McKeogh’s late point seals vital win for U20 hurlers

Gerry Buckley

Despite having the aid of an extra man for the entire second half, Westmeath's U20 hurlers made hard work of disposing of Antrim in a Leinster championship second round robin tie in TEG Cusack Park last Saturday afternoon, but the win keeps Andrew Dermody’s charges in with a great chance of making the knockout stages.

There were many positives from this display, and victories over the Glensmen in any grade of hurling are never easy to chalk up, but the concession of three avoidable second half goals would surely prove fatal against stronger opposition. Indeed, it was often difficult in the second moiety to determine which side had the extra man, Antrim’s Eoin McFerran having foolishly picked up a red card for an incident after the referee had blown the half-time whistle.

GREAT GOAL

A swirling wind made conditions tricky for both sides and there was very little between them in the opening quarter, at the end of which they were tied at 0-3 each. Antrim’s scores came courtesy of Diarmuid Davoren (a free which opened the scoring), Niall McGarel, and Aidan Scullion, while David O’Reilly, Brian McGrath (an improvised batted effort), and Eamon Cunneen (a fine long-range strike) raised white flags for the young men in maroon and white.

Peter Murphy edged Westmeath ahead with a well-worked score in the 16th minute, but a brace of Davoren frees soon nudged the Ulster lads front. In the 23rd minute, O'Reilly scored a great individual goal for the home team to put them into a lead they would never relinquish. Two points followed from Murphy and Michael Doherty (when a goal beckoned) before David Williams scored Westmeath's second goal in the 25th minute (after McGrath's initial shot had been saved).

The respective number 13s, Jack McCloskey (whose effort came off the butt of the post) and O'Reilly (who shot too close to Eoghan Richmond at the expense of an unconverted ‘65’, after being teed up by Mark Cunningham), both came close to goaling at either end. Davoren slotted over a late free for the losers, and Westmeath led by 2-6 to 0-6 at the interval. McFerran’s afternoon ended prematurely before the teams made for the sanctuary of the dressing rooms.

SPURNED

Cunneen doubled his tally some 45 seconds after play resumed, but Paudie Shivers’ troops went on to show scant regard for their numerical disadvantage by scoring an unanswered 1-2 by the 36th minute. Converted frees from Davoren and Christy McGarry preceded a soft goal when Seanie McIntosh's sideline cut found the net via a Westmeath defender's hand. The gap now was just two points (2-7 to 1-8).

A brace of converted placed balls from Williams (a '65' and a free) stretched the Lake County’s lead, but a flicked goal from Scullion at the end of a long-range free from Eoin Trainor in the 43rd minute had the deficit down to the bare minimum (2-9 to 2-8). The home side managed to tag on four unanswered points without reply by the 58th minute, courtesy of O’Reilly (two – the second a particularly classy effort), and Williams (also two, the first from a free). Two goal chances were spurned during that period, Doherty and sub Joseph McLaughlin missing opportunities at either end.

Westmeath were now five points to the good, but when the visitors scored their third goal in the 59th minute via McGarel (again at the end of a Trainor free), Westmeath nerves were frayed in the closing stages. However, a late point from sub Calum McKeogh enabled them to hang on for a hard-earned victory.

Scorers -

Westmeath: D Williams 1-4 (0-2f, 0-1'65'), D O'Reilly 1-3, P Murphy, E Cunneen 0-2 each, C McKeogh, B McGrath, M Doherty 0-1 each.

Antrim: D Davoren 0-5 (5f), N McGarel, A Scullion 1-1 each, S McIntosh 1-0 (s/l), C McGarry 0-1 (f).

Westmeath: Sean Jackson; David Weir, Jamie Mulkearns, Conor Gaffney; Rian Holding, Mikey Lynam, David Maloney; Oisín Loughlin, Eamon Cunneen; Brian McGrath, Mark Cunningham, Michael Doherty; David O’Reilly, David Williams, Peter Murphy. Subs used: Josh Murtagh for Loughlin (40), Calum McKeogh for Cunneen (49), Oisín Murray for McGrath (56), Cian McCarthy for Doherty (57), Robbie Cleary for Murphy (60+1).

Antrim: Eoghan Richmond; Conor Boyle, Dubhaltach Wilson, Darragh Patterson; Ben McGarry, Eoin Trainor, Eoin McFerran; Aodhan McGarry, Diarmuid Davoren; Seanie McIntosh, Christy McGarry, Ryan Mort; Jack McCloskey, Niall McGarel, Aidan Scullion. Subs used: Cormac McKeown for Mort (h-t), Joseph McLaughlin for McCloskey (42), Ronan McCollum for McIntosh (51), Pearce Patterson for Boyle (51).

Ref: Gearóid McGrath (Wexford).