Westmeath 0-12
Kerry 0-10
Daragh Small reports from Cusack Park
WESTMEATH WILL PLAY in the top tier of the National Hurling League next year for the first time since 1987.
Joe Quaid’s men were crowned Division 2A champions at Cusack Park after a two-point win over Kerry.
For the second Sunday in a row snow fell in March in Ennis, but the small crowd of 715 in attendance were treated to a thriller.
Westmeath launched a stirring second half comeback and Killian Doyle scored some massive points while substitute Derek McNicholas sealed the win.
When these sides met in Round 2, five weeks ago, it finished in a 4-13 to 2-17 victory for Westmeath at Austin Stack Park in Tralee.
But last year’s beaten finalists trailed by 0-9 to 0-4 at half-time after they played against a ferocious breeze in the first half.
Westmeath captain Aonghus Clarke won the toss and his choice to face the elements looked to have paid off early on.
The Leinster men started well and raced into a 0-2 to 0-0 lead, after four minutes, with points from Niall Mitchell (free) and Killian Doyle.
Kerry hit back emphatically with three points from the influential Shane Conway and Jack Goulding’s sideline cut.
Mitchell halved the deficit but after Cork referee Nathan Wall took the injured Rory McGann’s place on the field, Daniel Collins and Shane Conway pushed Kerry further in front.
Westmeath couldn’t get the ball into their inside forward line and despite five wides Kerry found their range more frequently. Westmeath didn’t miss for the first time until 32nd minute.
But Shane Conway scored either side of Pádraig Boyle’s long-range effort and Kerry went in ahead at the interval.
A deflected Darragh Clinton point was the perfect start to the second half for Westmeath but crucially Kerry scored next. Padráig Boyle doubled his tally for a 0-10 to 0-5 advantage.
Allan Devine scored his first free and Westmeath were back within a goal when Killian Doyle landed a speculative effort from near halfway. Killian Doyle scored again and his fourth point was a free from deep in his own half.
That left the minimum between the sides and as the wind and the hail drove down Westmeath moved back level, through Killian Doyle, with Derek McNicholas giving them the lead for the first time since the seventh minute.
McNicholas scored on the hour and three minutes later fittingly it was Doyle who rounded off the scoring.
Scorers for Westmeath: Killian Doyle 0-6 (0-2f), Niall Mitchell 0-3 (0-3f), Darragh Clinton 0-1, Allan Devine 0-1 (0-1f), Derek McNicholas 0-1
Scorers for Kerry: Shane Conway 0-6 (0-4f), Pádraig Boyle 0-2, Daniel Collins 0-1, Jack Goulding 0-1 (0-1sl).
Westmeath
1 Aaron McHugh (Raharney)
2 Darragh Egerton (Clonkill)
26 Tommy Doyle (Lough Lene Gaels)
4 Gary Greville (Raharney)
6 Paul Greville (Raharney)
7 Aonghus Clarke (Castletown Geoghegan)
3 Conor Shaw (Brownstown)
9 Shane Clavin (Castletown Geoghegan)
15 Cormac Boyle (Raharney)
12 Joey Boyle (Raharney)
20 Killian Doyle (Raharney)
14 Robbie Greville (Raharney)
13 Allan Devine (Castlepollard)
21 Darragh Clinton (Delvin)
11 Niall Mitchell (Clonkill)
Substitutes:
10 Derek McNicholas (Lough Lene Gaels) for Mitchell (44)
18 Jack Galvin (Cullion) for Clinton (53)
5 Aaron Craig (St Oliver Plunketts) for P Greville (67)
23 Ciarán Doyle (Raharney) for J Boyle (73).
Kerry
1 J B O’Halloran (Kilmoyley)
4 James O’Connor (Abbeydorney)
3 Bryan Murphy (Causeway)
2 Seán Weir (Crotta O’Neill’s)
5 Paud Costello (Ballyduff)
6 Jason Diggins (Causeway)
7 Fionán MacKessy (St Brendan’s)
8 Daniel Collins (Kilmoyley)
9 Brandon Barrett (Causeway)
12 Padraig Boyle (Ballyduff)
11 Shane Conway (Lixnaw)
10 Michael O’Leary (Abbeydorney)
13 Jack Goulding (Ballyduff)
14 Michael Boyle (Ballyduff)
15 Jordan Conway (Crotta O’Neill’s)
Substitutes:
21 Dan Goggin (Causeway) for M Boyle (51)
18 Tomás O’Connor (Crotta O’Neill’s) for Costello (62)
20 Dáithí Griffin (St Brendan’s) for J Conway (66)
17 John Buckley (Lixnaw) for Weir (73).
Referees: Rory McGann (Clare), Nathan Wall (Cork).
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In the Division 2B final earlier today, Wicklow sealed promotion with a 1-9 to 0-9 victory against Derry at Inniskeen.
Roscommon lifted the Division 3A title after defeating Armagh by 0-14 o 0-11 in Pairc Tailteann. Finally, Longford were crowned Division 3B champions after they beat Sligo on a scoreline of 2-15 to 3-10 in the decider.
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