Late Whittaker injury mars another solid Westmeath win

EirGrid Leinster U-20 Football Championship

Westmeath 1-16 Wexford 1-9

Gerry Buckley

Westmeath’s U20 footballers comfortably advanced to the Leinster quarter-finals with a seven-point win over Wexford in miserable weather on the main pitch at Home Instead Lakepoint Park last night (Tuesday).

Damien Gavin’s troops will now travel to Meath next Tuesday (April 11th) for a knockout game, fresh from two very solid round robin victories.

However, the injury woes of a talented squad have been compounded by the near-certain absence of star forward Matthew Whittaker, the promising Tubberclair player ironically pulling up in clear distress when scoring his fifth point from play against the Slaneysiders. Indeed, full forward Shane Hanley was also replaced early in the match.

Wexford had the aid of a useful wind blowing from the clubhouse end of the pitch in the first half, but it was Westmeath who led by five points at the interval.

The home side were two points to the good by the fifth minute, both scores coming from Senan Baker (the first after rounding off a patient move, and the second from a free). His opposite number Dylan Cooke Leonard saw his shot come back off the post, but fine points from Rian Fitzpatrick and Morgen Ellis (availing of a Westmeath defensive error) had the teams tied at 0-2 each after nine minutes.

The lively Whittaker had a ‘goal’ correctly disallowed for fisting the ball directly to the net – he may well have been trying for a point. A free from Baker (moved closer to the target for dissent), a ‘mark’ from sub Shane Corcoran, and a tricky free from Baker had the maroon and white-clad outfit three points clear after 22 minutes.

A converted free from Fitzpatrick reduced the deficit, but another three unanswered points ensued at the other end from the boots of Baker (a classy left-footed score from play) and a brace from Whittaker (who had been unlucky with another point attempt which came back off the upright moments earlier). Baker spurned a great goal chance in added-time, but his side still led by 0-8 to 0-3 at the interval.

Anto Russell’s troops came right back into contention with exactly a minute of the second moiety elapsed, Ellis finding the net (despite an unsuccessful goal line scramble to clear his effort) when teed up by Jack Higgins. An Alan Mahoney ‘45’ was clawed back from just over the crossbar, but there was no denying Fitzpatrick a quality point in the 35th minute. The gap was now just the bare minimum (0-8 to 1-4).

Baker (a free, after a great surge forward by Daragh Lowry) and Cian Hughes traded points, before a low-trajectory shot from the speedy Whittaker doubled the Lake County’s lead. Lowry soon pulled off a great defensive block on Ruairí Martin. Mahoney was wide from a free from the ground which looked like a ‘gimme’ point, and Westmeath made the most of this let-off when Corcoran did very well to set up Cooney for a slapped goal from close range in the 47th minute.

Whittaker and Daniel Scahill added points to put Westmeath seven clear (1-12 to 1-5). Danny McCartan was denied a goal by the feet of Wexford sub goalie Eoin Blanchfield. Fitzpatrick then converted a free for the young men in a largely navy strip.

The home team pulled away with four unanswered points from McCartan, Whittaker (whose obvious hamstring injury while scoring was an immediate source of concern to the winners’ management), sub Peter Pierson (despite being pressurized), and Cooney (with his fist).

The Model County men had the small satisfaction of scoring the last three points of what was a good-standard contest given the conditions. The scores came via subs Sean Hughes and Bill Peare, and a Fitzpatrick free. Full back Sam Smyth did well to prevent another Wexford sub Brendan Tobin from finding the net deep into added-time.

Man of the match: Matthew Whittaker (Westmeath). Another eye-catching display from the Tubberclair man, but his campaign may well be over after damaging his hamstring late in the contest.

Match officials: No real controversy for Dan Stynes and his team. The decision to allow Brían Cooney’s goal after chatting his umpires about a potential ‘square ball’ offence certainly seemed correct.

Scorers - Westmeath: S Baker 0-6 (4f), M Whittaker 0-5, B Cooney 1-1, D Scahill, D McCartan, S Corcoran (m), P Pierson 0-1 each. Wexford: R Fitzpatrick 0-5 (3f), M Ellis 1-1, C Hughes, B Peare, S Hughes 0-1 each.

Westmeath: Michael Lynam; Liam Daly, Sam Smyth, Daragh Lowry; Jack Geoghegan, Tom Kelleher, Daniel Scahill; Dylan Murtagh, Ben Killian; Podge Quinn, Danny McCartan, Matthew Whittaker; Brían Cooney, Shane Hanley, Senan Baker. Subs used: Shane Corcoran for Hanley (inj., 14), Peter Pierson for Quinn (52), Charlie Kennedy for Lowry (54), Tadhg Baker for Geoghegan (55), Lorcan Mullen for Whittaker (inj., 58).

Wexford: Rory Tubritt; Conor Jones, Leigh Newport, Conor Kelly; Jack Higgins, Ben Martin, Ruairí Martin; Rian Fitzpatrick, Liam Doyle; Cian Hughes, Adam Harris, Morgen Ellis; Cillian Twomey, Alan Mahoney, Dylan Cooke Leonard. Subs used: Eoin Blanchfield for Tubritt (h-t), Brendan Tobin for Martin (h-t), Sean Hughes for Ellis (49), Jack Morris for Mahoney (53), Bill Peare for Higgins (53).

Ref: Dan Stynes (Dublin).