Long gone are the days when taking kick-outs and shot stopping were the bread and butter of gaelic football goalkeepers.

These days, ‘sweeper keepers’ are very much in vogue but it’s a strategy that’s not without its risks as evidenced by Laois netminder Graham Brody’s faux pas in Croke Park last Saturday evening.

The Portlaoise man has never been shy when it comes to roaming up the field but it backfired spectacularly against Westmeath in the Division 3 decider.

He coughed up possession in the middle of the field and the Lake County wasted no time in punishing the error.

Colm Begley was back minding the house in Brody’s absence but ‘man-of-the-match’ Ger Egan sidestepped him before burying the ball into the net.

It was a score that separated the teams at referee Jerome Henry’s final whistle.

The concession of the goal will feature prominently in the O’Moore County’s post mortem into why they lost the game but, judging by his after-match quotes, manager John Sugrue won’t attempt to curb his goalkeeper’s enthusiasm as their focus switches to the championship.

“I’m in this job 18 months,” the Kerry native commented.

Ger Egan gets a crucial goal for @westmeath_gaa !! pic.twitter.com/pne5MInUpU

— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 6, 2019

“Graham has come out north of 100 times. I think we conceded one in Leitrim last year, again an execution issue. That’s the second one today. So of 100 patterns of play that he’s been involved in, two goals is probably not a big return for the opposition.

“It’s one goal, a fairly significant one but they’re the margins you’re playing with.”

At the end of last year Brody rubbed shoulders with Rory Beggan and Stephen Cluxton at the All-Star banquet in the Convention Centre.

Laois fans will forgive him this one if he continues to show the form that marked him out as one of the top ‘keepers in the country.

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