Relief for Mickey Harte as Derry do just enough to banish Westmeath and stay in Sam Maguire hunt

Perhaps only the fullness of time will reveal quite how things have gone so wrong so quickly for Derry over this past while. But that is not for today. They are alive, and at this stage of the year nothing else matters.

Coming to Páirc Esler, Derry and Mickey Harte were faced with a simple equation. Win or bust. Do or die. They came into the game in a tailspin. Just 76 days had passed between their statement league final win over All-Ireland champions Dublin, and this showdown with Westmeath where they were fighting for their championship lives.

But in that time their defensive system has fallen apart, torn asunder by Donegal, Galway and Armagh. They conceded 9-42 in those games, 8-34 of that from play. For context, they shipped nine goals across all eight games in their league campaign.

They were far from vintage in Newry. They were nervy and unconvincing, a shadow of the side that plundered Croke Park a couple of months ago. But they did enough and conceded just nine points. Their season has a pulse.

For the most part, the first half was a cagey affair with the sides trading scores. Ronan O’Toole was Westmeath’s star turn, grabbing three first-half points with Derry soon sending Diarmuid Baker to track him. At the other end, Derry were labouring for their scores and often ran into the Westmeath defensive web.

There was one goal chance of note each early in the half. First Jamie Gonoud found James Dolan with a clever pass, but Dolan’s effort charged down by Odhran Lynch. On 26 minutes, Derry carved out a goal chance of their own. However, the brilliant Baker’s shot was charged down by a mass of retreating Westmeath bodies.

Ray Connellan pushed Westmeath back into the lead on 32 minutes and had it stayed like that until the break, it might have been a fair reflection of the opening half.

However, Derry worked one more chance. This time two of Derry’s newer faces, Baker and Donncha Gilmore, combined to find Conor McCluskey who hammered to the net for their first goal of the championship. The relief amongst the Derry following in Newry was palpable as suddenly their side were playing with new-found urgency and confidence. Eunan Mulholland tapped over his second point of the half to see his side go in leading 1-5 to 0-5.

That half-time whistle came just as Derry looked like they might build a head of steam. And it was Westmeath, through Dolan, who grabbed the first score of the half. Shane McGuigan, who was uncharacteristically shaky in his kicking from both play and placed balls, replied with a free before Conor Glass boomed over a point from play.

Westmeath were game though and got back to within a goal through a Robbie Forde point. Then another sub, Stephen Smith, cut the gap to two. A third replacement, Jack Smith made it a one-point game. With ten minutes to play at that point, and with a draw enough for Westmeath to advance, there was still plenty of time for Derry nerves to jangle.

The momentum was with Westmeath now but not for the first time this year, it was a Derry defender breaking forward who provided the breakthrough. This time Baker punched through at the right moment and he slipped a pass to Emmet Bradley who goaled to restore Derry’s four-point lead on 65 minutes. It would prove to be the last score of the game

For Westmeath it was a familiar story. For two years, they’ve shown a penchant for bringing more vaunted championship teams to the brink without ever tipping them over the edge. And they were building a head of steam here before Bradley’s late goal.

It was to be more frustration for Dessie Dolan’s men whose season ends here. Derry limp on into Monday morning’s draw.

Scorers – Derry: E Bradley, C McCluskey 1-0 each, E Mulholland, C Glass (1f), S McGuigan (2f) 0-2 each, L Murray 0-1. Westmeath: R O’Toole 0-3, J Gonoud, J Dolan, R Connellan, R Forde, S Smith, J Smith 0-1 each.

Derry: O Lynch; C McCluskey, C McKaigue, D Baker; C McFaul, E McEvoy, D Gilmore; C Glass, B Rogers; E Doherty, E Bradley, P Cassidy; E Mulholland, S McGuigan, L Murray. Subs: D Cassidy for Murray (62), R Forbes for Bradley, C Murphy for Mulholland (both 65), S Downey for P Cassidy (70).

Westmeath: J Daly; J Gonoud, C Drumm, K Maguire; J Dolan, R Wallace, D Lynch; R Connellan, A McCormack; J Lynam, R O’Toole, S McCartan; L Loughlin, J Heslin, S Baker. Subs: R Forde for Lynam, S Smith for Loughlin (both 49), J Smith for Baker (57), S Allen for Gonoud (58), K Martin for Dolan (70).

Referee: P Faloon (Down)