Williams steers Westmeath to dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Laois
Westmeath 0-22
Laois 1-19
(AET: Westmeath win 3-2 on penalty pucks)
On a night of high drama at Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise on Friday, Westmeath under 20 hurlers qualified for the Leinster Championship quarter-final following victory over Laois on penalty pucks.
Westmeath will now face Wexford in the quarter-final next weekend and Andrew Dermody's charges can look forward to a massive game against one of the top sides in the country at the this level.
Laois led by four points on two occasions in the first half, but showing great spirit and character, Westmeath hung to their coattails and were just a point adrift at the interval, 0-9 to 0-8.
Laois created the majority of scoring chances in the second half, but their profligacy in front of goal cost them dearly as they shot eight wides in that period and 18 in total over the course of the game. A more economical Westmeath side eventually wrestled control of the match from the home side when the outstanding David Williams converted a 65' in the 39th minute and a fascinating contest ebbed and flowed for a period.
The Lake County seemed destined for victory in normal time when Williams put them four points clear by the 58th minute, but were severely punished for failing to manage the game as Laois swooped for a superb equalising goal two minutes into added time. Full forward Jer Quinlan carried the ball the proverbial mile and his pass picked out Cillian Dunne, who belted it to the net with a clinical first-time strike. At the end of normal time it was Westmeath 0-17, Laois 1-14.
Into extra-time and Westmeath forged ahead again through the impressive David O'Reilly, but the sides were deadlocked at the end of the first period (0-20 to 1-17) and at that stage, penalties were looming large on the horizon. Both sides had slender leads in the second period and Westmeath came within a whisker of victory when Peter Clarke's superb strike was somehow prevented from going over the crossbar by the Laois 'keeper Brochan O'Reilly at the very end. One for Hawk Eye, perhaps, but at the end of a dramatic contest, it was all down to penalty pucks.
Laois missed three of their penalties, while Westmeath were more clinical, failing to convert just one and that after a fine save by Reilly to deny Eamonn Cunneen. Williams, Clarke and Mark Cunningham all converted their penalties and after Laois' Cody Comerford missed the target, the Lake County were through.
Both sides gave it everything and ultimately, it came down to very fine margins at the finish. There were great celebrations among the Westmeath players, backroom team and supporters, while Laois were left to rue their many missed chances as they lost in circumstances that traditionally would never be heard of in the GAA. Yes, both sides were well aware of the circumstances beforehand and it was terrific for Westmeath, but sport can be a cruel place, too.
SCORERS - Westmeath: D Williams 0-14 (11f; 1 '65'), P Clarke 0-3, D O'Reilly 0-3, E Cunneen and P Murphy 0-1 each. Laois: C Dunne 1-10 (0-9f; 0-1 '65'), C Comerford 0-4, P Brennan 0-2 (2f), N Quinlan, J Quinlan and B Duggan 0-1 each.
WESTMEATH - Sean Jackson; David Weir, Jamie Mulkearns, Conor Gaffney; Rian Holding, Mikey Lynam, David Maloney; Mark Cunningham, Eamonn Cunneen; Brian McGrath, Michael Doherty, Peter Clarke; David O'Reilly, David Williams, Peter Murphy. Subs: Josh Murtagh for Lynam (inj., 22), Oisín Loughlin for Weir (inj., 51), Calum McKeogh for Doherty (56), Cian McCarthy for Holding (inj., 4 ET), Lynam for Mulkearns (inj., 25 ET), Doherty for Murphy (25 ET).
LAOIS - Brochan O'Reilly; Lawson Obulor, Cathal Cuddy, Joe Pearson; Ciaran Flynn, Aaron Phelan, Philip Tynan; Cody Comerford, Tom Cuddy; Cathal Murphy, Cillian Dunne, Brian Duggan; Noah Quinlan, Jer Quinlan, Colin Byrne. Subs: Bobby Murphy for Tynan (41), James Cuddy for Duggan (45), Padraig Brennan for Murphy (54), Murphy for Dunne (7 ET), Finn Culleton for Phelan (inj., 17 ET), Dunne for Byrne (17 ET).
REF - Adam Kinahan (Offaly).