Emphatic win can’t secure promotion for hurlers

Westmeath 2-37, Mayo 1-14

By Gerry Buckley

Westmeath’s senior hurlers wrapped up their Division 2 campaign in front of a very small crowd in pleasant conditions in Castlebar last Saturday afternoon, defeating Mayo by a whopping and unflattering 26 points, but it wasn’t enough to topple Kerry who are promoted to Division 1B next year on score difference alongside table-toppers Laois.

In truth, seldom has a Lake County team in any grade of hurling or football had it so easy in a competitive match, albeit their opponents in Hastings Insurance McHale Park were decidedly poor. Indeed, throw in a missed penalty and other spurned goal chances, and the record-keepers may have been forced to check their computers at 2.30pm on Saturday.

For Kevin O’Brien and his management team, the focus will immediately shift to Ruislip on Sunday, April 19, when they will commence a tough Joe McDonagh Cup journey, with a bare minimum target of survival in the prestigious tier two championship. Unfortunately, the bainisteoir’s already-large injury list grew against the Connacht side, with the withdrawal early on of a clearly distressed Dean Ennis, followed by Jack Gillen just before the half-time break.

The visitors had the aid of a useful wind blowing towards the scoreboard end of the resplendent stadium and David Williams pointed within seconds of the throw-in. Mayo’s best player, Ryan Duffy equalised under pressure in the second minute.

However, it was virtually all one-way traffic thereafter and the men in maroon and white outscored their hosts by 0-13 to 0-2 between the fifth and 23rd minutes. The winners’ scores were shared by Dean Ennis (prior to his unfortunate injury), the outstanding Darragh McCormack (three – the third might have been a goal), the impressive Jack Gillen (two – the second from a monster free), Williams (four – including two frees), lively sub Matthew Cunningham (two – he also shot weakly from a goal opportunity), and Peter Clarke (one). The two white flags for Ray Larkin’s charges both came from Duffy (the first of them from a free).

The men in green and red pounced for the game’s first goal in the 24th minute, full forward Joseph Burke getting the decisive touch at the end of a long delivery by Oisín Greally. However, Westmeath quickly responded with four unanswered points courtesy of Eamonn Cunneen, Gillen, Williams (a free), and McCormack (following a great catch at the other end by Naoise McKenna).

The sides swapped points on three occasions before the break – Eoin Delaney and Williams (a tricky free), Duffy (a free) and Gillen (a great score), and Clarke (with a goal as his target) and Delaney. Westmeath led by 0-21 to 1-6 at the interval.

Despite a scare from the throw-in when Mayo ought to have doubled their goal tally, Westmeath proceeded to dominate and they outscored the home team by six points (Kevin Regan, Cunneen, a Williams free, Rory Keyes, sub Cian McCarthy, and Williams from play – shortly after he had been narrowly wide for a goal) to two (a Duffy brace, the second from a free), to lead by 0-27 to 1-8 with 48 minutes elapsed.

McCormack soon found the net in style after a clever free by Williams before Delaney completed his points’ hat-trick at the other end. A black card for Greally was followed by a mis-struck penalty from Williams which easily cleared the crossbar. That man Duffy pointed again for Mayo, but they only added four more points in the time remaining via John Heraty, Duffy (two - a free and open play), and Shane Boland (a free).

For their part, the visitors tagged on another 1-9. Clarke scored the goal after a great piece of fielding in the 62nd minute, while the points came from the sticks of Keyes, Andrew Shaw (from a tight angle), Williams (a free), Cunneen, McCormack (two - a fabulous score and a low-trajectory effort), and Cunningham (three, including the last two scores of the afternoon bringing his points' tally to a highly commendable five from play).

Scorers – Westmeath: D Williams 0-11 (6f, 1pen), D McCormack 1-6, P Clarke 1-2, M Cunningham 0-5, J Gillen 0-4 (1f), E Cunneen 0-3, R Keyes 0-2, C McCarthy, A Shaw, K Regan, D Ennis 0-1 each. Mayo: R Duffy 0-9 (4f), E Delaney 0-3, J Burke 1-0, J Heraty, S Boland (f) 0-1 each.

Westmeath: Eoin Aughey; Darragh Smith, Conor Shaw, Naoise McKenna; Jack Gillen, Shane Williams, Rory Keyes; Andrew Shaw, Jack Kearney; Eamonn Cunneen, David Williams, Kevin Regan; Dean Ennis, Darragh McCormack, Peter Clarke. Subs used: Matthew Cunningham for Ennis (inj., 8), Cian McCarthy for Gillen (inj., 35+2), Conor Regan for Keyes (56), Calum McKeogh for Kearney (61), Chris Daly for A Shaw (64).

Mayo: Kevin Duffy; Padraic Mooney, Oisín Ivers, Anthony Rowland; Corey Scahill, David Kenny, Oisín Greally; John Heraty, Daniel Huane; Ryan Duffy, Sean Kenny, Eoin Delaney; Colm Enright, Joseph Burke, Shane Boland. Subs used: Alex Evans for Rowland (21), Paudie Murphy for Enright (23), Shane O’Brien for Scahill (h-t), Eoin Ryan for Ivers (44), Ben Garry for S Kenny (65).

Ref: Michael Connolly (Sligo).