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Westmeath Football thread

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Replying To lakecounty90:  "Caulry a good outside chance of making Div 1 final.
Looking at remaining fixtures all winnable games for Caulry.
Made easy work of Athlone at the weekend, Shane Lawless will be a big player for Pat Flanagans team in 2025.
Shane playing really good stuff."
This is satirical

Iakecounty90 (Westmeath) - Posts: 7 - 08/04/2025 12:38:19    2601082

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Replying To lakecounty90:  "Caulry a good outside chance of making Div 1 final.
Looking at remaining fixtures all winnable games for Caulry.
Made easy work of Athlone at the weekend, Shane Lawless will be a big player for Pat Flanagans team in 2025.
Shane playing really good stuff."
Someone needs to ban Caulry talk on this forum

Bluelake (Westmeath) - Posts: 241 - 08/04/2025 12:50:08    2601086

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Replying To Westmeath213:  "Nonsense ! When was the last time a senior second team won the junior ? Was it shamrocks in 2011? And when was the last time before then.

The senior clubs second strings add considerably to the junior championship and make it a competitive championship. Having a sole junior championship would only lead to hammerings of the teams currently in j2 by the current j1 teams

Those clubs are in junior 2 for a reason and I'm not saying they are any less important than any other club in the county but that is currently their level. Take ballinagore for example relageted to junior 2 a few years ago and it took then maybe 3 years to come back up , this allowed them to start over again and start developing again getting players to the right standard to play at junior 1 level and now after a few solid years in junior 2 they are now back up ready to compete in junior 1 again , without a doubt in my opinion if they hadn't or had the chance to play at the level of junior 2 against slightly weaker opposition they would've fallen off suffering defeats to the stronger sole junior teams every year. And they will go well this year in j1

Every year there is a relagation final between the bottom team in group which means a seniors second team can be relegated from junior 1 & hopefully with some of the junior clubs in junior 2 over the next few years get it back to even groups & if not have more junior teams than senior in it.

The senior clubs second string sides take junior 1 very seriously almost as if they are a junior club themselves. Them players deserve to play at a higher level too if they are capable of it ! A sole championship to clubs second team would mean nothing to anybody
The system we have in place is a good system so why try fix something when it is not broken !"
Ah seriously lads, the 'almost as if they are a Junior clubs themselves' is a bit much. Senior second teams currently play on their own side (bar Moate as mentioned previously) and only meet sole Junior sides from quarter final up. That's not considerable by any stretch. It's just big club vs small club and what suits them both not anything to do with integrity or competition

Darragh (Westmeath) - Posts: 325 - 08/04/2025 12:54:37    2601088

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i would just like to wish our county senior team the very best of luck against kildare on saturday evening in newbridge . looking forward to going to conleths park to see the new developement

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1897 - 08/04/2025 13:13:38    2601091

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Replying To Iakecounty90:  "This is satirical"
You stole my username. I must be getting to you so hsha

lakecounty90 (Westmeath) - Posts: 129 - 08/04/2025 14:07:59    2601102

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u20s in with a chance tomorrow vs Dublin, last years game showed a massive gap in strength and conditioing, Dublin were bigger, faster and stronger in possession and out of poessession. Westmeath will have to fix there wide count as was well in double figures against Meath. This Dublin team are defo beatable but away from home is tough mid week. Ormsby, Baker, Connell and Duncan impressed the last day out, not sure about some other names that were mentioned on the forum, you see everything when your at a game compared to TV. A couple of players who i thought ould have featured more was Mattew Thorton who excelled at CBS and Daire O'connor who was part of last years panel and one of the best minors at his age. Anyone know are they injured or just not being picked?

PowellJohn3 (Westmeath) - Posts: 77 - 08/04/2025 14:17:33    2601104

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Replying To lakecounty90:  "You stole my username. I must be getting to you so hsha"
You're replying to yourself now.. You must be getting mixed up with all your usernames!

Matthew (None) - Posts: 1070 - 08/04/2025 15:06:13    2601117

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Replying To mickcunningham:  "i would just like to wish our county senior team the very best of luck against kildare on saturday evening in newbridge . looking forward to going to conleths park to see the new developement"
You'll be very welcome mickcunningham.
Westmeath will be obvious favourites having operated at a higher level during the league and and were very competitive, high scoring and unlucky not to win games. One point in the league was certainly not a true reflection of Westmeath's quality.
Looking forward to a good, hopefully competitive game.
By the way there's free car parking in the Whitewater Shopping Centre, when you show your match programme after the game.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3024 - 08/04/2025 15:48:25    2601121

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Replying To PowellJohn3:  "u20s in with a chance tomorrow vs Dublin, last years game showed a massive gap in strength and conditioing, Dublin were bigger, faster and stronger in possession and out of poessession. Westmeath will have to fix there wide count as was well in double figures against Meath. This Dublin team are defo beatable but away from home is tough mid week. Ormsby, Baker, Connell and Duncan impressed the last day out, not sure about some other names that were mentioned on the forum, you see everything when your at a game compared to TV. A couple of players who i thought ould have featured more was Mattew Thorton who excelled at CBS and Daire O'connor who was part of last years panel and one of the best minors at his age. Anyone know are they injured or just not being picked?"
Thornton has been on match day squads and featured vs Offaly, O Connor has been injured from what I heard. Both eligible again next year I think.

OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 53 - 08/04/2025 16:31:01    2601132

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Replying To Darragh:  "Ah seriously lads, the 'almost as if they are a Junior clubs themselves' is a bit much. Senior second teams currently play on their own side (bar Moate as mentioned previously) and only meet sole Junior sides from quarter final up. That's not considerable by any stretch. It's just big club vs small club and what suits them both not anything to do with integrity or competition"
Sides in section B of senior or intermediate can't meet those from section A until quarter finals and still obviously treat the championship as seriously. Clubs have won the senior from section B.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2116 - 08/04/2025 16:37:10    2601134

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Sides in section B of senior or intermediate can't meet those from section A until quarter finals and still obviously treat the championship as seriously. Clubs have won the senior from section B."
The point being made was that Senior second teams improve the standard of Junior 1 football considerably. I pointed out that they do not meet until quarters so it's not that much of an opportunity to mix and therefore bring up the standard of Junior 1 clubs. When it comes to treating the competition seriously then obviously it is far more important to a Junior 1 club to win their grade than it is to a second team player. I am not being down on these lads as they need to play football too but let's be honest here and not compare to a Senior or Intermediate competition where clubs are competing at their highest opportunity

Darragh (Westmeath) - Posts: 325 - 08/04/2025 18:13:11    2601146

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Replying To OverTheHill85:  "
Replying To PowellJohn3:  "u20s in with a chance tomorrow vs Dublin, last years game showed a massive gap in strength and conditioing, Dublin were bigger, faster and stronger in possession and out of poessession. Westmeath will have to fix there wide count as was well in double figures against Meath. This Dublin team are defo beatable but away from home is tough mid week. Ormsby, Baker, Connell and Duncan impressed the last day out, not sure about some other names that were mentioned on the forum, you see everything when your at a game compared to TV. A couple of players who i thought ould have featured more was Mattew Thorton who excelled at CBS and Daire O'connor who was part of last years panel and one of the best minors at his age. Anyone know are they injured or just not being picked?"
Thornton has been on match day squads and featured vs Offaly, O Connor has been injured from what I heard. Both eligible again next year I think."
Rory cole is one I thought would be a permanent fixture on the team given he was starting last year and performed very well. Maybe these lads are injured.

A_Chairde (Westmeath) - Posts: 292 - 08/04/2025 23:30:32    2601174

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Replying To Darragh:  "The point being made was that Senior second teams improve the standard of Junior 1 football considerably. I pointed out that they do not meet until quarters so it's not that much of an opportunity to mix and therefore bring up the standard of Junior 1 clubs. When it comes to treating the competition seriously then obviously it is far more important to a Junior 1 club to win their grade than it is to a second team player. I am not being down on these lads as they need to play football too but let's be honest here and not compare to a Senior or Intermediate competition where clubs are competing at their highest opportunity"
But lads in senior clubs who realistically because of age or development will not play senior championship do take their junior championship as seriously as junior players. There's no difference for the players, obviously within the club's supporters winning the senior championship is the main goal, Loman's supporters wouldn't go wild celebrating a junior championship especially if seniors lost but the players would rightly revel in their achievement

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2116 - 09/04/2025 10:46:29    2601195

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Any news from the senior panel for championship on Saturday? I've seen one of their challenge games three or four guys very unfit who will probably start who are back from injury. It would be very unfair on guys who have trained all year.

Mick1234 (Westmeath) - Posts: 27 - 09/04/2025 10:55:07    2601197

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "But lads in senior clubs who realistically because of age or development will not play senior championship do take their junior championship as seriously as junior players. There's no difference for the players, obviously within the club's supporters winning the senior championship is the main goal, Loman's supporters wouldn't go wild celebrating a junior championship especially if seniors lost but the players would rightly revel in their achievement"
For sure, Lomans lads were absolutely devastated to lose that junior final in 2023

Bluelake (Westmeath) - Posts: 241 - 09/04/2025 11:06:04    2601199

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Replying To Matthew:  "You're replying to yourself now.. You must be getting mixed up with all your usernames!"
Someone has set up account in my username see number of posts.

lakecounty90 (Westmeath) - Posts: 129 - 09/04/2025 11:08:47    2601201

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Replying To Mick1234:  "Any news from the senior panel for championship on Saturday? I've seen one of their challenge games three or four guys very unfit who will probably start who are back from injury. It would be very unfair on guys who have trained all year."
Are Guerin and Baker back fit? Hard to know if Lynam will be thrown in from the start.

It would be great if a Westmeath crowd could travel and get behind this team!

Matthew (None) - Posts: 1070 - 09/04/2025 11:49:22    2601211

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Impossible to see those three lads starting considering Lynam's last match was county final in October, Baker hasn't featured since Clare challenge match in mid January and Guerin only played one National league match in late January. 20 mins from them would be great though and hopefully Kevin O' Sullivan and Nigel Harte are able to start. Big few days with 20s on tonight.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 2116 - 09/04/2025 13:26:02    2601227

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Replying To Matthew:  "Are Guerin and Baker back fit? Hard to know if Lynam will be thrown in from the start.

It would be great if a Westmeath crowd could travel and get behind this team!"
The players you have mentioned are not fit along with a few more Smith heart O'Sullivan not fit Ray if they play these guys we will come out in second place

Mick1234 (Westmeath) - Posts: 27 - 09/04/2025 13:36:34    2601230

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Replying To Bluelake:  "For sure, Lomans lads were absolutely devastated to lose that junior final in 2023"
Just one question then.....if an injury happened to a first team player would this dream of a Junior medal go away very quickly if they were added to the senior squad. I don't think anything will change with Junior championships anyway but this whole exchange has highlighted how the big clubs are treated versus the small clubs. When it comes to tickets for a house in Spain we will all become equals again

Just for one final time though. No player in any senior second team will ever value the Junior 1 Championship as much as a player from a sole Junior 1 club. In no way am I being negative to any second team player but it's wrong to suggest they are the same

Darragh (Westmeath) - Posts: 325 - 09/04/2025 14:12:51    2601235

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