Dubliners missing key men as Lake aces spring shock THE kings of Dublin club football have won the last two Leinster and All-Ireland titles, but dreams of a hat-trick died in the Westmeath wind yesterday ... and instead all the talk now is of a possible first for the Lake County.

Garrycastle will compete in their first AIB Leinster club SFC final on Sunday week, seeking to become the inaugural Westmeath winners of this elusive championship. On the evidence of their second-half tour de force yesterday, you wouldn't bet against them -- be it Clara or favourites Portlaoise who earn the belated right to meet the men from the Athlone 'burbs on December 6.

Speaking of bets, for once the bookies were caught sleeping at the wheel with their 5/2 odds on a Garrycastle ambush in Cusack Park.

Not because they had home advantage, but rather because two key pieces in Boden's Dublin title-winning jigsaw, the suspended Declan O'Mahony and injured Kenny Naughton, were hors de combat.

Then, late in the week, came word that Conal Keaney was stricken with flu. When those rumours proved on the money, and Boden's standout player of 2009 was suddenly reduced to a place on the bench, the southsiders looked vulnerable in the extreme, even ripe for the plucking.

So it proved, despite a late 12-minute cameo from Keaney during which he emerged from sick-bay to convert a '45'. Soon after, Andrew Kerin nailed a free from the left touchline and the margin was down to four.

But the comeback was snuffed out almost as quickly, a brilliant individual score by skipper Gary Dolan followed by a collector's item point from David O'Shaughnessy. Cormac Smyth's injury-time riposte altered nothing more than the 1-8 to 0-6 final scoreline.

"The biggest disappointment was having to field today without three players. When it comes to these games in the Leinster championship, you need your full squad at all times to take on good teams," was the post-match summation of losing boss Liam O'Dwyer.

But, with typical good grace, he saluted Garrycastle's "outstanding" second half effort into the teeth of a powerful wind, adding: "Everything that you need in winter-time football they seemed to have."

It wasn't that way in the first half-hour. Garrycastle had kicked five points -- and five wides too. A double goal chance had come to nothing, leaving them thankful that Stephen Hiney had pulled a similar eighth-minute chance wide at the far end.

When the half-time whistle sounded, Ballyboden could reflect on a successful exercise in damage limitation -- they trailed by just 0-5 to 0-2 -- while surely looking forward to oodles of second-half possession.

Dazzling

Within 80 seconds of the restart, Conor Dolan's dazzling approach play and Simon Lambert's curling finish off his left had reduced the deficit to a mere brace.

With Boden poised, though, Garrycastle pounced.

The next half-hour constituted a mini-masterclass in the art of playing against the elements. The home side upped their aggression in pursuit of the breaks.

They defended parsimoniously. Their handling, even in 50-50 tussles, caught the eye. Their midfield grew in dominance.

They played it short but intelligently too, keeping the turnover rate low while frustrating Boden and running the clock down.

And, most crucially of all, they kept the scoreboard ticking over at critical times. Dessie Dolan's audacious 40th-minute point from the right wing was inspirational in the true meaning of the word -- Garrycastle visibly grew in confidence thereafter, having restored their three-point cushion.

"Just closed the eyes and kicked it -- I'd no other option, all other avenues were exhausted!" quipped the former All Star. "Fortunately the wind caught it nicely. It was crucial, I suppose, to lift the siege a small bit, and then Mark got a super goal."

Ah yes, Mark McCallon's 45th-minute hammer blow to Boden's solar plexus. It started with some keep-ball near the left touchline. Then John Gaffey switched the play with a clever crossfield pass to O'Shaughnessy.

The ball moved through McCallon and Patrick Mulvihill, who unlocked the defence with another pass to the galloping McCallon. The teenager's finish was low and true -- more clinical, perhaps, than you'd expect from a wing-back.

Then again, McCallon is no stranger to the attacking sortie. He had raised another green flag earlier in the Westmeath championship, against Maryland -- and he could have finished with two goals yesterday, his 16th-minute rebound cleared off the line by full-back Ian Clarke after Ballyboden keeper Daire Walsh had initially denied Mulvihill.

McCallon wasn't the only hero in green-and-red. The roaming Gaffey, a full-back in name only, was a towering presence in defence.

O'Shaughnessy recovered from a relatively subdued first half (when partner Seanie O'Donoghue was the busier) to show all his county experience and ball-winning nous thereafter.

Dessie Dolan was typically central to most of their best attacking moments -- and their most adept performer at playing second-half keep-ball too.

His brother Gary also finished the game strongly, although he could have made the tie safe with a 49th-minute goal chance, sharply snuffed out by the advancing Walsh.

Goose

Not that it mattered, and the Dubs must have known their goose was cooked when referee Eddie Kinsella hauled up Kerin for stealing yards from a sideline ball and then, almost immediately, Keaney was penalised for a quick free that didn't travel the requisite 13 metres.

Both perfectly correct calls, but how often are they actually punished?

And so, after a roller-coaster football and hurling autumn, Ballyboden's double dream has died in the space of eight days ... but the Castle is still standing.

- Frank Roche