Allianz Hurling League Division 2 – Westmeath 3-15 Kerry 1-15

Westmeath defeated Kerry by 3-15 to 1-15 in Round 1 of the Allianz Hurling League Division 2 on Sunday February 6th at TEG Cusack Park Mullingar.

First-half goals propel Westmeath to crucial win over Kerry

Report by Gerry Buckley for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Allianz HL Division 2A: Westmeath 3-15 Kerry 1-15

Westmeath always looked the more likely winners in a somewhat scrappy clash played in difficult conditions in Mullingar.

Westmeath, with the aid of a strong but swirling wind, led by 0-3 to 0-1 at the end of a poor opening quarter. The fare was not much better in the second but Westmeath pounced for crucial goals in the 23rd and 27th minutes, with the towering Niall Mitchell scoring the first and being fouled for a penalty for the second, which Jack Gillen superbly converted. Westmeath led by 2-6 to 0-6 at the interval.

The home side started the second half in impressive fashion with a point from the hard-working Kevin Regan after just 15 seconds. Gillen added a point from a free before he scored a great individual goal in the 39th minute to put his team ahead by 3-8 to 0-6.

The lead was still 11 points after 50 minutes, but Kerry came right back into contention with an unanswered 1-4. The points came via Shane Conway (two, including a free), the impressive Paudie Ahern, and Gavin Dooley, with Mikey Boyle availing of a defensive mistake to find the net in the 54th minute.

However, Westmeath kept the scoreboard ticking over to emerge as deserving six-point winners against one of their main promotion rivals.

Scorers for Westmeath: J Gillen (2-6, 1-0pen, 0-5fs); N Mitchell (1-0); K Regan, C Doyle (0-2 each); C Boyle, K Doyle (‘65’), D McNicholas, J Galvin, S McGovern (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kerry: S Conway (0-5, 4 frees); P Ahern (0-4, 1 free); M Boyle (1-0); M Heffernan (0-2 frees); S Nolan, G Dooley, M Leane, F MacKessy (0-1 each).

WESTMEATH: N Conaty; D Egerton, T Doyle, C Shaw; A Craig, A Clarke, C McCormack; C Boyle, S McGovern; K Regan, J Boyle, N Mitchell; K Doyle, J Gillen, C Doyle.
Subs: J Galvin for McCormack (inj., 34), D Glennon for J Boyle (h-t), D McNicholas for C Doyle (50), S Williams for Glennon (inj., 57), A Cox for McGovern (67).

KERRY: L Dee; S Weir, F MacKessy, E Leen; E Ross, C O’Keeffe, C Walsh; M Leane, S Conway; S Nolan, M Boyle, C Harty; G Dooley, P Ahern, M Heffernan.
Subs: P Boyle for Heffernan (h-t), J Conway for Harty (47), F O’Sullivan for Nolan (65), N Mulcahy for J Conway (inj., 68).

Ref: S Hynes (Galway).