Westmeath bidding to emulate 2004 Leinster heroes

"2004 is long time ago now," says former Westmeath footballer Alan Mangan. "We're hoping that these lads now write themselves into the history books on Sunday."

Mangan, who also represented the county's hurlers, remembers fondly the colour and joy that Páidí Ó Sé brought in his sole year in charge at Westmeath, leading the county to their first, and to date only, Leinster football title.

In his first year at the helm, Mark McHugh is also looking to lead the team up the steps of the Hogan Stand. The challenge in attempting to topple Dublin isn’t as far-fetched as it was in both 2015 and 2016, when Jim Gavin’s all-conquering side won successive finals by a combined 28 points.

The Leinster landscape has changed dramatically, with the Dubs falling back towards the pack. Their early exit 12 months ago at the hands of Meath copperfastened the suggestion that their days of laying siege to the province may be over. They could wrestle back the trophy from Louth on Sunday – indeed they are odds on favourites to do so – but should free-scoring Westmeath prevail, the shock factor wouldn’t be on the seismic scale either.

"When we travelled for those finals in 15 and 16, we went wondering if there really was any chance of winning," Mangan told RTÉ Sport. "On Sunday, it's different. We will be up against it, but we have a chance. There won't be any fear of going up to Croke Park and taking on Dublin.

"I can't see why we can't put Dublin on the back foot and hopefully get across the line."

Sunday marks just a sixth-ever Leinster final appearance for the Lake County, and the low-level scoring in the run to the 2004 decider is very much at odds to the current side that has plundered 11 goals in seeing off Meath, Longford and Kildare (after extra-time) and averaged 32 points a game.

Twenty-two years ago, Páidí Ó Sé’s averaged 0-15 in getting past Offaly, Dublin (just the third and most recent championship win over the Boys in Blue) and Wexford. A Leinster final was new ground for all concerned, even with underage pedigree failing to fire at senior level.

Westmeath came off the right side of an epic three-games series with Laois to claim 1995 Leinster minor bragging rights en route to a maiden All-Ireland title. That potential supply line didn't deliver what many within the county predicted.

While most of that team went on to play senior at some point, not one started the 2004 Leinster decider, in sharp contrast to Laois who had nine starters from the All-Ireland winning Under-21 teams of 1996 and 1997.

Only Ray Connellan has experienced a Leinster final before, and with somewhere in the region of 20,000 Westmeath fans tipped to travel to Croke Park, manager Mark McHugh has already said this week that managing growing expectations has been high on the agenda since the absorbing victory over Kildare.

"Some lads haven’t played in Croke Park, some lads haven’t played in finals. We have to prepare them to deal with the nerves, the parade, the escort in and all those things they’re not used to," he said.

For McHugh, there are shades of Ó Sé’s journey in 2004 where Leinster was annexed on year one, his sole year in charge. While the Donegal native and 2012 All-Ireland winner was part of the backroom set-up last year, his maiden year in charge has renewed optimism within the county.

Up against Ger Brennan, it pits two managers in the early stages of their inter-county managerial careers, the Dubliner of course leading Louth to the Promised Land 12 months ago.

Back in 2004, the respective managers dominated the build-up, with the pupil Ó Sé, who had only ever known Mick O’Dwyer as his manager during the glory Kerry years, desperate to step out of his teacher's shadow. The respect for O’Dwyer however, was absolute.

On the night that Kerry ended their 11-year Sam Maguire drought in 1997, Ó Sé wasn’t fully satisfied with his achievement and was restless all night. He needed the seal of approval. Some time around 3am he put his suit on and knowing where O'Dwyer was staying, made his way for the Burlington Hotel.

Roused from his sleep by the call from reception, O'Dwyer arrived downstairs and the pair found a corner of the deserted hotel restaurant and chewed the cud until the early hours.

"As enjoyable a couple of hours as I've ever spent in my life," Ó Sé would later recall. A year later the master prevailed when O'Dwyer's Kildare upset Kerry in an All-Ireland semi-final and here they were setting the terms of engagement in the Leinster championship.

That relationship came in for as much scrutiny as the players on the pitch leading into the final, though the talent on both sides was as strong as both counties had ever known

"We had outrageous players all over the pitch," recalls Mangan. "I was playing in a full-forward line with Denis Glennon and Dessie Dolan. They were always going to take the best new markers that the opposition had."

Leinster holders Laois were not short of firepower themselves with a forward line that contained Colm Parkinson, Beano McDonald and Ross Munnelly.

The midfield battle involving Rory O'Connell – who missed the drawn game through suspension - David O'Shaughnessy, Noel Garvan and Padraig Clancy, threw up some of the most eye-catching centre-field operators from that era.

Mangan’s display in the drawn final gave rise to Ó Sé’s famous line from the documentary Marooned, leaving the forward in no doubt as to what he thought of his Croke Park performance. "You were f**ed over the line twice. F**ed over the line like you'd catch a f**ing loaf of bread and f** you over the line with a shoulder," he bellowed in the training team huddle.

The line follows Mangan to this day, but at the time, it gave the forward the belief he would be given another outing in the replay.

Joe Higgins was switched over to full-back to try and shackle Glennon, with Paul McDonald moving from the half-back line into the corner.

There was just over 11 minutes until the interval when Westmeath registered their first score of the afternoon, Mangan slotting over. Their entire scoring occurred during the second and third quarters – not that those terms were in existence then – with Mangan the game’s top scorer. His four points from play accounted for a third of the team’s overall tally on a remarkable day for the county.

"Not many finals are won by a team that fails to score for the opening 24 minutes and final 20," says Mangan.

A chance to follow in illustrious footsteps is what awaits the current crop of Westmeath players.

Brian Guerin, Sam Smyth, Johnny Lynam and Conor McCormack are unavailable, Boidu Sayeh faces a race against time to return later in the summer, while Matty Whittaker remains a major doubt after battling through injury against Kildare.

It’s the loss of ace forward Luke Loughlin however which is the real hammer blow in their quest to capture the Delaney Cup. Even if the retired John Heslin has returned to the squad.

"It's a real shame Luke is out," says Mangan. "He's been one of the form players in the country."

Mangan doesn’t expect as many goal opportunities as has been the case so far in their Leinster journey, but the freedom encouraged by McHugh has seen players flourish from outside the arc, with Connellan and Sam McCartan leading the way.

"Dublin are too good a team to push out and leave space, but we have lads that are willing to kick and have a go at it," he says. "That's what Mark has brought. The lads are not afraid to go for things now. Mark has instilled that in them, if you don't take a chance, you're not going to win.

"We need to take lots of chances today."

Watch Dublin v Westmeath in the Leinster Football final (2pm) and Armagh v Monaghan in the Ulster Football final (4.15pm) on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1

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