Superior skill and composure decisive in resounding victory

Westmeath 3-23, Meath 0-4

For the second game running, Westmeath’s minor hurlers proved much too strong for their opponents when they outclassed Meath in Páirc Tailteann last Saturday afternoon, Ian Corrigan’s young troops winning in the end by an unflattering 28-point margin.

For the first three quarters of this one-sided game – including playing into a strong wind in the first moiety – the maroon and white-clad outfit hurled with great skill and composure, but they let their standards slip in the final quarter as evidenced by 13 second half wides.

Overall, however, the signs are very promising for this group. They defended and counter-attacked very well when Meath had the wind, before taking total control on the change of ends, albeit with the aforementioned asterisk of an array of sloppy shooting in the later stages of the game.

Dylan Corrigan’s shot was caught in the wind after a mere 20 seconds, a very early indication of the advantage which the home team had in the first half. However, the lads in green and gold never remotely looked like using it and the winners had three unanswered points on the board by the seventh minute, courtesy of Eoin Meehan (two) and Ryan Williams. The latter player then pounced for an opportunist goal at the end of a Sean Hayes’ delivery. Cormac McKeogh added a point in the 13th minute.

Point exchanges ensued between Daniel Doherty and McKeogh (twice), and Williams (a glorious pull in mid-air) and Luke Ennis (a long-range free), leaving the Lake County ahead by 1-7 to 0-3 after 21 minutes. The visitors were clearly the superior side and they tagged on a further six points without reply by the interval, via Corrigan, Kian Loughlin (three, including a brace of frees), Padraig Casey (ensuring that all six forwards had made the score sheet), and Williams. The game was as good as over at half-time with Westmeath ahead by 1-13 to 0-3.

Loughlin cleverly teed up Meehan for a well-taken goal less than two minutes after play resumed. Points followed from the sticks of Meehan (two), Casey, Williams, sub Oisín McCauley, and Loughlin (a free), leaving Westmeath ahead by 2-19 to 0-3 at the end of the third quarter.

A needlessly-conceded free in the 49th minute allowed the Royal County to register what proved to be their only score of the second half when Ennis doubled his tally from placed balls, but Corrigan immediately responded with a great solo goal. The winners added four more points to their substantial tally in the closing stages, courtesy of Loughlin (a free), corner back Aaron Flanagan, McKeogh (via the upright), and another Loughlin free with the last puck of the game. In truth, however, a degree of sloppiness had crept into the Westmeath ranks, a trait which would not be acceptable against stronger opposition.

Scorers - Westmeath: E Meehan, R Williams 1-4 each, K Loughlin 0-6 (5f), C McKeogh 0-4, D Corrigan 1-1, P Casey 0-2, A Flanagan, O McCauley 0-1 each

Meath: D Doherty, L Ennis (2f) 0-2 each.

Westmeath: Cathal Óg Fagan; Dara Mulligan, Mikey Weir, Aaron Flanagan; Ben McNamee, Sean Hayes, Darragh Kenny; Cody Ward, Finn Higgins; Dylan Corcoran, Padraig Casey, Eoin Meehan; Kian Loughlin, Cormac McKeogh, Ryan Williams. Subs used: Oisín McCauley for Ward (42), Dillon Burke for Meehan (47), Cian Fleming for McNamee (51), Marc Davis for Corrigan (51), Mikey Sinnott for Weir (53).

Meath: Sean Cregan; Tom Elliott, Sean Ward, James Lonergan; Adam O’Donoghue, David Regan, Daithí Grehan; Lorcan McDermott, JJ McManus; Sean McKeown, Dean Walsh, James Cully; Evan Curley, Luke Ennis, Daniel Doherty. Subs used: Michael Carr for O’Donoghue (h-t), Edward Dunne for McManus (h-t), Daithí Wade for Walsh (45), Eoghan Monaghan for Doherty (47), Cormac Swan for Ennis (53).

Ref: Liam D Keenan Jnr (Wicklow).