Going in as underdogs did not deter Westmeath, with their manager Mark McHugh confident in advance that they could overcome Meath and that they did, after a five-point victory in Sunday’s Leinster SFC quarter-final.
After the heartache of narrowly missing out on promotion to Division 2 just over a month ago, McHugh’s side have responded brilliantly, netting nine goals in their subsequent wins over Longford and the Royals.
Four green flags were raised at Glenisk O’Connor Park: Matthew Whittaker, Shane Corcoran, Robbie Forde and Danny McCartan all chipping in to give Westmeath only their second-ever championship victory over their neighbours. Next up is a provincial semi-final date with Kildare back at the Tullamore venue on 3 May.
“We firmly believed coming into here today that we could put on a performance, that we could trouble them,” McHugh told RTÉ Sport after the game.
“We studied them as best we could in the week we had. They are so big all over the field, so many threats, but we came up with a gameplan that we believed in. We asked everybody to buy into that game plan just for today. It was the effort, the work rate, the clinical finishing, which was brilliant.”
Mark McHugh remains on course to reach a Leinster final in his first year at the helm in Westmeath
The Donegal All-Ireland winner was also full of praise for the attacking prowess shown by his charges.
“We looked at Meath and we figured we could get at them with our forward line,” he added.
“I’m not saying we struggled in the National League but the wet ground was not as prominent for them. We knew with a dry so that Shane and Brandon could trouble any full-back line in the country. For Shane’s goal most people would have fisted it over the bar but he went for it and that put us nine, ten points up at that stage.”
Westmeath midfielder Ray Connellan, who played on the team that famously ended the Royal jinx back in 2015, lauded his colleagues on the top end of the pitch, when saying: “If you look at our forward line they have pace, they can take on a man and beat him, that’s what good corner forwards do. If you can’t get it in the back of the net, flick it over the bar.
Ray Connellan waited 11 years for a second championship win over Meath
“The boys are so quick, so fast, so quick at changing direction. They just go for goal and some of the finishing today was just unbelievable.
Praising his manager, the Athlone native said: “He instils a sense of confidence and freedom so that you can just go at it. You can go out any day and take on anyone. The style of play he has built and the confidence we have in that gameplan gives you the confidence to go out and perform.
“The guys he has brought in, from strength and conditioning to tactics, to everything, has just been unbelievable this year. We’ve had good managers over the years that have been building this side, taking over from Dermot McCabe, then taking it to a new level.”
Meath boss Robbie Brennan gave credit to Westmeath in his post-match comments, and felt his side “struggled to get to the pitch of championship football” on the day.
“It’s hugely disappointing obviously for us but Westmeath were the better team, so no complaints on our side,” he opined.
“We knew they were good in transition from our analysis on them; they have quick runners across the pitch, so transition was always going to be a worry. For us we gave the ball away too many times today and they hurt us in those moments.”
He did, however, praise the fight his troops showed in the second period, when reducing a ten-point deficit to two coming down the stretch.
“There was great fight from the lads and all credit to them in being able to do that on a day where we haven’t played well. On another day we could have sneaked it but it would not have been deserved.”