Tailteann Cup final

A red card for Thomas Galligan in the 58th minute was the turning point of the game. Cavan were leading by two, 1-13 to 1-11, when the midfielder caught Ronan O ...

John Heslin (St Loman’s), , 13. 20. Niall Crolan (Cuchulainn), 4. 15. Lorcan Dolan (Castledaly), 14. David Lynch (St Malachy’s), 4. 10. Sam McCartan (St Loman’s Mullingar), 11. 6. Ronan Wallace (Multyfarnham), 12. Ronan O’Toole (St Loman’s), 8. James Dolan (Garrycastle), 3. Kevin Maguire (Caulry), Kieran Martin stuck a knife into the Cavan challenge in the 67th minute, only moments after his introduction. Cavan stayed in front for most of the half with some good shooting from distance. Cavan were leading by two, 1-13 to 1-11, when the midfielder caught Ronan O’Toole with a high frontal shoulder.

They needed a diving block from Kevin Maguire to deny Conor Madden a game-saving goal before Ronan Wallace fisted over an injury-time insurance point. Cavan ...

A Lynch point from the wind put Cavan three clear in the 55th minute. Any place Any time

Westmeath are the inaugural winners of the Tailteann Cup, after a 2-14 to 1-13 win over Cavan in the final at Croke Park.

Substitute Kieran Martin turned for goal in the 67th minute, beating a host of Cavan defenders, and the Westmeath stalwart rattled the net. Conor Madden for Killian Clarke (71) Cormac O'Reilly for Killian Brady (71) Gerard Smith and Paddy Lynch added further scores to establish a 1-13 to 1-10 lead, as the Ulster side built on their purple patch. Martin Reilly for Conor Brady (51) Luke Fortune for Conor Moynagh (66) Trailing by three points in the second-half, Westmeath were forced to dig deep. Westmeath defeated 14-man Cavan in the first Tailteann Cup final at Croke Park, 2-14 to 1-13. Stephen Smith for Cian Madden (ht) Kieran Martin for Lorcan Dolan (60) Alex Gardiner for Luke Loughlin (70) Ger Egan for Jonathan Lynam (59)

History has officially been made as Westmeath lift the first ever Tailteann Cup, defeating a brilliant Cavan side in a game that went right to the wire.

History looked set to repeat itself as the ball was worked beautifully into the forward's hands, and with the goal at his mercy, Croke Park were convinced that we were going into extra time. With a man down, Mickey Graham's team really started to feel the pressure, and eventually it took a moment of magic from substitute Kieran Martin, who jinked and jived his way past the defence, and fired it into the net. An effort that dropped short found its way into the path of Padraig Faulkner, and the full back palmed it into the goal, and looked set to secure his side's victory.

Westmeath manager Jack Cooney has paid tribute to long-serving Kieran Martin after his late goal was crucial in helping his team to victory in the Tailteann ...

"Last year he got a horrendous injury, probably a career-ending injury, but he loves his county. "We just kept chipping away at the scoreboard. Westmeath manager Jack Cooney believes that his side's Tailteann Cup victory is just reward for the hard work his squad have put in over the last decade or so.— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/TkAEHiHuol July 9, 2022

Westmeath and Cavan battle it out at Croke Park to be crowned the first-ever winners of the Tailteann Cup.