Cunneen’s accuracy cements sensational win for minor hurlers
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship: Westmeath 1-12, Dublin 1-9
Westmeath minor hurlers pulled off a sensational – but fully deserved – Leinster championship win against a wasteful Dublin outfit in TEG Cusack Park earlier this afternoon, just the second time in 17 meetings at this level that the Lake County lads have prevailed.
The home team had the aid of a slight wind in the first half, and they were trailing by 0-4 to 0-3 when Mark Cunningham pounced for a fine goal moments before the opening water break.
Dublin were reduced to 14 men on the half-hour mark when Jack O’Shea was red-carded. With Eamonn Cunneen in fine form from placed balls, Westmeath led by 1-4 to 0-6 at the break, having shot just three wides to their opponents’ eight in the first half.
Points from Darragh McCormack and Cunneen (his third successful ‘65’) increased Westmeath’s lead on the change of ends, but a well-taken goal by Diarmuid Ó Dúllaing in the 38th minute tied the contest at 1-6 apiece.
However, Cunneen quickly pounced for a brace of points for the winners – a routine free and his only score from play from long range. Westmeath continued to hurl with great spirit and no little skill – as demonstrated by a sublime sideline cut from Cunneen in the 54th minute – to deservedly qualify for a semi-final meeting with Offaly next weekend.
Scorers – Westmeath: E Cunneen 0-9 (4f, 3 ‘65’, 1 s/l), M Cunningham 1-0, B McGrath, D McCormack and D Williams 0-1 each. Dublin: D Ó Dúllaing 1-0, N Hogan (3f) and T Brennan 0-3 each, D Peel, N Clerkin (f) and J O’Brien 0-1 each,
Westmeath: Jack Geoghegan; Mikey Lynam, Jamie Mulkearns, David Weir; Danny McCartan, Sean Leech, Cian McCarthy; Eamonn Cunneen, Mark Cunningham; Brian McGrath, Warric Kirby, Darragh McCormack; Brian Gaffney; David Williams, Peter Clarke. Subs used: Chulainn Dowd for McCarthy (h-t), David Maloney for Lynam (52), Killian Bolger for Gaffney (56), Oisín Loughlin for Dowd (60 + 1).
Dublin: Fionn Boyd; Sean O’Brien, Sean Gallagher, Sam Carthy; Conor Dolan, Paddy Doyle, Luc Ó Lochlainn; Neil Hogan, James O’Brien; Jack O’Shea, Aodh Ó Súilleabháin, Tom Brennan; Daniel Peel, Neil Clerkin, Diarmuid Ó Dúllaing. Subs used: Sean Purcell for Carthy (42), Sean Cooney for Peel (53).
Ref: Adam Kinahan (Offaly).
– Gerry Buckley