Westmeath junior champions progress to Leinster semi-final

Westmeath junior football champions, St. Mary"s, Rochfortbridge braved the elements at their home ground on Sunday afternoon last, to sweep aside the challenge of their Kildare counterparts Milltown in the quarter-finals of the AIB Leinster junior club football championship. Though they may have been flying high after their comfortable opening day win against Louth outfit, St. Nicholas, St. Mary"s didn"t allow last Sunday"s dreadful weather - which made for some nightmarish playing conditions - to dampen their spirits, as they recorded a comfortable seven point victory. The win means that the Rochfortbridge side will face Laois junior kingpins Killeshin in the November 23rd semi-final, and if they repeat Sunday"s second half performance in more favourable conditions, they will be fancied to face either Moynalvey (Meath) or Mooncoin (Kilkenny) in the final on December 7. With Moynalvey fancied to proceed, having hammered Dublin opposition last weekend, they will be the team to beat in what could turn out to be a Meath versus Westmeath showdown. By virtue of their weekend win, St. Mary"s are also the sole remaining Westmeath football club involved in provincial competition this year. Last Sunday"s clash kicked off slightly later than scheduled, although it"s clear that much work went into preparing the Rochfortbridge grounds after some torrential overnight rain. But with much of the second half overshadowed by a downpour, players could do nothing but grin and bear it, and they managed to produce some exciting football amidst atrocious conditions. St. Mary"s led only by the minimum (0-5 to 0-4) at half time, plagued by some horrendous kicking, and run ragged by a relentless Milltown vanguard. The Kildare side - who hail from just north-west of Newbridge - benefited greatly from the audible support of a large number of away fans. But they were silenced early in the second half, when two goals in quick succession from St. Mary"s duo, Ken Gunning and Robbie Kenny, opened up a comfortable cushion, and a late third goal from sub Eoin Gorman put the icing on the cake. Kenny, Gunning, Kieran Geraghty and Alan Gavin led the way for St. Mary"s with some polished attacks, while Milltown relied mainly on scores from Myles O"Reilly, and the energy of Eoghan O"Toole and Emmet Mulhall in midfield. Scorers: St. Mary"s, Rochfortbridge - K. Gunning and R. Kenny 1-1 each, E. Gorman 1-0, A. Gavin 0-3 (2 frees), K. Geraghty 0-2. Milltown - M. O"Reilly 0-7 (5 frees), E. O"Toole and D. Keogh 0-1 each. St. Mary"s, Rochfortbridge: Declan Hogan; Thomas Giles, Ken Delaney, Adam Nolan; Larry Poynton, Michael Geraghty, Ger Keegan; David Mitchell, Damien Gavin; Robbie Kenny , Alan Gavin, John Shiels; Kieran Geraghty, Ken Gunning, John McNamara. Subs used: Ian Cunningham for McNamara (51 mins), Eoin Gorman for Shiels (57). Milltown: Derek Moore; Eddie Owens, Rory Donoghue, Darren O"Shea; Colin O"Shea, Hugh Garrett, Michael Colleton; Emmet Mulhall, Eoghan O"Toole; Wayne Dignam, Owen Hearty, Kevin Dowling; Damien Keogh, Ian Fitzgerald, Myles O"Reilly. Subs used: Andrew Dunne for Colleton (40 mins), Anthony Dunne for Hearty (40), Eoin O"Sullivan for Dignam (40), Vincent Murray for Keogh (54). Referee: Paul Knell (Louth).