Galway must beat Meath at Pearse Stadium next Sunday to ease fears of relegation to Div. 3

By JIM CARNEY Westmeath  0-14     Galway 0-13 NOT a crisis yet but from the exciting promise of their first League outing in Derry, the new-look Galway football team are suddenly in danger of straying into a bad place â€â€ Division 3. That's not ringing alarm bells out of frustration, having praised Galway for their spirited 1-15 to 1-11 victory away to Derry, but there's no way of playing down the fear of what might happen in the remaining four N.F.L. fixtures: at home to Meath next Sunday, at Pearse Stadium; at home to Tyrone on Sunday week, March 18th at Tuam Stadium; away to Monaghan on the following Sunday, March 25th, and at home to Kildare on Sunday, April 8th. That's a formidable line-up: Meath lost to Kildare last Saturday evening in Navan but they scored 2-11 against top-class opposition; Tyrone are probably the 'form' team in the country at present; Monaghan will have home advantage (for the second successive year against Galway), and depending on the shape of the Div. 2 table in early April, Galway could be under huge pressure by the time they host the visit of Kildare. When Galway were relegated last year, it appeared at first that it would be a relief to have a League campaign without Division 1 company such as Cork, Kerry, Dublin, Armagh, Down and Mayo. But football life is also tough in Division 2, especially with Tyrone, Meath and Kildare all so obviously determined, by what they were saying in public, to get back to the premier division. Galway won't be good enough to go on a long run in the All-Ireland Championship this year. Even a Connacht title may be beyond them, when you think of Mayo winning by six points away to Armagh last Saturday â€â€ an Armagh team who'd beaten Kerry in Tralee a few weeks ago. But while patience is called for, it would be very bad for team-building from last year's successful U-21 squad if Galway were to go from Div. 1 to Div. 3 in three years. A win over Meath next Sunday, while unlikely on the evidence of what we witnessed at Cusack Park, Mullingar last Sunday, would be a massive boost for Alan Mulholland, Alan Flynn, Donal Ó Fátharta and their team. Drawing at home with Louth in Round 2 was forgivable as it still meant that a relatively young Galway team faced into their trip to Mullingar on three League points out of four. Now though, it's a much different and bleaker picture. The general view in the national media, ahead of the new campaign, was that Louth and Westmeath would be the two weakest teams in Division 2. In that scenario, Galway's record is one point out of four. Suddenly too, Westmeath are over their crisis of player loyalty and commitment. A week ago all the talk up there was of Twitter being used by fringe players on the panel to publicly criticise their team manager Pat Flanagan and that was one of a number of reasons why Westmeath had almost no support in a near empty Mullingar stadium on Sunday. But, as they say, youth knows no fear. Three of the youngest players on the Westmeath team, full-back Kieran Gavin (DCU's Sigerson Cup winning captain), midfielder John Heslin â€â€ home after not enjoying his first year in Australian 'footie' â€â€ and centre half-forward Ger Egan were outstanding, and it was the powerfully built Heslin's forceful play in the centre of the field and expert freetaking that did most to fashion a shock win for the host county who were without their top man Dessie Dolan and others from the Garrycastle team through to the All-Ireland Club Championship final against Crossmaglen Rangers on St Patrick's Day. It was level, 0-6 apiece, at half-time on Sunday but that was a little more than Galway deserved. They were indecisive and lethargic in all sectors, with four of their six first-half points coming from left-footed frees by Michael Martin. Late in the game, thanks again to the rallying influence of Gareth Bradshaw, Galway hit the front at 13-11 and at that stage it was three minutes from the end, plus five minutes of injury-time. Galway did not score again as Westmeath hit three points in a row to win: sub Denis Glennon from play, John Heslin off a free, and midfielder Paul Bannon with a spectacular last-gasp kick from play. Galway created two goal chances, late in the first half and midway through the second half. Danny Cummins had both chances; he couldn't hit the net, and as long as the door was left open to Westmeath they were playing with enough spirit and determination â€â€ much more than Galway showed â€â€ to take the honours.   Westmeath: G. Connaughton; M. Curley, K. Gavin, K. Maguire; D. McDermott, P. Sharry (0-1), A. Finnan; J. Heslin (0-7, all frees), P. Bannon (0-1); K. Martin, G. Egan (0-1), P. Sheridan (0-1); A. Giles, M. Ennis, David Glennon (0-1). Subs., C. McCormack (0-1), for Sheridan, 55 mins; Denis Glennon (0-1), for Giles, 56 mins. Galway: M. Breathnach; C. McGrath (0-1), F. Hanley, captain, K. Kelly; G. Bradshaw, J. Duane, G. Sice; N. Coleman (0-1), J. Bergin; C. Doherty (0-1), P. Conroy (0-2), M. Hehir (0-1, free); M. Martin (0-4, all frees), N. Joyce, D. Cummins (0-2). Subs., D. Burke, for Joyce, half-time; G. Higgins, for Martin, 48 mins; S. Armstrong (0-1), for Hehir, 50 mins; G. ODonnell, for Bergin, 57 mins. Referee: David Gough (Meath). Herald Sport Man of the Match: John Heslin (Westmeath).   NFL, Div. 2 next weekend (first named counties have home venue). Saturday, March 10th: Tyrone vs Westmeath. Sunday, March 11th: Galway vs Meath at Pearse Stadium; Monaghan vs Louth; Kildare vs Derry. Div. 1. Saturday, March 10th: Cork vs Laois. Sunday, March 11th: Dublin vs Armagh; Kerry vs Donegal; Mayo vs Down.   HURLING LEAGUE. Division 1A. Sunday, March 11th: Tipperary vs Galway; Dublin vs Cork; Waterford vs Kilkenny.   CONNACHT U-21 Football Championship. Next Weds., March 14th: Mayo vs Galway at MacHale Park, Castlebar, 7.30 p.m. Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo).