Westmeath see off Dublin after extra time to win stunning Leinster title
by Paul Keane · The42LAST UPDATE | 2 hrs ago
Westmeath 2-28
Dublin 0-26
(After extra time)
Paul Keane reports from Croke Park
A full 22 years after their breakthrough Leinster SFC title success in 2004, Westmeath have finally done it again.
Provincial silverware is returning to the Lake County for the just second time ever after the men in maroon powered past Dublin in an extra-time thriller at Croke Park.
With 13 different scorers across 90 action-packed minutes, it was the ultimate team performance from a team of underdogs that have been expertly assembled and choreographed by Mark McHugh.
The fear for Westmeath was that they may have missed their big chance of replicating that 2004 provincial triumph when they let a four-point lead with 11 minutes of normal time remaining slip away.
In fact, it took a Senan Baker point in the 69th minute just to force the additional 20 minutes and to keep their title hopes alive.
But there was only team in it after that as Westmeath struck the first 1-4 of extra-time to all but secure the landmark success.
Brian Cooney scored the goal that broke Dublin, a two-point attempt that looped in over the Dublin goalkeeper’s head, summing up a dismal afternoon for the Dubs.
It got even better for Westmeath who added a second goal right at the end of extra time when Jack Duncan pounced on a shot that cannoned off an upright and returned it to the net with interest.
Memorable
John Heslin made a memorable comeback during the famous victory, coming out of retirement and shooting three points including a valuable two-pointer in extra time.
Where Westmeath go from here is anyone’s guess but they will enter the All-Ireland series with confidence and will take on Cavan in a fortnight in Round 1. All is not lost for Dublin either as they will have home advantage for a Round 1 clash with Louth on the same weekend.
Cormac Costello top scored for them again with eight points but with no Con O’Callaghan, Colm Basquel or Eoin Murchan, as well as suspended manager Ger Brennan, it was all too much for the once mighty Sky Blues.
Much, much earlier, Dublin were two points up at the break in normal time and were decent value for their lead at that stage.
In an open, attacking encounter, they carved out no less than four decent goal opportunities in the opening half alone.
Eoin Kennedy fired an early point just over and Seán Bugler, after an indifferent start, came alive with a fisted point though Kennedy was unmarked on his left if he’d fancied it.
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Brian Howard was picked out by Niall Scully with a clever kick pass but blasted his shot wide in the 7th minute and, five minutes later, Kennedy failed to find Costello with a hand pass when a goal was on again.
Throw in three Dublin wides and two point attempts that dropped short – Bugler kicked two of the wides and one of the shorts – and you can understand why Dublin weren’t flattered to lead 0-11 to 0-9 at the interval.
They reeled off five points in a row between the 18th and 25th minutes with Costello and Scully pinching two points apiece.
Shane Allen’s two-pointer for Westmeath in the 26th minute was a big score at that stage, stopping the rot of Dublin scores and hauling them back within two points, 0-8 to 0-6.
And Westmeath had their goal chances too with Brandon Kelly firing just over early on and Shane Corcoran drawing a fine save from Evan Comerford in the 32nd minute.
By that stage, Dublin had suffered a key loss with the withdrawal through injury of Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne who had been having a strong game at midfield. He was replaced by Luke Breathnach, necessitating a number of switches as Breathnach played in the inside forward line and both Ciarán Kilkenny and Killian McGinnis dropped back a line.
Still, Dublin were in a strong position and when they restarted with three points in a row, from Breathnach and Costello, they had a commanding 0-14 to 0-9 lead.
From there, it was entirely downhill for Dublin for the next 15 minutes as Westmeath found a second wind and whipped up a storm.
Outscored
It was stirring stuff from a side written off beforehand by pretty much all of the pundits and commentators.
They outscored Dublin by 0-12 to 0-3 in this period with substitute Senan Baker scoring four points and setting up another for Kelly.
Whittaker knocked over a two-pointer before going off, presumably with the lower leg injury that he battled ahead of the game.
But they brought on another talisman in John Heslin, his first activity for Westmeath since retiring ahead of the 2025 season.
Westmeath led 0-21 to 0-18 when Heslin came on and his first touch was an assured one, claiming a kick-out mark at midfield.
But he should have clipped over a point later on and it was costly as Dublin dug remarkably deep with five points on the trot to initially take the lead before Baker sent the game to extra time with a 69th minute equaliser, 0-22 to 0-22.
Westmeath’s conditioning and fitness has been a feature of their campaign and they lorded it over Dublin in extra time.
They held the 2023 All-Ireland champions scoreless until the 82nd minute and reeled off 1-4 to lead 1-26 to 0-22 at half time of extra time.
Wallace, Heslin, Sam McCartan and Heslin pinched the points before Cooney, trying for a two-pointer, hit the jackpot when the ball dropped in over Evan Comerford’s head to the net.
Duncan wrapped it up with another fortuitous Westmeath goal at the death, Adam Treanor’s point attempt hitting the post and falling down kindly to him.
Westmeath scorers: Jack Duncan 1-1, Brandon Kelly 0-4, Matthew Whittaker 0-4 (1 tp), Senan Baker 0-4, Brían Cooney 1-0, Ronan Wallace 0-3, John Heslin 0-3 (1 tp, 0-1f), Kevin O’Sullivan 0-2, Shane Allen 0-2 (tp), Sam McCartan 0-2, Shane Corcoran 0-1, Conor Dillon 0-1, Robbie Forde 0-1.
Dublin scorers: Cormac Costello 0-8 (0-4f, 1 tpf), Ciarán Kilkenny 0-3, Niall Scully 0-2, Paddy Small 0-2, David Byrne 0-2, Seán Bugler 0-2, Seán Guiden 0-2 (tp), Greg McEneaney 0-2, Eoin Kennedy 0-1, Luke Breathnach 0-1, Brian Howard 0-1.
Westmeath
1. Jason Daly (St Loman’s, Mullingar)
12. Conor Dillon (Milltown) 3. Charlie Drumm (The Downs) 2. Daniel Scahill (Shandonagh)
4. Tadhg Baker (Caulry) 5. Ronan Wallace (Multyfarnham – Captain) 6. Shane Allen (Athlone)
8. Brían Cooney (Coralstown/Kinnegad) 9. Ray Connellan (Athlone)
10. Kevin O’Sullivan (The Downs) 11. Sam McCartan (St Loman’s, Mullingar) 7. Matthew Whittaker (Tubberclair)
13. Shane Corcoran (St Malachy’s) 14. Jack Duncan (Milltown) 15. Brandon Kelly (Milltownpass)
Subs
- 17. Adam Treanor (Shandonagh) for Scahill (18)
- 19. Robbie Forde (Moate All Whites) for Duncan (h/t)
- 25. Senan Baker (Caulry) for Corcoran (43)
- 22. Shane Ormsby (Mullingar Shamrocks) for Whittaker (59)
- 26. John Heslin (St Loman’s, Mullingar) for Dillon (61)
- Corcoran for Kelly (e/t)
- Duncan for Allen (e/t)
- 24. Eoghan McCabe (Tubberclair) for Connellan (83)
- 20. Ian Martin (The Downs) for Tadhg Baker (84)
- 18. Tom Molloy (Shandonagh) for Cooney (86)
Dublin
1. Evan Comerford (Ballymun Kickhams)
2. Theo Clancy (Kilmacud Crokes) 3. Nathan Doran (Clontarf) 4. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf)
5. Seán MacMahon (Raheny) 6. Charlie McMorrow (Cuala) 7. Eoin Kennedy (Cuala)
8. Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne (Cuala) 9. Brian Howard (Raheny)
10. Seán Bugler (St Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh) 11. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street – Captain) 12. Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)
13. Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams) 14. Killian McGinnis (Skerries Harps) 15. Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille)
Subs
- 25. Luke Breathnach (Ballinteer St John’s) for Ó Cofaigh Byrne (16)
- 18. Liam Smith (Ballinteer St John’s) for Clancy (59)
- 21. Seán Guiden (St Sylvesters) for Breathnach (61)
- 26. Greg McEneaney (Skerries Harps) for Kennedy (65)
- 20. Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis) for McMorrow (75)
- 19. Cian O’Connor (Kilmacud Crokes) for Scully (78)
- 22. Ethan Dunne (Skerries Harps) for MacMahon (85)
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).
*****
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