Westport GAA Club in wonderland

PLAYING FROM THE FRONT Westport’s Liam Ketterick beats Kiltimagh’s David Lydon to the ball during Saturday’s Mayo Intermediate FC Final. Pic: Michael McLaughlin

Final
Westport  0-10
Kiltimagh  0-4
Ger Flanagan
Castlebar

THE biggest question that was lingering over this Westport team heading into last Saturday’s Mayo Intermediate Championship final was how much of an effect that gruelling three-day turnaround would have on their performance. And they answered it. Emphatically.
This young Westport side displayed no signs of a team that were playing in their third championship game in only seven days. They dictated terms for the vast majority of the game, and in reality, never really looked in danger of losing.
Indeed, the margin could have been greater had they not kicked 13 wides. No doubt it’s something manager Damien Loftus will be hoping to improve on for next weekend’s provincial semi-final, but for now, it can be forgiven.
Kiltimagh, meanwhile, will be wondering why they never really got going to the pace we expected them to bring. They struggled to break down Westport’s finely organised defensive system, which only conceded a single point from play.
Much of this was down to a number of key match-ups across the field. Mayo’s resident man-marker, Lee Keegan, nullified the attacking threat of Ciaran Charlton, whilst his county team-mate Kevin Keane put in an impressive performance, dominating a physical battle with Mayo U-21 panellist TJ Byrne. Kiltimagh captain Ronan Malee battled hard, but was very well marshalled by the Westport full-back line.
In the end, Westport’s superior firepower was the difference. A man-of-the-match display from wing forward Fionn McDonagh – which included four second-half points – was pivotal in ensuring his side a ticket back up to the senior ranks of Mayo football.
It wasn’t a final to remember, but it was one that showcased plenty of talent nonetheless.
Donovan Cosgrove, the Mayo minor captain in 2016, was kept busy trying to keep tabs on his county team-mate Paul Lambert early on, but the Kiltimagh defender turned attacker to register the game’s first score after four minutes, putting an impressive end to a penetrating run. Malee added a free three minutes later, but that would be it for Kiltimagh in the first half.
It took nearly 15 minutes for Westport’s first score, but four in just over five minutes – three (including two frees) from Lewis Cawley and another from McDonagh – gave them a commanding lead they would never relinquish.
A goal looked inevitable for the impressive Cawley after some good work on the wing, but the tricky forward looked caught between two minds as he fired wide after 24 minutes. Colm Moran, another Mayo minor, added a superb point on the stroke of injury time to leave his side with a 5-2 lead at the break, a scoreline that both sides would match in the second.
A minute after the restart, the extremely hard-working McDonagh started as he meant to go on, landing a difficult free. Westport goalkeeper Patrick O’Malley added a monster free from all of 50 yards soon after, with Ronan Malee replying with a brace of dead-balls for Kiltimagh.
The East Mayo side battled heroically and contested everything up until the last kick of the game, even when all hope looked to be lost. They produced a couple of openings, but just couldn’t orchestrate that killer strike that they needed so desperately. However, youth is on their side and they are certainly a team to watch.
That man McDonagh added three more points to his tally (two frees) before the final whistle sounded, and jubilant scenes soon followed.
Monivea/Abbey await next weekend for Westport in the Connacht semi-final.

WESTPORT
P O’Malley (0-1, 1f); N McManamon, K Keane, L Ketterick; K Dever, L Keegan, J Walsh; B McDermott, S Scott; F McDonagh (0-5, 3f), P Keegan, L Staunton; C Moran (0-1), P Lambert, L Cawley (0-3, 2f).
Subs used: C Higgins for Staunton (49 mins); O McLaughlin for Lambert (51 mins); D Horan for Moran (59 mins).
 
KILTIMAGH
D Gallagher; M Cummins, K Mulderrig, D Cosgrove (0-1); J Forkan, S Moran, C Heneghan; P Kelly, S Walsh; B Gallagher, C Charlton, S McDonnell; D Lydon, TJ Byrne, R Malee (0-3, 3f).
Subs used: S Forkan for Moran (38 mins); J Carroll for Cosgrove (38 mins); L Lydon for McDonnell (41 mins); J Mulhern for Heneghan (53 mins); C Finn for Mulhern (55 mins, temp); P McDonnell for Byrne (58 mins, black card).

Referee: E McAndrew (Claremorris)