2021 Allianz Hurling League Division 1 – Waterford 1-22 Westmeath 1-19

Waterford defeated Westmeath by 1-22 to 1-19 in Round 2 of the 2021 Allianz Hurling League Division 1 on Sunday May 16th at Walsh Park Waterford.

Waterford hold off dogged Westmeath for three-point win https://t.co/vN6djw0OiL

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) May 16, 2021

Liam Cahill happy with Waterford reaction after holding off dogged Westmeath for three-point win

Report by Michael Moynihan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

WATERFORD 1-22 WESTMEATH 1-19

With six minutes left in this Allianz Hurling League clash, Waterford were looking down the barrel of a very uncomfortable result.

Visitors Westmeath had just cut the home side’s lead to two points, thanks to a fizzing close-in free from Killian Doyle rocketing straight to the net. The heavy clouds and driving rain in Walsh Park looked an ominous harbinger for the home side.

“You’re always nervy at that stage,” said Waterford boss Liam Cahill later, discussing that specific stretch of the proceedings.

“You’re always looking for the reaction from your players when that comes about, and I was really happy with the reaction from our players.”

Key to that reaction was the contribution of subs Kieran Bennett and Kevin Moran. The two of them hit the home side’s final three points between them to make the game safe.

It was a rousing end to an entertaining tussle. Waterford and Westmeath had each conceded big scores in their previous outings and were clearly determined to show an improvement.

Waterford made a round dozen changes for this game and started with purpose, hitting five points to Westmeath’s one in the opening ten minutes. Mikey Kearney found the net with a good finish to give the home side a 1-8 to 0-6 lead at the first water break.

Westmeath hit five wides in a row as Waterford nudged further ahead, leading 1-12 to 0-9 at the break, and they resumed the second half with two Curran frees.

Niall O’Brien was keeping Westmeath in touch, just about, but even as the game seemed to be drifting beyond them Jack Fagan’s second yellow saw him off on 40 minutes. Westmeath responded with two points against the 14 men, making the score 1-14 to 0-12.

Waterford were still able to stretch their lead to nine at the second water break, however, and the visitors lost Cormac Boyle to a straight red card with 12 minutes left.

Westmeath wouldn’t die, though. They outscored Waterford five points to one and when Doyle buried that free it was 1-19 to 1-17 with six minutes left. Enter Moran and Bennett, and even a very late red card for Waterford’s Darragh Lyons didn’t affect the outcome unduly.

Westmeath boss Shane O’Brien wasn’t hiding his regrets at the final whistle: “Our immediate reaction is one of disappointment, that that was definitely a game that got away from us.

“I’m immensely proud of the lads today, we were looking for a bounce-back, to show a reaction, and we probably gained a bit of respect there after last week.

“I was keen the lads would show what they’re made of, and the way they fought for every single ball, showed the spirit in the group. Many other teams might have gone down the blame game route but during the week the spirit was high and our training was first class.

“I’m just bitterly disappointed we didn’t come away with something.”

For Waterford there was a sense of relief, though clearly that was tempered by the loss of two players to red cards, a point acknowledged by the manager.

“We’d be disappointed being down to 13 men,” said Cahill.

“We’d always aim to have 15 on the field because your chances of winning go down when you’re reduced to 14 or 13.

“It’s something we’ll address, but it’s uncharacteristic of their styles of play, Jack (Fagan) and Darragh (Lyons), I think it was their intensity and appetite to get the result was the cause of the red cards.”

His opposite number also turned his attention to officiating, with O’Brien clearly unhappy with referee Cathal McAllister: “I’m keen to look back on that video, we as a management team would be very disappointed with the performance there today from the referee — I don’t want to go down that route but some of the decisions had us quite confused.”

Cahill was focusing on the positives while also turning his attention to next week, and the visit of the All-Ireland champions.

“We got a good, tight game today, and credit Westmeath, they came with all guns blazing. They shoved it into us the moment the ball was thrown in, which was exactly what we expected. I’m delighted with the reaction from my lads, the way they dug out the result in the end.

“Our record against Limerick of late would be poor, we’ve been beaten on every occasion we’ve met them, in league and championship.

“We’ve made a commitment, all of us, to acquit ourselves really well on our own home field here, so we’ll be coming all guns blazing next weekend to try to win that match and to get our heads back in front again.”

Scorers for Waterford: P. Curran (0-11, frees); M. Kearney (1-0); DJ Foran (0-3); K. Bennett (0-2); J. Prendergast, P. Hogan, S. Keating, K. Power, B. Power, K. Moran (0-1 each).

Scorers for Westmeath: K. Doyle (1-8, 4 frees); N. O’Brien (0-6, frees); D. Glennon (0-2); A. Clarke, C. Boyle, S. Williams (0-1 each).

WATERFORD: S. O’Brien; I. Kenny, S. Fives, T. Barron; S. Keating, I. Daly, K. Power; P. Hogan, B. Power; J. Fagan, P. Curran, DJ Foran; J. Prendergast, M. Kiely, M. Kearney.
Subs: J. Dillon for B. Power (45); K. Moran for K. Power, D. Hutchinson for Kiely, K. Bennett for Foran (53); D. Lyons for Hogan (63); C. Prunty for Barron and C. Sheean for Curran (both 67).

WESTMEATH: E. Skelly; D. Egerton, T. Doyle, C. Shaw; A. Craig, A.Clarke, S. Clavin; C. Boyle, R. Greville; J. Boyle, C. Doyle, D. Glennon; N. O’Brien, N. Mitchell, K. Doyle.
Subs: T. Gallagher and J. Coll for S. Clavin and J. Boyle (both HT); B. Doyle for Shaw (46); S. Williams for N. O’Brien (inj., 49); D. Clinton for C. Doyle (51); J. Galvin for Glennon (65).

Referee: C. McAllister (Cork)