Westmeath cruise past Royals

A far superior Westmeath team had no difficulty in disposing of the challenge of a very disappointing Meath side in the first round of the Leinster U-21 hurling championship. Before a small crowd at Cusack Park on Saturday afternoon last. Eamonn Gallagher"s charges now face Kildare for the right to meet the "big boys" of the province in the competition "proper" later in the summer. The visitors gave as good as they got in the opening exchanges, with impressive freetaker Michael Dunne to the fore. However, a brace of well-taken goals from Alan Devine and Andrew Dermody, in the sixth and seventh minutes respectively, put the winners well in control. Devine added another goal, with two minutes of normal time remaining in the first half and, despite the Royal County playing against the wind in the first moiety, the game was effectively over at the break, with Westmeath ahead by 3-8 to 0-3. Andrew Dermody fired in his second goal some ten minutes after the resumption and it was merely a damage limitation exercise for the men in green and gold from that moment on. With their impressive midfield pairing of Christopher Flanagan and Stephen Bardon in total control and almost half their side having senior inter-county experience, the Lake County lads were never in the remotest danger of losing their grip on proceedings. However, a late Meath goal from a close-range free, fittingly scored by Michael Dunne, took a little bit of the gloss off the victory by the maroon and whites. The game was never dirty but Offaly referee Tony Carroll was forced to issue three straight red cards late in the contest. Meath substitute Michael Lynch was sidelined for an off-the-ball foul in the 54th minute and, some four minutes later, a brief altercation ended with David Raleigh (Meath) and Robbie Jackson (Westmeath) being dismissed. A fabulous point from Andrew Dermody opened the scoring after a mere 15 seconds, but two well-struck frees from Michael Dunne had Meath ahead for the only time in the game after five minutes. Then came Westmeath"s opening goals, Alan Devine pouncing from close range and, within a minute, Andrew Dermody soloing goalwards before dispatching the sliotar past Matthew Bissett. Two Stephen Bardon points (one free) had the home side ahead by 2-3 to 0-2 at the midpoint of the half. Meath responded with a lovely point from midfielder Sean Dalton in the 19th minute, but it was all one-way traffic for the remainder of the first half. An excellent point from Christopher Flanagan was followed by other minors from Ciaran Curley and Andrew Dermody. With two minutes of normal time remaining, Alan Devine finished to the net in style for his second goal. In the closing minutes, Robbie Jackson and Killian Murphy got their names on the scoresheet, leaving the lads in maroon and white ahead by 3-8 to 0-3 at the interval. The wind seemed to have died down on the change of ends, making the visitors" task all the more formidable. Stephen Bardon and Michael Dunne exchanged points from straightforward frees, but Andrew Dermody opened a yawning 17-point gap when he availed of good play from Eoin Price and Noel Conaty to rifle home the winners" fourth goal. Sandwiched between two more successful frees by Michael Dunne, substitute Damien Golden rounded off a fine move started by Jimmy Greville with Westmeath"s tenth point. Andrew Dermody pointed neatly in the 20th minute, with Michael Dunne responding with arguably his best converted free of the afternoon. Jimmy Greville"s ploy of racing too far off his line before being dispossessed almost cost his side in the 22nd minute. Then came the dismissal of Meath"s Michael Lynch, soon followed by his side"s only goal when Michael Dunne buried a close-range free pass a posse of Westmeath players. Dunne chipped in with his only score from play in the 26th minute and, some two minutes later, the red-carding of David Raleigh and Robbie Jackson left the Castletown-Geoghegan man pleading his innocence. The respective full-forwards, Alan Devine and Michael Lynch (free) wrapped up match scoring in injury-time, with the Lake County well worth their 12-point winning margin. SCORERS - Westmeath: A. Dermody 2-3, A. Devine 2-1, S. Bardon 0-3 (2f), R. Jackson, C. Flanagan, C. Curley, K. Murphy, D. Golden 0-1 each. Meath: M. Dunne 1-8 (1-7f), S. Dalton 0-1. WESTMEATH: Jimmy Greville; Eanna Gallagher, Conor Slater, Darren Quinn; Shane Egan, Eoin Price, Robbie Jackson; Christopher Flanagan, Stephen Bardon; Ciaran Curley, Darren Kilcoyne, Killian Murphy; Noel Conaty, Alan Devine, Andrew Dermody. Subs: Thomas Gillen (for Gallagher, 35 mins); Mark Keegan (for Murphy, 36); Damien Golden (for Conaty, 45), Brian Slevin (for Curley, 56), Colin Murtagh (for Flanagan, 59). MEATH: Matthew Bissett; Eoin Potterton, Jimmy Boyle, David Kennedy; Ger Murphy, Padraig Keogh, Willie Mahedy; Sean Dalton, Ian Douglas; Malcolm Doyle, Bob Doherty, Michael O"Grady; Michael Kelly, Michael Dunne, David Raleigh. Subs: Barry Slevin (for Potterton, 25 mins), Derek Doran (for O"Grady, 25), Michael Lynch (for Doyle, 36), Richie Donoghue (for Kelly, 59). REFEREE: Tony Carroll (Offaly).