Are Westmeath in danger of becoming Ireland’s answer to SSV Ulm 1846?

The never-ending fall

Mikey Stafford

Are Westmeath in danger of becoming Ireland’s answer to SSV Ulm 1846?

Last summer’s famous Leinster SFC win over neighbours Meath must seem like a lifetime ago.

Westmeath’s heartening victory over Mick O’Dowd’s men in Croke Park was a welcome distraction after a troubling spring, which saw the Lakemen follow their 2014 relegation to Division 2 with a slide into the third tier.

Two weeks into life in Allianz League Division 3 and we’re wondering what Tom Cribbin’s men can possibly conjure up this summer to distract supporters from the state of matters in the Midlands.

Beat Dublin in the Leinster final? Win the All-Ireland? Beat Dublin in the Leinster final and again in the All-Ireland final? It is going to have to be a big distraction because, as things stand, Westmeath are headed for the bottom tier of the league.

Defeat in Sligo on Sunday has Westmeath rooted to the bottom of Division 3 after two games. They are on track to emulate the infamous German football side, SSV Ulm 1846, who plummeted from the Bundesliga to the fourth tier in the early noughties.

Whatever about losing to fellow (supposed) big fish in a small pond Kildare in the opening round, defeat away to Sligo 0-11 to 0-10 has left the 2004 Leinster champions bottom of Division 3 and facing a battle to survive.

Another team facing a battle to survive are 2015 All-Ireland finalists Kerry, who went down 0-14 to 1-10 at home to Roscommon.

One point down at half-time thanks in part to a goal from Stephen O’Brien that owed much to many, many steps, you could have forgiven Roscommon – new to the top flight and shook by last week’s last-gasp loss to Monaghan – for folding on a rotten day in Killarney.

However the Rossies showed some serious stones in the closing stages to seal a vital win that perfectly sets up the annual skin-of-their defeat escape for Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s Kingdom.

Elsewhere Donegal made clear their intentions by beating seven shades out of a Cork side who were being talked up as potential Sam Maguire winners after last week’s destruction of Mayo.

Odhran MacNiallais starred for Rory Gallagher’s men, who sit top of the league alongside Dublin. Down, Mayo and Kerry will engage in a desperate battle for survival… it’s hard to have much hope for the Ulster men.

Early days but Down could slip into the mini-Ulster Championship that is Division 2, and it is very likely they will meet Tyrone going in the other direction.

Coming out of Salthill with a two-point victory is the sort of early season result Mickey Harte lives for and, while they may not have the biggest squad, last year’s All-Ireland semi-finalists have a very settled side and if the likes of the Cavanagh brothers, Tiernan McCann and Mattie Donnelly stay fit they will take some stopping.

Down in the direction Westmeath are headed if they don’t cop on, there was Division 4 defeat for the freshly relegated Wexford, away to Antrim, while Wicklow and Louth had wins over Leitrim and Waterford respectively.