Westmeath's hopes of enjoying an extended run in the All-Ireland qualifiers have been dealt a major blow with the news that their captain Gary Connaughton is to spend the rest of the summer in Boston.

The 2008 All Star goalkeeper, who is a mature student at Athlone IT, will jet out to the States next week after failing to secure summer employment in Ireland. He will return home in September when he begins the fourth and final year of his business studies degree course at the Westmeath college.

In the meantime, Westmeath manager Pat Flanagan must do without the services of the 33-year-old Tubberclair clubman, who was handed the captaincy at the start of the year. Beaten by Louth in the Leinster SFC almost a month ago, the Lake County will find out who their first round All-Ireland qualifier opponents will be when the draw is made next Monday morning.

"There's not a lot for me here," Connaughton explained to The Irish Independent.

"Pat Flanagan and my club manager Martin McCabe have been trying to sort something for me and so have the county board and the GPA, but there is nothing out there at the minute - it looks like I'll be going very shortly."

Tyrrellspass' Darren Quinn, who has been Connaughton's understudy for the past couple of seasons, is expected to assume the number one jersey for the rest of the campaign. Tweet

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