TJ Cox leads St Loman’s to another impressive Leinster victory over Castletown

Having won their first-round match by an impressive 13-point margin, Mullingar side St Loman’s repeated that feat on home soil as they outclassed Wexford’s Castletown Liam Mellows in the Leinster Club SFC quarter-final at Lakepoint Park on Sunday.
TJ Cox helped himself to 2-3 in an outstanding individual performance, but it was the collective strength of the Westmeath champions that really impressed.
From the moment excellent wing back Sam McCartan powered through the centre of the opposing defence to set up Cox for a stunning goal in the 47th minute, the result was never in doubt. Paddy Dowdall’s men will now take on St Mary’s, Ardee, in the Leinster semi-final in Mullingar next weekend.
St Loman’s led by 1-4 to 0-5 at the end of a keenly contested first half, with rain making for challenging playing conditions. Cox was gifted a second goal in the 57th minute when a Castletown kick-out went astray to cap off a memorable day for the lively corner forward.
Playing against the strong breeze, St Loman’s got the ideal start when Ronan O’Toole showed good composure to slot home a penalty to goalkeeper Darragh Brooks’s right side after Fola Ayorinde was fouled in the square. Just a point separated the sides at the end of the first quarter as the visitors pressed with serious intensity, troubling the St Loman’s defence on more than one occasion.
Jack Higgins kicked a terrific point from 40 metres in the 10th minute and wing back Killian Pierce showed great accuracy to kick their fourth point in the 22nd minute. Cox, who started in place of the injured Shane Dempsey, kicked a brace of St Loman’s points in the 19th minute, and O’Toole got the final score of the half.
Castletown finished the game with 14 men when Higgins picked up a second yellow card in the closing stages.
ST LOMAN’S MULLINGAR: Jason Daly; David Whelan, Darragh O’Keeffe, Oisín Hogan; Kelvin Reilly, Eoghan Hogan, Sam McCartan (0-1); Jack Geoghegan, Fola Ayorinde; Rory Sheahan, Ronan O’Toole (1-3, 1-0 pen), Seán Flanagan (0-2); Danny McCartan, John Heslin (0-2, 1f), TJ Cox (2-3).
Subs: Enda Gaffney for Reilly (42 mins), Peter Foy for Ayorinde (53), Nathan Lally for O’Keeffe (55), Rory Matthews for Daly (58).
CASTLETOWN LIAM MELLOWS: Darragh Brooks (0-1, 45); Joe Ahern, Danny Gardiner, Ross Cody; Frank Roche, Colin Kennedy, Killian Pierce (0-1); Rory Heffernan, Joe Gardiner; Jack Higgins (0-1), Crore Carty, Donnacha Holmes; Gavin McNulty, Robbie Brooks, Brendan Halpin (0-4, 3f).
Subs: Gavin Kelly for McNulty (43 mins), Jody O’Shaughnessy for Pierce, Marcus Wallace for Holmes (both 54), Doran Daly O’Toole for Ahern, Seán O’Hagan for Gardiner (both 56).
Referee: David Hickey (Carlow).