling us. Both sides traded goals in injury time with Adrian Marren
sending to the right hand corner of the net when in with the keeper one on one.
We travel to Longford on Saturday March 16 and have
Offaly visitors in the last round.
Scorers -
Westmeath: Ger Egan 1-4 (1-0 pen, 4f), Luke Loughlin 0-4, John Heslin, Noel
O'Reilly 1-0 each, Sam Duncan, Ronan O'Toole 0-2 each. Sligo: Niall Murphy
0-4f, Adrian Marren 1-0, Pat Hughes 0-2, Paul Kilcoyne, Neil Ewing, Patrick
O'Connor, Liam Gaughan 0-1 each.
Sligo - A Devaney; M Gordon, P
Laffey, JF Carr; D Cummins, A McIntyre, N Mullen, G O'Kelly-Lynch, P Kilcoyne;
K McKenna, S Carrabine, N Ewing, L Gaughan, P Hughes, N Murphy. Subs: B Gorman for
Gaughan 53, P O'Connor for McKenna 53, A Marren for Murphy, E McHugh for
Cummins, C Henry for P Kilcoyne
Westmeath - E Carberry; K Daly,
R Wallace, B Sayeh; K Maguire, F Boyle, J Dolan; S Duncan, D Corroon; L Loughlin,
J Heslin, J Gonoud; R O'Toole, K Martin, G Egan. Subs: T McDaniel, for Martin
64, F Coyne for Egan 68; N O'Reilly for Gonoud 70, C Slevin for Boyle 70, N
Mulligan for Corroon