Moate to host garrycastle v st malachys playoff
The Westmeath SFC play-off between Garrycastle and St Malachy’s will take place in Hogan Park, Moate next Wednesday, September 3 with a 7pm throw-in time.
The winners will advance to a meeting with Killucan in the quarter-finals.
In one of the surprise results in this year’s championship, St Malachy’s defeated Garrycastle on a 0-17 to 1-11 scoreline in their Section B Round 2 encounter. Garrycastle then lost to Tyrrellspass which left their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages in serious jeopardy.
However, Garrycastle regrouped to defeat Bunbrosna and Coralstown/Kinnegad to earn a reprieve (see report from the game against Coralstown/Kinnegad in this week’s Westmeath Independent). Now they must overturn that previous result against St Malachy’s to stay in the championship.
Tyrrellspass emerged as facile winners over St Malachy’s last weekend (3-14 to 16) to earn a quarter-final clash with Mullingar Shamrocks, leaving the red and black side facing that upcoming play-off against Garrycastle.
Perhaps the exertions of their dual stars who are maintaining Castletown-Geoghegan’s impressive charge to retain the Westmeath hurling title are beginning to take their toll, but Peter Leahy’s charges were distinctly off colour last Sunday evening - albeit a couple of missed goal opportunities by Alan Mangan (one either side of the interval) proved very costly.
From a Tyrrellspass viewpoint, it was an encouraging display without having to spring regular match-winning veteran Martin Flanagan from the subs’ bench, but Tom Coffey will be all too aware that sterner tests await.
At the time of writing, the fixture details for the SFC relegation play-off between Athlone and Castledaly had yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, Cusack Park in Mullingar will host the first of this year’s All-Ireland ladies football semi-finals tomorrow (Saturday), when Dublin take on Galway at 3.15pm. Galway defeated Westmeath in this year’s Division 2 league final, and they have built on that success to reach the last four of the All-Ireland SFC.
The Dublin v Galway clash will form part of a double header with Down facing Leitrim in the Intermediate semi-final beforehand (1.30pm).
Roscommon ladies face Fermanagh in the other All-Ireland IFC semi-final on Saturday, September 6 in Pearse Park, Longford at 1.45pm. It will be followed by the other SFC semi-final between All-Ireland champions Cork and surprise packets Armagh (3.30).
Ladies Football Fixtures Update
Saturday August 30
TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Semi-Final
Down v Leitrim, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 1.30 Mags Doherty (ET if necessary – Live on TG4)
TG4 Senior All-Ireland Ladies Gaelic Football Semi-Final
Dublin v Galway, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 3:15 Maggie Farrelly (ET if necessary – Live on TG4)
Sunday August 31
All-Ireland U-16 ‘C’ Championship Final
Offaly v Clare, Nenagh, 1.30, Francis Keane
All-Ireland U-16 ‘B’ Championship Final
Laois v Tipperary, 3.30, Garryowen McMahon
Saturday September 6
TG4 All Ireland Intermediate Championship Semi-Final
Fermanagh v Roscommon, 1.45pm, Glennon Brothers, Pearse Park, Longford, (Colm McManus) ET if necessary – Live on TG4
TG4 All Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final
Armagh v Cork, 3.30pm, Glennon Brothers, Pearse Park, Longford, (Gus Chapman) ET if necessary – Live on TG4