Westmeath suffer setback as Offaly dominate
Leinster Minor Football Championship (Group 2, R3): Offaly 3-12, Westmeath 1-10
Westmeath were no match for an impressive Offaly side when they met in the Leinster Minor Football Championship at Kinnegad on Tuesday evening.
The victory saw Offaly secure a place in the quarter-finals they finished second in the group on scoring difference. Westmeath, Offaly and Dublin ended on four points after two wins apiece.
Following their fine victory over Dublin, Westmeath seemed in a great position, but instead they must now face a preliminary quarter-final tie against Carlow having finished third in the group. Westmeath's focus was off and they paid the ultimate price against a strong opposition.
After a seven-point defeat against Dublin in round one, Offaly have produced two fine performances to overcome both Longford and Westmeath, scoring 9-35 in the process.
The platform for victory was laid in the first half, Offaly scoring two goals to lead by 2-5 to 0-5 at the interval.
The visitors opened up a 3-10 to 0-7 lead with 13 minutes remaining. A fine two-pointer free by Burns again in the 43rd minute underlined their superior kicking skills.
Offaly could easily have scored a fourth goal, but instead Westmeath found some joy in the latter stages - corner-back Tom Weir showing great determination to lead a surge that ended in centre-forward Daragh Murray finding the net, following a pass by sub Hugo Corroon.
Aaron Connaire, switched from full-forward to midfield, notched two points, the second of which could have been a goal on the hour mark. Connaire found himself in a great position after Dean Kelly and McWade combined, but he shot over from close-range.
Substitutes Mark Monaghan and Darragh Deegan also notched points for the home side, but Deegan shot low and wide when a misplaced clearance presented him with a goal chance.
Westmeath will now meet Carlow in the preliminary quarter-final on Tuesday evening next (in Tubberclair, 7.30pm) where they will hope to rediscover the kind of form that helped them deny Dublin and Longford.
SCORERS - Offaly: P Burns 1-5 (2tpf, 0-1f), J Carroll and S Monahan 1-0 each, O Goulding 0-2 (2f), E Daly, D Stewart, D Waldron, S Murrihy, D Seery 0-1 each. Westmeath: D Murray 1-0, S McWade (2f) and A Connaire 0-2 each, C McKeogh, F Brennan, B Stenson, A Mullen Adamson, D Deegan and M Monaghan 0-1 each.
OFFALY: Ryan Casey; Cormac Staunton, Oran Kenny, Jake Conlon; Stephen Murrihy, Cathal Carroll, Jamie Harvey; John Carroll, Patrick Duffy; Evan Daly, Darragh Stewart, Oliver Goulding; Dara Waldron, Paddy Burns, Sean Monahan. Subs: Seán O'Shea for Monahan (39), Donnacha Seery for Goulding (45), Joe Furey for Harvey (55), Hugh Kelly for Stewart, (inj. 60+2), Shane Lawless for Duffy (60+3).
WESTMEATH: Tom McCaul; Tom Weir, Tomás Brennan, Louie Dillon; Cian McKeogh, Eoghan Daly, Gary Staunton; Finn Brennan; Billy Stenson; Dean Kelly, Daragh Murray, Conor Cleary; Stephen McWade, Aaron Connaire, Alex Mullen Adamson. Subs: Mark Monaghan for Staunton (20), Darragh Deegan for Brennan (42), Josh Scahill for McKeogh (46), Hugo Corroon for Mullen Adamson (48).
REFEREE: Ryan Moran (Kildare).