Allianz Football League Division Three: Derry 2-14 Westmeath 2-17
OPEN, entertaining, attacking. Great when you’re winning and not so much if you’re getting beat.
The margin between one and the other was, in essence, a last-minute Enda Lynn penalty that Westmeath ‘keeper Eoin Carberry managed to spoon around the post. How much credit is owed to him and how much to the Greenlough man having to replace the ball twice before taking it and then embarking on a lengthy run-up is there for debate.
And then there was the double whammy of the red card for James Kielt. He reacted angrily to a tussle with Alan Stone and intimated a stamp to the referee, but the Kilrea man’s reaction in getting up to engage earned him a second yellow card.
He has been Derry’s first-choice and hugely reliable penalty-taker in recent years, but he was watching from the Tommy Mellon Stand as Niall Toner was bundled over by Frank Boyle in injury-time.
Damian McErlain was more keen on contextualising the defeat through the prism of conceding two early goals.
“The first two goals stand out. We gave the ball away in our defence with a man standing on his own. Playing against the breeze it’s not ideal, and then the [Westmeath] penalty. The referee seems to be the only man in the ground who knows what it’s for.
“We kept battling away and got it within shooting distance, but those are the margins. Every match will be the same.
“You can’t afford to miss the penalty or give the two goals away. Very frustrating because it’s against one of the better sides but if you don’t take your chances that’s going to happen.”
And as much as the penalty will be pored over, it certainly did owe more to Westmeath’s start than anything. They had the ball in the Derry net twice inside the first five minutes.
Within 90 seconds the hosts had given the ball away out on the wing and Stone delivered a long ball to the unmarked Callum McCormack, who had time to spill the ball before regathering to beat Ben McKinless.
Just minutes later, referee James Molloy – whose erratic performance annoyed both camps – awarded a penalty to Westmeath when Kevin Johnston was adjudged to have held Luke Loughlin. The ball was nowhere near them and in Derry’s possession and whatever contact there was so minimal that no-one appealed. The men in maroon benefited, though, as John Heslin confidently stroked the ball to the bottom corner.
The St Loman’s man, who ended the day with 1-7, added a free soon after and, playing into a typically strong wind off the lough, Westmeath found themselves 2-1 to 0-1 ahead in next to no time.
A young Oak Leaf side, to their credit, rallied quickly and decisively. Michael Bateson, whose attacking thrusts were an impressive feature all day but whose fouling let him down somewhat, stroked over two superb points from the right wing.
Kielt was kicking balls out on to Stanley’s Walk behind the clubhouse, such was his distance with the wind. And when the attack’s workrate helped produce a goal they were right back in it.
The forwards’ tackling was a notable feature of the home side’s performance. They robbed Noel Mulligan in front of his own goal, three men converging before they intricately weaved an easy palmed finish for Lynn.
That made it 1-3 to 2-1, but the comeback was halted by three scores on the bounce, Kieran Martin’s spell of influence in an intriguing battle against Michael McEvoy helping re-establish Westmeath’s lead.
They pushed five clear heading towards the break, with the lively Callum McCormack notching, but late scores from Peter Hagan and Bateson made the half-time arrears a manageable three for Derry.
McErlain had sent his side out to attack from the start and, given their position, there was no going back on that now. But the one-on-one nature of their defensive shape left huge swathes of space that Westmeath just about reaped enough profit from.
Luke Loughlin almost added an early third goal on the restart but smashed his shot against the bar after Ger Egan’s powering run set him up. But with Derry running hard at them and the lead down to two (1-12 to 2-11), Westmeath were reduced to 14 when Sam Duncan was sent off for an apparent strike on Enda Lynn, although there seemed very little in it.
The hosts could never quite get level though, always kept at arm’s length by a McCormack score or a Heslin effort. Despite their third quarter dip, Colin Kelly’s men hit six on the bounce between the 54th and 67th minutes to leave themselves seven ahead.
Niall Toner weaved through to net out of nothing and when Mark Lynch pointed a free to leave a goal in it, the air changed.
Carberry grabbed the two points to take on the bus with his late intervention, leaving Derry already facing an uphill task to make a raid on promotion.
Derry: B McKinless; N Keenan, K Johnston, R Mooney; M Bateson (0-2), L McGoldrick, M McEvoy; C McAtamney, E Bradley (0-2, 0-1 free); E Lynn (1-0), J Kielt (0-3, 0-2 frees), C McFaul (0-2); D Tallon (0-2 frees), P Hagan (0-1), N Toner (1-1)
Sub: M Lynch (0-2 frees) for D Tallon (49), C Doherty for McEvoy (49)
Yellow cards: N Keenan (13), M Bateson (19), J Kielt (47, 55), L McGoldrick (55), C McFaul (65)
Red cards: J Kielt (55)
Westmeath: E Carberry; M McCallon, K Daly, B Sayeh; N Mulligan, S Duncan, J Egan; J Dolan, A Stone; J Heslin (1-7, 0-5 frees), K Martin (0-1), G Egan; (0-2), R O’Toole (0-1), C McCormack (1-4), L Loughlin (0-2)
Subs: F Boyle for Daly (33), D Whelan for O’Toole (69)
Black card: F Boyle (72) no replacement
Yellow cards: J Heslin (17), S Duncan (27), M McCallon (39), A Stone (55), R O’Toole (69)
Red cards: S Duncan (47)
Referee: J Molloy (Galway)
