Westmeath waltz home
WEXFORD V WESTMEATH IN CROKE PARK midlanders run riot in the open spaces
seven before Waters down the right flank and John Tubritt pass in the last say of the half Sharry’s sidestep and point ynch found himself in down the left wing. by 1-11 to 1-4 at the that only 0-1 of that forward said it all about over the field. and Michael O’Regan time, at right half-back respectively, with Malone back line to join Jim Michael Furlong. Nolan and O’Grady defence, while Conor Carty into the action at the Curtis near the end of the some early promise, yng after a push on shortlived. chalked up the next four points, via McDaniels, Martin, Kelvin Reilly and Martin again, while Shane Roche saved a goal attempt by corner-back Mark McCallon with his leg and a Ben Brosnan placed ball rebounded off the post at the other end.
Donal Shanley replaced the man who appeared in a Wexford jersey as a Castletown clubman for the first time, and an eight-minute barren spell for the Slaneysiders ended with a solo point from P.J. Banville (1-15 to 1-6).
The outcome was inevitable though as we reached the midway stage of the half, with Westmeath comfortably keeping their rivals at more than arm’s length and controlling the pace of the game.
Heslin and Lyng, after Banville was fouled, swapped points from frees, and that duo did the same again to leave the score at 1-17 to 1-8. Colm Kehoe had been held back as he played a pass to Michael Furlong, and no advantage accrued as the defender’s shot was deflected into the side-netting by a Westmeath man.
Kehoe picked out Banville for his second point from play, but the gap was stretched to double digits for the second time after a brace from Heslin, the first a spectacular effort from play.
Lyng and Kehoe combined to create a chance for Michael O’Regan in the 64th minute, but his low shot was blocked by substitute John Egan’s feet. And just to make matters a little worse, Wexford had to finish with 14 men, having used all six substitutes before Conor Carty was black-carded for blocking James Dolan’s run off the ball.
The space opened up even more thereafter, with substitutes Shane Dempsey and John Connellan (two) slotting over easy points (1-22 to 1-9).
Wexford’s dreadful day was summed up in the 67th minute when Dempsey clearly mis-hit a point-scoring attempt which caught Shane Roche by surprise. And although the netminder scrambled to his left as the ball dipped under crossbar height, he only succeeded in parrying it into the net. Ger Egan stretched the lead to a game-high 17 points before Wexford replied with a consolation goal, directed to the far corner with a low shot by Donal Shanley after Banville and Waters combined.
Heslin caught a long ball over Brian Malone’s head and closed the scoring for Westmeath before Shanley pulled back late consolation scores from a free and ’45 respectively. A small crowd of 5,823 watched this double bill which also featured Tipperary beating Louth in the Division 3 final. Wexford hit seven of the game’s 15 wides and were awarded 19 of the 37 frees.
Wexford: Shane Roche; Ronan Devereux, Jim Rossiter, Michael Furlong (0-1); Eoghan Nolan, John Leacy, Kevin O’Grady (1-1); Daithí Waters (capt., 0-1), Colm Kehoe; Brian Malone, Ben Brosnan, Paul Curtis; John Tubritt, Ciarán Lyng (0-4, 3 frees), P.J. Banville (0-2). Subs. - Conor Carty for Curtis (30), Adrian Flynn for Leacy (HT), Michael O’Regan for Devereux (HT), Donal Shanley (1-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘45) for Brosnan (43), Joey Wadding for Tubritt (51), Tiarnan Rossiter for Nolan, inj. (56).
Westmeath: Darren Quinn; Kevin Maguire, Jamie Gonoud, Mark McCallon; James Dolan, Killian Daly, Noel Mulligan; Alan Stone, Ger Egan (capt., 1-2, 1-0 pen.); Kelvin Reilly (0-1), Paul Sharry (0-3), David Lynch; Kieran Martin (0-4), John Heslin (0-8, 5 frees), Tommy McDaniels (0-3). Subs. - Denis Glennon for Daly (48), Shane Dempsey (1-1) for McDaniels (52), Denis Corroon for Stone (55), John Egan for Mulligan (57), John Connellan (0-2) for Martin (62), Callum McCormack for Lynch (66).
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).