All too easy for Westmeath minor hurlers

The Westmeath hurling side proved much too good for a very weak Wicklow outfit at Kinnegad last Saturday afternoon.Sad as it is to report, the Garden County lacked the basic skills of the game in every line of their team and this mismatch served neither county any use. While the saying that 'you can only beat the opposition in front of you' was never more apt, the visitors offered virtually no resistance against a Lake County squad whose biggest threat in this second tier competition is complacency. Despite being short a few key players from their fine provincial 'A' campaign, which included the noteworthy scalp of neighbours Offaly, the lads in maroon and white barely had to break sweat to win by a whopping 30 points.On a surface where the grass was slightly long for hurling, Westmeath showed their intent from the off and were three points to the good in as many minutes, with well-taken scores from Niall Dowdall, Stephen Boylan and Barry O'Meara. A measure of Wicklow's inadequacy was evidenced by an underhit sixth-minute free by Matthew Gaynor. At the other end, the winners were virtually able to score at will and further points ensued from the sticks of Niall Dowdall (two), David Gavin and Philip Reilly, leaving Seamus Qualter's charges ahead by 0-7 to 0-0 by the midpoint of the first moiety.The one-way procession continued all the way to the interval and a barrage of points came with remarkable ease from Shane Donaher, Philip Reilly, Stephen Boylan (from a '65' after Reilly could have goaled), Barry O'Meara (from a free) and an excellent brace from David Gavin. In the midst of these, Stephen Boylan's attempt to blast a goal from a 30-metre free was thwarted. However, it was all academic as the game was as god as over at half-time, with Westmeath ahead by 0-13 to 0-0.An indication of how near-farcical the game had begun came some 20 seconds after the resumption of play when the sliotar came the way of Stephen Boylan as he was collecting a new hurley from the sideline! Speculation was rife among the tiny crowd during the break that Wicklow might fail to score over the course of the hour, but thankfully the visitors eventually made the scoreboard when Stefan O'Brien pointed neatly in the fifth minute. However, hopes of a sensational comeback by the young men in blue and gold were well and truly shattered when Westmeath responded with another avalanche of scores. Points from Barry O'Meara (a 35-metre free) and and Stephen Boylan (open play from 50 metres) preceded a couple of inevitable goals. Weak goalkeeping from Michael Walsh (who generally acquitted himself well) let in Shane Moran for a gift in the 11th minute and, within a minute, a fortuitous second major came from the stick of Philip Reilly. Quickfire points ensued from Shane Donaher and Philip Reilly, making it four scores in less than two minutes for the lads in maroon and white.Two more points from Barry O'Meara (totally unchallenged as he shot) and Derek Healy (now up in attack) put Westmeath 2-19 to 0-1 in front midway through the second half. John Manley then converted a 30-metre free, after foul on John Deeney, for the losers' second score. The pitiful lack of competitive edge showed when Ger McGovern (also now in attack) almost walked the sliotar in to the Wicklow net but an unconverted '65' was the outcome. Another John Manley free in the 24th minute proved to be Wicklow's third and last score of the hour. Substitute Edward Nally got his name on the Westmeath scoresheet with a point, some three minutes from the end of normal time. Another of the Lake County backs then got in on the scoring act, Jordy Cassidy's low shot going under the net for his side's third goal.Ger McGovern atoned for his earlier miss with the home side's fourth goal in the 29th minute and Derek Healy completed the rout with an unchallenged strike for a point in the last minute of this total and utter mismatch.Scorers: Westmeath: P. Reilly 1-3, B. O'Meara 0-4 (0-2 from frees), S. Boylan 0-3 (0-1 from a '65'), N. Dowdall 0-3, D. Gavin 0-3, S. Moran 1-0, J. Cassidy 1-0, G. McGovern 1-0, S. Donaher 0-2, D. Healy 0-2, E. Nally 0-1. Wicklow: J. Manley 0-2 (both from frees), S. O'Brien 0-1.Westmeath: Niall Kelly; Derek Healy, Diarmuid Garvin, Ger McGovern; Cormac Boyle, Adam Sheils, Jordy Cassidy; Stephen Boylan, Colin O'Brien; David Gavin, Glen Flynn, Shane Donaher; Niall Dowdall, Barry O'Meara, Philip Reilly. Subs: Conor Thompson (for Gavin, half-time), Shane Moran (for Flynn, half-time), Edward Nally (for Dowdall, half-time), Niall Dowdall (for Boylan, 51 mins).Wicklow: Michael Walsh; Robin Farrelly, Pat O'Sullivan, Sean Murray; Sean Doyle, Eamonn Quirke, Owen Brazil; Aaron Murphy, John Manley; Eamonn Doyle, Matthew Gaynor, John Deeney; Conor Sexton, Stefan O'Brien, Jay O'Gorman.Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny).Footnote. Prior to the game, a minute's silence was observed in memory of Rob Stringer, a nephew of Wicklow mentor, Frances Stephenson, who died tragically in Zanzibar