Westmeath name team for visit of All-Ireland champions
David O'Reilly will make his first Allianz Hurling League start in Westmeath's daunting clash with All-Ireland champions Limerick in Mullingar tomorrow (Sunday).
O'Reilly from Rosemount plays his club hurling with Castletown Geoghegan and he impressed off the bench in last Saturday's heavy defeat to Galway. Owen McCabe of Fr Dalton's, Delvin's Darragh Clinton and O'Reilly will make up the half forward line for the meeting with all-conquering Limerick.
The presence of defensive ace Tommy Doyle - who was not involved against Galway - on the bench is a boost to Westmeath. Joe Fortune has been unable to call on several first choice players and he has confirmed that Castletown Geoghegan's Niall O'Brien has opted out of inter-county action for this year.
Speaking after the 4-31 to 0-12 defeat to Galway, Fortune praised the effort of the young players in his panel and called on all Westmeath supporters to get behind the team for the tough challenges ahead.
"I am very proud of the young lads that came in - Conor Gaffney, David O’Reilly, David Williams, all young boys that are starting out on their journey. It is a tough place to come to learn your trade and you earn everything you get up here.
“Galway, when they move the ball, are phenomenal, but they have different aims and ambitions than where we probably are at the moment," he said.
"It is my job to make sure we retain Division 1 (status). They (Galway) are bringing in All-Stars like Conor Whelan. I’m bringing in a young fellow, 19 years old, but that’s where we are at. The easiest narrative to put on it is I feel sorry for the team.
"We have a lot of lads to come back in. There is a lot of stuff being written about who is not involved. A lot of it is untrue. At the moment, I am very happy with the panel that is available to us.
"Davy (Glennon) is to come back in, Robbie Greville is to come back in, Killian (Doyle) is to come back in. Young (Jack) Galvin is gone to Australia, Niall O’Brien is not with us this year, but of anyone else I have asked in or wanted in, they are all available to me," continued the Westmeath manager.
Although Limerick will be far from full strength on Sunday, their starting team still contains such stars as Diarmaid Byrnes, Barry Nash, Darragh O'Donovan, Tom Morrissey and Seamus Flanagan, while the powerful Gearoid Hegarty is among the substitutes.
Limerick have won the last four All-Ireland hurling titles and John Kiely's charges will be bidding to complete a five-in-row this year, a feat never achieved in hurling.
Sunday's Division 1B game at TEG Cusack Park will commence at 2pm and tickets can be purchased online via https://gaa.ie/tickets
Westmeath team (v Limerick): Noel Conaty; Darragh Egerton, Johnny Bermingham, Conor Gaffney; Jack Gillen, Kevin Regan, Cormac Boyle; Michael Daly, Shane McGovern; Owen McCabe, Darragh Clinton, David O'Reilly; Niall Mitchell, Eoin Keyes, David Williams.
Subs: Conor Lynch, Jamie Mulkearns, Tommy Doyle, Peter Clarke, Joseph Boyle, Ciaran Doyle, Rian Holding, Mark Cunningham, Oisin Loughlin, Eoin Daly, Plunkett Maxwell.
Limerick team (v Westmeath): David McCarthy; Barry Nash, Emmet McEvoy, Aaron Costelloe; Diarmaid Byrnes, David Reidy, Darragh Langan; Barry Murphy, Darragh O'Donovan; Micheál Houlihan, Cathal O'Neill, Tom Morrissey (captain); Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Seamus Flanagan, Graeme Mulcahy.
Subs: Jamie Power, Conor Boylan, Ronan Connolly, David Fitzgerald, Joe Fitzgerald, Luke Flynn, Gearoid Hegarty, Ethan Hurley, Ronan Lyons, Patrick O'Donovan, Mark Quinlan.