Westmeath hurlers face relegation battle after defeat to Kildare

An unfancied Kildare side had little difficulty in comprehensively reversing the result of the recent Kehoe Cup final when they overcame a bitterly disappointing Westmeath outfit at Cusack Park last Saturday in the third round of the Allianz NHL Division Two, leaving the Lake County lads facing the very genuine threat of an ignominious drop to the third tier next spring. A brace of goals in either half proved to be the crucial scores for the Lilywhites in what was a poor encounter throughout, played in front of less than 100 spectators. The early exchanges were closely contested but the hurling was very scrappy. Ironically, Westmeath had taken the lead for the first time in the contest (0-6 to 0-5) moments before David Carter struck for his team's first goal in the last minute of normal time in the first half. The visitors then easily opened up the Lake County rearguard in injury-time and David Harney raced clear to rifle home a second goal. This left Kildare in front at the break by 2-5 to 0-7. On the change of ends, a lethargic Westmeath never seriously threatened to get right back into the game and it came as no surprise when Kildare pounced for a third goal via David Carter. In the dying moments of the contest, John Houlihan was on hand to flick the ball home to the Westmeath net, leaving Kevin Martin's charges rooted to the bottom of the division after their third successive defeat. The home side had whatever wind advantage was on offer playing into the scoreboard end of Cusack Park in the first moiety, but it was the visitors who raced into an early lead. And boosted by those goals from Carter and Harney, Kildare led by 2-5 to 0-7 at half-time. The writing was really on the wall for Westmeath when David Carter pounced for the winners' third goal in the 50th minute, following Richie Hoban's long-range free. Westmeath's efforts to get back into the game proved unsuccessful and Andy Comerford's charges finished out the game with an unanswered 1-2. David Harney pointed well from 45 metres after a short solo run and the full forward then turned provider when he teed up Martin Fitzgerald for his first score in the 34th minute. Westmeath's extremely disappointing display ended when the Lilywhites well and truly wrapped up a precious brace of league points with Harney and Fitzgerald combining for John Houlihan to scoop the ball into an unguarded net. Any fanciful notions of Westmeath competing for promotion to Division One have long since evaporated. The ambition now is to avoid a demoralising plummet to Division Three. On the evidence of the last two humiliating defeats by Carlow and Kildare, Kevin Martin has his work cut out to fulfil this ambition. KILDARE: Paul Dermody; Paudie Reidy, Danny Byrne, Paul Keegan; Neil " Muineacháin, Richie Hoban, Conor Kenny; Billy White (0-4, 4f), Michael Divilly; John Houlihan (1-1), David Kennedy, Paul Buggy; David Carter (2-1), David Harney (1-3), Martin Fitzgerald (0-1). Subs: Donal Moloney for Byrne (68 mins); Brian Aherne for Divilly (70 + 1). WESTMEATH: Pat Burke; Greg Gavin, Darren McCormack, Eoin Price; Paul Greville, Andrew Mitchell (0-2, 0-1 '65', 1f), Adam Price; Paddy Dowdall, Robbie Jackson; Alan Dowdall (0-2), Brendan Murtagh (0-4, 2f), John Shaw; Killian Cosgrove, Derek McNicholas (0-2), Joe Clarke (0-1). Subs: Ciaran Curley for A Price (h-t); Niall Flanagan for Cosgrove (53 mins). REFEREE: Fergus Smyth (Meath)