Sport

Lack of Nemo crew leaves Cork at sea in midlands

Westmeath footballers claimed a famous scalp when they ended Cork's unbeaten league run

Mon Apr 09 2001 - 01:00

Westmeath footballers claimed a famous scalp when they ended Cork's unbeaten league run. Played in very testing conditions in rain-soaked Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday the clash yielded some vintage football from two fully committed teams.

Cork, without their Nemo Rangers contingent, found themselves three points in arrears after just five minutes. The fluency of Westmeath's attacking play was causing all sorts of problems for the visitors in the opening quarter and while they clawed their way back to parity they found themselves trailing again by the midway point.

Westmeath's Des Dolan, Ger Heavin and Fergal Wilson were in sparkling form and it took a wonderful save by Cork goalkeeper Kevin O'Dwyer to deny Brian Morley in the 21st minute. However, points from Cork's Graham Canty and Philip Clifford (two) levelled the scores before Westmeath's influential midfielder, David O'Shaughnessy put his side 0-8 to 0-7 ahead at the interval.

Three minutes into the second period Westmeath's Martin Flanagan fired over with a goal at his mercy. As the game progressed the confidence of the home team soared and five unanswered points from Dolan, Heavin, Damian Gavin, Wilson and Heavin again put them firmly in control. Cork's Brendan Coleman knocked over a 26th-minute point, but it was too little too late as Heavin and Dolan sealed a crucial victory with two splendid points in the dying minutes.

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Westmeath's victory leaves them level on points with both Cork and Armagh with just one game remaining for each team.

WESTMEATH: C Mullin; R Casey, D Mitchell, F Murray; D Gavin (0-1), A Lyons, J Keane; D O'Shaughnessy (0-1), P Conway; B Morley (0-1), M Flanagan (0-1) M Ennis (0-1), F Wilson (0-3), D DOlan (0-3), G Heavin (0-6). Subs: D Healy for Lyons; D Heavin for Wilson.

CORK: K O'Dwyer; M O'Donovan, G Canty (0- 1), K Daly; R McCarthy, E Sexton, B Coleman (0- 1); M O'Sullivan, N Murphy; B O'Sullivan, C O'Sullivan (0-2), F Collins; M Cronin, P Clifford (0-3), A Dorgan (0-2). Subs: A O'Connor (0-1), for McCarthy; P Mullane for B O'Sullivan; J Lynch for Collins; A O'Regan for Cronin.

Referee: Ger Lynch (Fermanagh).