Alan Mangan returns to Croke Park on Sunday as joint-manager of the Westmeath ladies football team which will attempt to capture All-Ireland intermediate honours for the first time.

The St. Malachy's clubman, who scored four points in the Lake County's historic Leinster SFC final replay victory over Laois in 2004, has taken a great deal of satisfaction from the progress his team has made since they were hammered by Sunday's opponents Cavan in his and co-manager Peter Leahy's first game in charge in February of last year.

"Myself and Peter took over a few games into the league last year and our first game was down in Mullahoran. We were beaten by about 43 points! My initial reaction was: 'What am I getting myself into?' But since then they've just got better and better," he said.

Mangan is hoping Westmeath can complete a treble of successes this year, having already won a National League Division 4 title and the Leinster intemediate crown.

"We set out the three goals at the start of the year and now we're in a position to fulfill the last one of them. It would be fantastic to win and it would be a year they'd never forget here in Westmeath - so let's hope they do it."

Westmeath have already beaten Cavan in the first round of the group stages but the Breffni girls were without several of their star players that day, including Donna English.

Mangan added: "Cavan will be out for revenge. They were missing two or three of their top players the last day and I don't think there will be a kick of a ball between us. We'll need a bit of luck on the day - you win nothing without luck - and hopefully it will go our way." Tweet

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