Flashbacks: Dublin v Westmeath recent SFC encounters

Dublin senior footballers face Westmeath for the 20th time in SFC action this Saturday when the counties meet in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise (6.15, LIve Sky Sports Mix) in a provincial quarter-final.

Dublin have proven victorious on 16 of their previous occasions with Westmeath winning three times - 1931 (Leinster semi-final), 1967 (Leinster quarter-final) and most recently in 2004 (Leinster quarter-final).

The first SFC clash of the sides took place in Clonturk Park, Dublin on August 17, 1890 when Dublin prevailed 6-11 to 0-2, the most recent championship meeting of the sides was in the 2017 Leinster SFC semi-final when Dublin won 4-29 to 0-10.

Here we look back on the three most recent SFC encounters between the sides.

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2017 LEINSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL

DUBLIN 4-29 WESTMEATH 0-10

Dublin cruised to a 31-point victory in this Leinster SFC semi-final to set up a provincial decider against Kildare.
The Dubs led by 13 points at the break and there was no way back from there for the midlanders in front of an attendance of 33,370.
Paul Mannion hit 0-8 from play as Dublin put on a shooting exhibition that included three second half goals as 11 different players contributed to Dublin's overall tally.
Seven minutes into the second half sub Eoghan O’Gara fielded a long delivery from his Templeogue Synge St club-mate Niall Scully, following a ‘mark’ from Ciarán Kilkenny, before rounding his marker and blasting to Darren Quinn’s net to make it 2-18 to 0-7.
Just on 70 minutes Kilkenny powered his way through before finishing clinically to the net, for his first goal in senior league or championship. and in the fourth minute of added time Kevin McManamon put the final flourish on the scoreboard when powering to the net following good work from Brian Howard and O’Gara.
Dublin held a commanding 1-15 to 0-5 lead at the break, the goal coming in the 28th minute when Eric Lowndes carved through the Westmeath defence before placing Dean Rock who batted to the net.
It was the only goal that the Dubs scored but they created more chances with Niall Scully, Con O’Callaghan and Ciarán Kilkenny all getting opportunities.
However, the sides had been level 0-4 each after 12 minutes with Kieran Martin causing early problems for Dublin's full-back line. But when the possession dried up so, obviously, did the scoring threat.
As a result the opening half was mostly one-way traffic with Con O’Callaghan, Paddy Andrews and Paul Mannion kicking some very stylish points.
SCORERS - Dublin: P Mannion 0-8, D Rock 1-5 (0-3f, 0-2 '45'), C Kilkenny 1-3, K McManamon 1-1, C O'Callaghan 0-3, E O'Gara 1-0, P Andrews, B Fenton, S Carthy, B Brogan (0-1f), 0-2 each, J McCaffrey 0-1. Westmeath: J Heslin 0-4 (0-3f), K Martin 0-3, J Egan 0-2, G Egan 0-1.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, C O'Sullivan, J Cooper; D Daly, E Lowndes, J McCaffrey; B Fenton, J McCarthy; C Kilkenny, C O'Callaghan, N Scully; D Rock, P Andrews, P Mannion. Subs: E O'Gara for Andrews (ht), D Byrne for Fitzsimons (44), S Carthy for Cooper (44), B Brogan for Rock (47), K McManamon for Scully (47), B Howard for O'Callaghan (61).
WESTMEATH: D Quinn; J Gonoud, K Maguire, F Boyle; D Lynch, K Daly, J Dolan; A Gaughan, G Egan; J Egan, P Sharry, C McCormack; M McCallon, J Heslin, K Martin. Subs: N Mulligan for Gaughan (ht), K Reilly for McCormack (49), C Boyle for Daly (51), S Corcoran for J Egan (53), D Glennon for Sharry (57), A Stone for Lynch (65).

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2016 LEINSTER SFC FINAL

DUBLIN 2-19 WESTMEATH 0-10

A storming second half saw Dublin secure their sixth Leinster SFC in-a-row and equal the record for the county set by the 1970s Dubs who dominated the province from 1974 to 1979.

The opening half was a tactical battle and Westmeath's deployment of a double-sweeper strategy made for a dull enough contest but ultimately successful in frustrating the Dublin attack.

Jim Gavin's men carried a 0-7 to 0-6 advantage into the break but could be far from happy as they failed to unlock the Westmeath defence while they also struggled at times on the breaking ball around centrefield.

However, Dean Rock's flawless freetaking helped Dublin into that half-time lead as he converted four from four attempts.

The Dubs made a tactical adjustment at the break by moving Ciarán Kilkenny back to the half-back line thereby freeing him up as his direct opponent, Francis Boyle, was operating as one of Westmeath's sweepers.

Also Paddy Andrews was introduced into the fray but overall Dublin upped the tempo of their game and moved the ball with far more potency and pace.

The scores began to come and soon Dublin were motoring well and they never looked back.

Inside the first minute of the second half the impressive Bernard Brogan fired over and then Rock added his fifth free before Bernard made it 0-10 to 0-6 following good work by Ciarán Kilkenny in the 40th minute.

Kevin McManamon was a far more influential figure in the second half as the St Jude's man began to create overlaps and burrow holes in the Westmeath rearguard.

Points from McManamon, Bernard Brogan off his left, two Rock frees, Diarmuid Connolly, Rock again and the hard-working John Small made it 0-17 to 0-7 by the 55th minute.

Dublin's first goal arrived three minutes later - a superb move initiated by Stephen Cluxton who caught a Westmeath point effort and set in motion an excellent move by finding Ciarán Kilkenny with a 50-metre pass that concluded in clever interplay by Jonny Cooper and Brian Fenton for Brogan to palm to the net.

In the 69th minute Kevin McManamon played a one-two with Paul Mannion before picking his spot and beating Darren Quinn from 14 metres - a great ending to a much improved second half.

SCORERS – Dublin: D Rock 0-8 (0-8f), B Brogan 1-4, K McManamon 1-2, P Andrews 0-2, J Small, P Flynn, D Connolly 0-1 each. Westmeath: J Heslin 0-6 (0-5f), G Egan 0-2, D Corroon, C McCormack 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; J Cooper, D Byrne, P McMahon; J Small, C O’Sullivan, E Lowndes; B Fenton, MD Macauley; P Flynn, C Kilkenny, D Connolly; K McManamon, D Rock, B Brogan. Subs: P Andrews for Lowndes (ht), C O’Callaghan for Macauley (48), D Bastick for Connolly (52), D Daly for Small (56), M Fitzsimons for O’Sullivan (60), P Mannion for Rock (63).

WESTMEATH: D Quinn; K Daly, F Boyle, J Conoud; K Maguire, J Dolan, D Lynch; D Corroon, G Egan; A Stone, P Sharry, R Connellan; J Heslin, K Martin, C McCormack. Subs: D Daly for R Connellan (35 inj), S Corcoran for Lynch (53), S Duncan for K Daly (55), J Connellan for Martin (59), D McNicholas for Sharry (65).

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2015 LEINSTER SFC FINAL

DUBLIN 2-13 WESTMEATH 0-6
Dublin’s dominance of the Leinster SFC continued when they made it five provincial titles in succession.

A two-goal blast early in the second half rocked Westmeath’s resilience after the midlanders’ ultra defensive game-plan had frustrated Dublin in the opening half.

The Dubs led 0-8 to 0-4 at the break but failed to really open up Westmeath’s defiant rearguard.

The fact that Dublin’s opening two scores came from defenders tells its own tale as Philly McMahon and James McCarthy showed up in attack to split the posts.

Dublin did not have many close range sightings of goal with Ciarán Kilkenny powering through before firing narrowly over the crossbar on the one occasion that Dublin properly breached the Westmeath cover.

However, five minutes into the second half Dublin showed good patience in possession before Paul Flynn broke in around the back of the defence and his floated pass was palmed to the net by Bernard Brogan.

From the resultant kickout the Dubs raged forward again for Jack McCaffrey to accelerate through on goal and blast to the net, it was suddenly 2-9 to 0-4 in Dublin’s favour and the result as good as sealed.

In a contest that never fully ignited Diarmuid Connolly lit up Croke Park with three brilliant executed points from long-range as well as a sublime crossfield pass for the industrious Kilkenny to fire over.

The ‘miracle comeback’ Westmeath had staged against Meath in their semi-final was never on the cards as Dublin dealt well with Westmeath’s forward play as they cruised to another Leinster title.

SCORERS - Dublin: B Brogan 1-1, C Kilkenny, D Connolly 0-3 each, J McCaffrey 1-0, D Rock (0-2f) 0-2, P McMahon, J McCarthy, MD Macauley, A Brogan 0-1 each. Westmeath: J Heslin 0-3 (0-2f), K Martin 0-2, F Boyle 0-1.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; J Cooper, R O'Carroll, P McMahon; J McCarthy, C O’Sullivan, J McCaffrey; B Fenton, MD Macauley; P Flynn, C Kilkenny, D Connolly; D Rock, K McManamon, B Brogan. Subs: M Fitzsimons for Cooper (ht), P Andrews for McManamon (47), D Bastick for Macauley (51), A Brogan for Rock (55), J Small for McMahon (61), T Brady for Connolly (65).
WESTMEATH: D Quinn; K Maguire, F Boyle, K Daly; D Lynch, P Sharry, J Dolan; P Holloway, D Corroon; G Egan, R Connellan, J Gilligan; K Martin, S Dempsey, J Heslin. Subs: K Gavin for Dempsey (ht), P Greville for Lynch (ht), C McCormack for Connellan (52), D Glennon for Holloway (53), J Egan for Heslin (inj 62), J Gonoud for McCormack (inj 64).