Westmeath teams named for local derby fixtures
There is one change to the Westmeath team for the Allianz Football League Division 2 clash against old rivals Meath at TEG Cusack Park tomorrow (Sunday).
The match now has a later throw-in time of 3.15pm, with the time change agreed to allow two members of the Meath panel attend a family funeral on Sunday morning.
Fionn O'Hara, who didn't feature against Cavan last Sunday, has been drafted into the Westmeath team at midfield, where he will partner Athlone's Ray Connellan. Charlie Drumm, who lined out at full-back versus Cavan, is not in the match-day panel at all which is an additional blow to a squad already missing a host of players from last year.
Jack Geoghegan has been selected at full-back, with the St Loman's player having been somewhat unlucky to be sent off on two yellow cards last Sunday - see here for report on the Cavan game.
Despite playing some impressive attacking football, Westmeath have suffered four defeats from four games. And Dermot McCabe's charges need to win tomorrow to have a realistic chance of avoiding relegation, but that seems a very tall order against a Meath team which defeated Roscommon by seven points (2-18 to 0-17) in Navan last weekend.
Meanwhile, the Westmeath team to face table toppers Offaly in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League tomorrow (Tullamore, 2pm) has also been named. Like their football counterparts, the Westmeath hurlers are embroiled in a relegation battle and are seeking their first win.
There are four changes to the team which lost to Laois by 4-18 to 1-19 in their last outing. Ciarán O’Brien has been selected as the goalkeeper, with Davy Glennon, Killian Doyle and Niall O’Brien also included in the starting line-up. Defensive ace Tommy Doyle is again a conspicuous absentee.
Westmeath football team (vs Meath): Conor McCormack; Jamie Gonoud, Jack Geoghegan, Conor Dillon; Kevin O’Sullivan, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan; Ray Connellan, Fionn O'Hara; Danny McCartan, Brían Cooney, Matthew Whittaker; Lorcan Dolan, Luke Loughlin, Brandon Kelly. Subs: Kieran Martin, Robbie Forde, David Giles, Andrew Kilmartin, Daniel Scahill, Enda Gaffney, Joseph Moran, Adam Treanor, Stephen Smith, Shane Ormsby, Marc Eivers.
Westmeath hurling team (vs Offaly): Ciarán O’Brien; Conor Gaffney, Johnny Bermingham, Gary Greville; Shane Williams, Robbie Greville, Eoin Keyes; Davy Glennon, Peter Clarke; Niall Mitchell, Killian Doyle, Mark Cunningham; Eamon Cunneen, Niall O’Brien, David Williams. Subs: Jack Gillen, Joey Boyle, Aaron Craig, Adam Ennis, Dean Ennis, Jack Gallagher, David Hickey, Jack Kearney, Rory Keyes, Oisin Loughlin, Darragh McCormack, David O’Reilly.