MARK MCHUGH RECKONS that nobody will dare to write Westmeath off again after capturing a Leinster senior football title that very few predicted.
After failing to get out of Division 3, the Lake County weren’t given much chance in Leinster but overcame Division 2 champions Meath, favourites Kildare and then a strongly fancied Dublin to regain the Delaney Cup.
That it took extra-time efforts against both Kildare and Dublin, and that they were missing arguably their best player in attacker Luke Loughlin for both games, only added to the seismic achievement.
“From the very first meeting we had, we envisaged Ronan Wallace walking up the steps of the Hogan Stand,” said McHugh. “There’s no point saying any different.
“When Dermot McCabe left last year, I spoke to a few of the players about maybe me taking the job. I wanted to get their thoughts on it. I knew what was in that dressing-room. I believed in it.
“The boys have been to Donegal, where I live. They know I wouldn’t be travelling the three or four hours a night if I didn’t believe in them.
Westmeath manager Mark McHugh celebrates after the game. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“I wasn’t going to come down to make up the numbers or feel like I couldn’t progress the thing. And I felt going into today’s game, people wrote us off again.
“There were people saying, ‘Ah it’s a great fairytale story’ and that it was this and it was that, but ultimately Dublin will win. And that’s not the feeling we had in our dressing-room. We felt we were good enough to win it. I think we let our football do the talking there today and I don’t think anybody will write us off as badly in the future.
“We’re here to compete with anybody. We feel we have a dressing-room in there that’s fit to compete with anybody in Ireland.”
John Heslin’s return from retirement was a big talking point ahead of the game and the former captain had a significant impact, scoring 0-3.
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“John was playing unbelievably good club football, I think he kicked 2-9 one day and 3-11 another day, I don’t know but would you not bring him in?” said McHugh.
“I consulted with a few players, to see what they thought.
Mark McHugh with John Heslin after the game. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“We all felt we’d be better looking at him than looking for him. I think he showed his quality there when he kicked an unbelievable two-pointer, and he caught ball around the middle. It wasn’t just for today either. Don’t get that wrong – we have two All-Ireland series games, at least, to play. We have another year hopefully next year as well, it’s a longer-term plan here for Westmeath.
“I wouldn’t be taking him back for one game or anything like that. I think he showed today that he’s still well fit for this level. His work commitments have changed and he’s about more often and when I asked him, he was so willing to play for Westmeath again.”
Westmeath captain Ronan Wallace described how the players were in a near ‘flow state’ at one stage in the second half of normal time when they outscored Dublin by 0-12 to 0-3.
Ronan Wallace celebrates with selector Emmett McDonnell. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“We have these little wristbands and it says ‘wolf pack’ and ‘game plan’,” he said. “Any time it gets tough, we’re reminded to just go back to the game plan and that plan is around getting the right lads on the shots and working the right scores.”
Team-mate Matthew Whittaker, who scored four points, opened up about the intense treatment he needed just to play following an ankle injury.
“A freak accident in training,” said Whittaker. “I think some lads were saying during the week on podcasts that it was a dead calf. Well, I can tell you it’s not just a dead calf. We’ve been driving up and down to oxygen chambers and all this craic, I think seven or eight times.”
According to McHugh, Whittaker went to extremes to put himself in a position to play.
“I think there’s a wee stream – not a magic stream! – beside the house, and over the course of two days, he was in it 13 times,” said McHugh. “That’s a man who really, really wants to play for the jersey.”
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Matthew Whittaker celebrates Westmeath's success. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Westmeath will host Cavan in Round 1 of the All-Ireland SFC in a fortnight. All is not lost for Dublin either, of course. They will host Louth.
Stand-in manager Dean Rock confirmed that they lost Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne to a shoulder injury but said Con O’Callaghan, Lee Gannon, Colm Basquel and Eoin Murchan could all be available to face Louth.
On why they lost to Westmeath, he agreed with the suggestion that they ran out of gas in extra time.
“I think we showed massive resolve and resilience at the end of normal time to dig in and get it to extra time,” said Rock, deputising for suspended manager Ger Brennan.
“It wasn’t looking likely after 63 or 64 minutes and to be fair to them, they did claw it back, but we just never got to the pitch of it at the start of extra time.
“The very first attack, the ball goes out over the sideline and from there, Westmeath just ran us into the ground to be fair to them. They were certainly full value for their victory.
“I think the dirty stuff…they won a lot of the breaking ball, the kickout battle, the ground battle. I don’t know the figures on it, but it just seemed they were winning a little bit more breaking ball than us and were getting massive joy on the kick outside of it.
“Certainly there will be improvements needed from us there, but ultimately there’s lots of facets of the game that we’ll look back on and be hugely disappointed with.
“But the lads just have to pick themselves up, as tough as it is because we have another game in two weeks. It’s a new competition and let’s see what that brings for them.”
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'I don't think anybody will write us off as badly in the future' – Westmeath's day of glory
MARK MCHUGH RECKONS that nobody will dare to write Westmeath off again after capturing a Leinster senior football title that very few predicted.
After failing to get out of Division 3, the Lake County weren’t given much chance in Leinster but overcame Division 2 champions Meath, favourites Kildare and then a strongly fancied Dublin to regain the Delaney Cup.
That it took extra-time efforts against both Kildare and Dublin, and that they were missing arguably their best player in attacker Luke Loughlin for both games, only added to the seismic achievement.
“From the very first meeting we had, we envisaged Ronan Wallace walking up the steps of the Hogan Stand,” said McHugh. “There’s no point saying any different.
“When Dermot McCabe left last year, I spoke to a few of the players about maybe me taking the job. I wanted to get their thoughts on it. I knew what was in that dressing-room. I believed in it.
“The boys have been to Donegal, where I live. They know I wouldn’t be travelling the three or four hours a night if I didn’t believe in them.
“I wasn’t going to come down to make up the numbers or feel like I couldn’t progress the thing. And I felt going into today’s game, people wrote us off again.
“There were people saying, ‘Ah it’s a great fairytale story’ and that it was this and it was that, but ultimately Dublin will win. And that’s not the feeling we had in our dressing-room. We felt we were good enough to win it. I think we let our football do the talking there today and I don’t think anybody will write us off as badly in the future.
“We’re here to compete with anybody. We feel we have a dressing-room in there that’s fit to compete with anybody in Ireland.”
John Heslin’s return from retirement was a big talking point ahead of the game and the former captain had a significant impact, scoring 0-3.
“John was playing unbelievably good club football, I think he kicked 2-9 one day and 3-11 another day, I don’t know but would you not bring him in?” said McHugh.
“I consulted with a few players, to see what they thought.
“We all felt we’d be better looking at him than looking for him. I think he showed his quality there when he kicked an unbelievable two-pointer, and he caught ball around the middle. It wasn’t just for today either. Don’t get that wrong – we have two All-Ireland series games, at least, to play. We have another year hopefully next year as well, it’s a longer-term plan here for Westmeath.
“I wouldn’t be taking him back for one game or anything like that. I think he showed today that he’s still well fit for this level. His work commitments have changed and he’s about more often and when I asked him, he was so willing to play for Westmeath again.”
Westmeath captain Ronan Wallace described how the players were in a near ‘flow state’ at one stage in the second half of normal time when they outscored Dublin by 0-12 to 0-3.
“We have these little wristbands and it says ‘wolf pack’ and ‘game plan’,” he said. “Any time it gets tough, we’re reminded to just go back to the game plan and that plan is around getting the right lads on the shots and working the right scores.”
Team-mate Matthew Whittaker, who scored four points, opened up about the intense treatment he needed just to play following an ankle injury.
“A freak accident in training,” said Whittaker. “I think some lads were saying during the week on podcasts that it was a dead calf. Well, I can tell you it’s not just a dead calf. We’ve been driving up and down to oxygen chambers and all this craic, I think seven or eight times.”
According to McHugh, Whittaker went to extremes to put himself in a position to play.
“I think there’s a wee stream – not a magic stream! – beside the house, and over the course of two days, he was in it 13 times,” said McHugh. “That’s a man who really, really wants to play for the jersey.”
Westmeath will host Cavan in Round 1 of the All-Ireland SFC in a fortnight. All is not lost for Dublin either, of course. They will host Louth.
Stand-in manager Dean Rock confirmed that they lost Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne to a shoulder injury but said Con O’Callaghan, Lee Gannon, Colm Basquel and Eoin Murchan could all be available to face Louth.
On why they lost to Westmeath, he agreed with the suggestion that they ran out of gas in extra time.
“I think we showed massive resolve and resilience at the end of normal time to dig in and get it to extra time,” said Rock, deputising for suspended manager Ger Brennan.
“It wasn’t looking likely after 63 or 64 minutes and to be fair to them, they did claw it back, but we just never got to the pitch of it at the start of extra time.
“The very first attack, the ball goes out over the sideline and from there, Westmeath just ran us into the ground to be fair to them. They were certainly full value for their victory.
“I think the dirty stuff…they won a lot of the breaking ball, the kickout battle, the ground battle. I don’t know the figures on it, but it just seemed they were winning a little bit more breaking ball than us and were getting massive joy on the kick outside of it.
“Certainly there will be improvements needed from us there, but ultimately there’s lots of facets of the game that we’ll look back on and be hugely disappointed with.
“But the lads just have to pick themselves up, as tough as it is because we have another game in two weeks. It’s a new competition and let’s see what that brings for them.”
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