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Westmeath Football thread

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Replying To Joeynyc:  "Nearly another comeback yesterday. Unfortunately not to be.
Some bad decisions cost us a better chance of winning.
Injuries catching up.
Point to make about Brandon Kelly who has been unreal the last 2 months.It was absolute criminal as to why the ball was not been given into to him, when numerous occasions, especially the first half, Was wide open. Goal just before HT pretty much killed the game.
30 seconds left Sam McCartan should never have taken that shot on. He decision making and failing to pass the ball was very noticeable yesterday. The yellow card he got sum up his day,and refusing to pass the ball costing his team any chance of winning.
Heslin 70mins head scratcher. Forde should have gotten more time .
Roll onto next week."
"Show me a man who makes no mistakes and I will show you a man who doesn't do things". Theodore Roosevelt.

Sam McCartan i'm sure by his own admission, makes plenty of mistakes, but the thing is, most of the chances he gets are created by his own brilliance and hard work. To throw any sort of negative on Sam McCartan after all he has done this summer shows your own knowledge of the game is highly questionable.

Have you anything good to say here for these fantastic bunch of lads who are doing us all proud or are you just here to slate. Shame on you.

Meridian (Westmeath) - Posts: 731 - 17/06/2026 08:55:29    2680258

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Replying To Joeynyc:  "Nearly another comeback yesterday. Unfortunately not to be.
Some bad decisions cost us a better chance of winning.
Injuries catching up.
Point to make about Brandon Kelly who has been unreal the last 2 months.It was absolute criminal as to why the ball was not been given into to him, when numerous occasions, especially the first half, Was wide open. Goal just before HT pretty much killed the game.
30 seconds left Sam McCartan should never have taken that shot on. He decision making and failing to pass the ball was very noticeable yesterday. The yellow card he got sum up his day,and refusing to pass the ball costing his team any chance of winning.
Heslin 70mins head scratcher. Forde should have gotten more time .
Roll onto next week."
Sam McCartan wasn't to know there was 30 seconds left. The scoreboard his end of the pitch doesn't have a timer on it. The scoreboard behind the goals the other end had. He had his back to it. Galway could have blown us out of the water if they took all the goal chances they had in second half instead of kicking it over. Sam McCartan is not the reason we lost the game. We were outpowered in midfield and other key areas of the pitch. Get over yourself and move on.

Chops (Westmeath) - Posts: 923 - 17/06/2026 11:21:19    2680277

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Replying To Chops:  "Sam McCartan wasn't to know there was 30 seconds left. The scoreboard his end of the pitch doesn't have a timer on it. The scoreboard behind the goals the other end had. He had his back to it. Galway could have blown us out of the water if they took all the goal chances they had in second half instead of kicking it over. Sam McCartan is not the reason we lost the game. We were outpowered in midfield and other key areas of the pitch. Get over yourself and move on."
On the isolated play where Sam took the shot, I don't agree that he doesn't know the time. He runs past management who were constantly calling the time and has 3 teammates 10 yards away warming up. The communication is there; as with all teams as to what's left on the clock.
He had space but was outside the range of a good shot in that moment; especially into the wind. It would have been highlighted in the dressing room at half time regardless but the killer was the ball not going dead and resulting in a goal for Galway.
We missed a tackle on Galway coming out and then Shane Allen was caught in no-mans-land for the delivery - Left Jay Daly with that awful decision to come and clean out or stay on the line; he did neither.

fizzygravy (USA) - Posts: 175 - 17/06/2026 12:23:41    2680297

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Replying To Joeynyc:  "Can't always be rosey.
The truth has to be said sometimes. wasteful in possession 5 or 6 times at least, if not more.
Yellow card also to sum up not passing the ball.
Case closed. Not our best player this year.
And certainly not the last two years as Luke Laughlin was."
You do know that you are not comparing apples with oranges here? Last 2 years?? If you were at any games last year you would know that Sam McCartan was playing at wing back most of the year. Comparing a wing back to a full forward. You really know your football don't ya. Sam was our most consistent player in the league and Tailteann cup last year. He covered a crazy amount of ground in the Leinster final won several balls in half back line and took it out of trouble and down the field. But you know better apparently

Chops (Westmeath) - Posts: 923 - 17/06/2026 12:29:35    2680299

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Replying To Joeynyc:  "Ronan Wallace is the leader of the team.
Captain for a reason."
Not sure if that's a dig or what not, but McCartan has been the player of the championship for Westmeath without doubt. Yes maybe not at the same high level since the Dublin game but those games in Tullamore he was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch and stood up massively when Loughlin went off injured against Meath. He missed a shot that 9/10 he probably scores, the fact that Galway put it in the net 30 seconds later isn't on him, in hindsight he probably doesn't shoot but where was the pressure on the ball once it dropped short.

OverTheHill85 (Westmeath) - Posts: 296 - 17/06/2026 12:48:23    2680302

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Replying To Chops:  "Sam McCartan wasn't to know there was 30 seconds left. The scoreboard his end of the pitch doesn't have a timer on it. The scoreboard behind the goals the other end had. He had his back to it. Galway could have blown us out of the water if they took all the goal chances they had in second half instead of kicking it over. Sam McCartan is not the reason we lost the game. We were outpowered in midfield and other key areas of the pitch. Get over yourself and move on."
Oh so you're calling out more than one player.
By your admission it was other lads fault we lost.
My opinion is he failed to pass on at least 3 or 4 occasions and kicked it into the keeper hands at least 3 times. These are facts that happened. So I don't need to see post he had an incredible game. Absolute nonsense. No one is saying he is a bad player. But he needs to start passing the ball to wide open lads. And it's becoming noticeable now in games. End of story, get over yourself.

Joeynyc (Westmeath) - Posts: 20 - 17/06/2026 13:11:56    2680307

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Replying To Joeynyc:  "Oh so you're calling out more than one player.
By your admission it was other lads fault we lost.
My opinion is he failed to pass on at least 3 or 4 occasions and kicked it into the keeper hands at least 3 times. These are facts that happened. So I don't need to see post he had an incredible game. Absolute nonsense. No one is saying he is a bad player. But he needs to start passing the ball to wide open lads. And it's becoming noticeable now in games. End of story, get over yourself."
Sam McCartan isn't the reason we lost. Galway were the better team all over the pitch end of story. We could have been beaten by 10-15 points if Galway didn't kick pity points in the second half instead of goals.

Chops (Westmeath) - Posts: 923 - 17/06/2026 13:51:14    2680318

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It seems one poster has a serious issue with Sam McCartan...easy to ready between the lines and the comments to see that poster is one of he many new supporters Westmeath have gained this year.

Sam has been one of our players of the championship so far, has been a stalwart for a number of years now. was excellent when we won the Tailteann Cup. He is a brilliant player and we are lucky to have him.

For the long term fans one the board, I wouldn't bother responding to that, just a wind up merchant.

Lets look to Sunday and hopefully the lads will do us proud again

Dessie15 (Westmeath) - Posts: 230 - 17/06/2026 15:09:02    2680339

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no but it was a mistake and he should've wound the clock down more. Every player made mistakes and by god they showed serious courage aswell. Really deserve all the support they're getting buts its still not a crime to have an opinion, we all have them and I'm sure Sam won't worry about Joey's. If they kicked over all the wides they could've won by the same logic.. They were unlucky to have a poor 10 minute spell in second half as they had enough done in the first half to make serious inroads into the lead.

CasKD (Westmeath) - Posts: 45 - 17/06/2026 15:19:23    2680340

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