Lake County hurlers survive despite defeat to Down men

Joe McDonagh Cup: Down 1-28, Westmeath 1-18

By Gerry Buckley

Westmeath’s disappointing Joe McDonagh Cup campaign ended with a fourth consecutive defeat in summer sunshine at a sparsely-attended Ballycran last Sunday afternoon when Down decisively won a final round robin game which lacked championship intensity due to its dead rubber nature.

Afterwards, Lake County manager Kevin O’Brien expressed the view of most Gaels in the county by stating that retention of tier two status – which looked odds on after the win in Ruislip on day one – was paramount, in the process handing invaluable game time to a range of newcomers with the search due to go on in the upcoming club championships for new talent. This will undoubtedly be required if 2027 is to show progression in results in league and championship. The Westmeath bainisteoir’s job is clearly not an easy one at this particular point in time.

Both sides shot a wide in the opening minute, but they quickly started to find their range and they were tied at four points each after ten minutes – the home team’s scores coming via Fionn Turpin (two), Donal Hughes and Tim Prenter, with their wind-assisted opponents on target courtesy of David Williams, Eamon Cunneen, returning skipper Johnny Bermingham and Darragh McCormack – all quality strikes from play.

Tom McGrattan edged the Mournemen ahead with a wonderful point and they led from then on. Eoin Aughey pulled off a great save from McGrattan before the respective number 11s, Pearse Óg McCrickard and Williams, traded points from frees. In the 19th minute, a fine Down move ended with Ruairí McRickard coming up from full back to fire the sliotar past Aughey to put his side four points clear (1-6 to 0-5).

Sandwiched between points from Williams (a free) and Mark Cunningham, Westmeath almost conceded what would have been a bizarre own goal – an unconverted ‘65’ was the outcome. Williams and McCrickard swapped further points from frees, before Tom Murray and Ronan Beatty got their names on the scoresheet by raising white flags.

A neat point from play by Williams left the men in the changed green jerseys a goal in arrears after 28 minutes. The margin was still the same (1-11 to 0-11) at the interval after both Down (Beatty and a McCrickard free) and Westmeath (McCormack and Cunneen with classy points from open play) tagged on two points apiece.

The sides equally shared six points in the opening quarter-hour of the second moiety – Prenter, Hughes and Beatty adding to their tallies for the men in all-black with a red trim, with sub Jack Gillen (two) and Williams converting three frees between them for Westmeath. Prenter ought to have goaled but was denied by a smart save by Aughey at the expense of a ‘65’ – McCrickard converting after two earlier misses from similar awards. Williams responded by slotting over a free at the other end.

A hitherto-wasteful Down side then struck for four quickfire points from the sticks of Caolan Taggart, McGrattan, Turpin and a great lineball by McRickard to go seven clear (1-19 to 0-15) with 55 minutes on the clock. Gillen converted a ‘65’, but six unanswered points followed at the other end via Turpin (two), Daithí Sands, McGrattan, and sub Marc Fisher – all from play - and another sub Paul Sheehan from a free.

Williams (when a goal beckoned) and McCormack (after a great catch) pointed for the losers, with Prenter responding in kind for Down. In added-time, Gillen netted from close range after good work by Williams. With time almost up, Hughes and Sheehan (a huge free) pointed for the home team, either side of a wasted ‘65’ at the other end.

Scorers - Down: F Turpin, P Óg McCrickard (0-3f, 0-1s/l, 0-1‘65’) 0-5 each, R McCrickard 1-0, T Prenter, D Hughes, R Beatty, T McGrattan 0-3 each, P Sheehan 0-2 (2f), C Taggart, D Sands, M Fisher, T Murray 0-1 each.

Westmeath: D Williams 0-8 (5f), J Gillen 1-3 (0-2f, 0-1‘65’), D McCormack 0-3, E Cunneen 0-2, M Cunningham, J Bermingham 0-1 each.

Down: Pearce Smyth; Ronan Smyth, Ruairí McCrickard, Ben Taggart; Tom Murray, Caolan Taggart, Niall McFarland; Donal Hughes, Barry Trainor; Fionn Turpin, Pearse Óg McCrickard, Daithí Sands; Tom McGrattan, Tim Prenter, Ronan Beatty. Subs used: Marc Fisher for Murray (52), Owen McDermott for Trainor (52), Cahal Coleman for Beatty (53), Eoin Pucci for B Taggart (temp., 56 to 61), Paul Sheehan for P Óg McCrickard (61), Eoin Pucci for R Smyth (64).

Westmeath: Eoin Aughey; John Fry, Naoise McKenna, Johnny Bermingham; Cian McCarthy, Rory Keyes, Adam Bate; Jack Kearney, Peter Murphy; Eamon Cunneen, David Williams, Marc Cunningham; Darragh McCormack, Eoin Keyes, Josh Coll. Subs used: Jack Gillen for McCarthy (30), Shane Williams for Bermingham (h-t), Darragh Egerton for Fry (43), Charles Flynn for Coll (63), Calum McKeogh for Murphy (63).

Referee: Eamonn Furlong (Wexford).