WESTMEATH 3-22 OFFALY 2-16
Anyone labeling this Tailteann Cup semi-final at Croke Park a high scoring thriller may want to get their head examined.
Offaly just didn’t turn up and Westmeath scored at will in a game with pretty much zero intensity.
The fact Westmeath goalie, Jason Daly wasn’t forced to kick long until the 65th minute says a lot about the intensity of the press by the Offaly forwards.
Okay, some of the kickouts were conceded, which should have allowed Offaly to get well set up at the back, but that never happened.
Westmeath’s 3-22 tally tells you all you need to know about how that particular one panned out.
The Lake men also had no wides in the second half, despite shooting into the breeze. That tells a story about the pressure on the shooter.
Offaly were shockingly poor in the first half and played like a squad who couldn't wait to get off on their holidays or back to their clubs.
Either they couldn’t or wouldn’t track the Westmeath runners.
It happened time and time again.
The pattern of the game was Westmeath goalie Jason Daly popped a quick kickout to a back, who was in acres of space under no pressure.
A couple of passes later Westmeath had broken out with generally at least one, and often two Offaly players not tracking runs.
Westmeath would then score or miss.
There was a particularly farcical few minutes before half-time where John Heslin’s goal effort was on the way in but unfortunately struck team mate, Luke Loughlin.
Then James Dolan almost had too much time and tried a shot off the outside of his right, which dropped short, when he might have steadied and side footed over the bar.
In the next attack Ronan O’Toole attempted a fist pass point, which dropped well short and struck the stanchion.
It was almost as if Westmeath slackened, surprised by how easy it was for them.
Westmeath scored 2-11 with the wind at their backs in the first half, but they also had eight wides, were blocked twice and dropped an effort short.
Bar Anton Sullivan, who played with a purpose, firing two points, and midfielder Jordan Hayes Offaly were incredibly flat.
Whatever intensity there was, Westmeath brought it to the table with corner backs Jamie Gonoud and Jack Smyth very strong.
Ronan Wallace drove forward for a first half, with Keith O’Neill struggling to track him. It was a similar tale for Offaly all over the park.
It was clear the game was over at half-time, and nothing that happened in the second half did anything to change that perception.
WESTMEATH: J Daly, J Smith, K Maguire, J Gonoud, R Wallace (1-0), D Lynch, J Dolan (0-1), J Lynam, R Connellan (0-1), S McCartan (0-3), R O’Toole (0-4), S Duncan, L Loughlin (0-2), J Heslin (0-8, 4fs), L Dolan (2-1).
SUBS: R Forde (0-1) for Duncan 46mins, G Egan for Lynam 54mins, A Gardiner (0-1) for L Dolan 63mins, N Harte for J Dolan 68mins, K Martin for Loughlin 68mins,
OFFALY: P Dunican, L Pearson, D Hogan, D Dempsey, R Egan, J Moloney, C Donohoe, C McNamee, J Hayes, B Carroll, R McNamee, A Sullivan (0-2), J Bryant (0-1), N McNamee (0-6, 6fs), K O’Neill (1-2).
SUBS: D Hyland (0-3) for Carroll 22mins, J Lalor for C McNamee ht, C Flynn (1-0) for Pearson 52mins, M Abbot (0-1) for Bryant 52mins, J McEvoy (0-1) for R McNamee 65mins,
REFEREE: P Faloon (Down)
