For those interested - intercounty U16 game last Sat

[Lone Shark]

Westmeath U-16 5-5 Offaly U-16 1-6

In Tullamore yesterday the opening shots were fired in the battle for the 2007 Leinster Minor Championship, and while it would be excessive to jump to any wide-reaching conclusions based on an under 16 game with several absentees on both sides, Westmeath connections and supporters will be quietly satisfied with what they saw in this local derby.
The cool and dry conditions were ideal for football in O’Connor Park yesterday, and both sides commendably looked to play good direct fast paced football from the off, with the game played in good spirit from start to finish. Offaly secured a lot of early possession, but fell behind on six minutes when a Noel Mulligan free dropped short, and David Keenan fielded and finished well inside the area. Playing with the elements Offaly fought hard trying to pull back this early deficit, and looked to have the potential to do so as both corner forwards, Ger Dunne and Thomas O’Neill, registered fine scores. A Westmeath penalty restored the three point advantage, but an opportunist goal from Ger Dunne approaching the half left things level at the break, 2-1 to 1-4.
The second half saw Westmeath exert their dominance in no uncertain terms. Four points and a third goal, David Keenan’s second, were put on the board before Offaly registered their first point of the half, with only ten minutes left in the game. Two more goals, from Moate’s Eoin Dalton and the excellent Conor Lynam wrapped up the scoring to leave eleven points in it at the end.
Most of these players are at an age where assorted distractions will present themselves over the coming few years, but there were several players on both sides who showed they have all the tools to become prominent players if they continue their development. Simon Lawless, Eoin Dalton, James Durcan and Conor Lynam all performed very well for Westmeath, While Karl Mullen, Adrian Maguire and Josh Kavanagh, in an unfamiliar role in the forwards, all looked impressive under a lot of pressure for the home side.


Teams:
Westmeath: Ronan Farrell; Simon Maher, Simon Lawless, Robert Madden; Darren Quinn, Gerry Gleeson, Stephen Lawless; Eoin Dalton (1-1), Simon O’Donovan; Lorcan Smith, James Durkan (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-2 free), Gareth Nolan; Noel Mulligan, David Keenan (2-0), Conor Lynam (1-1).
Subs used: Noel Reilly, Barry Flynn.

Offaly: Liam Fox; Chris Guinan, Karl Mullin, Kevin Loonam; David Brady, Thomas Hyland, Declan Murphy; Daniel Hayles, Adrian Maguire (0-1); Liam Brennan, Josh Kavanagh, Steven Wynne; Ger Dunne (1-1), Stuart Jackman, Thomas O’Neill (0-2, 0-1 free).
Subs used: James Coffey, Liam Boland, Dara O’Byrne, Derry Guinan, Dermot Daly (0-1 free), David Bracken (0-1).

[Percy Sledgehammer]

There were a good few lads missing for this - the minors were playing the same day, which certainly knocked out Brian Kelly anyway.

You still hate losing to them feckers anyway.