Unimpressive Westmeath flattered by five-point win

Christy Ring Cup First Round -- Westmeath 5-15, Derry 3-16 (after extra-time) -- You would not want to have a weak heart when supporting Westmeath's senior hurling teams in recent weeks! After their last-gasp survival in Division Two against Down, Kevin Martin's charges used another 'get out of jail' card last Saturday in Cusack Park, Andrew Mitchell's converted '65' with literally the last puck of the match earning a scarcely-deserved draw against another Ulster side, Derry, before an improved display in extra-time eventually confined a justifiably-gutted Oak Leaf side to the losers' section of the Christy Ring Cup.A five-point winning margin undoubtedly flattered the home side. Despite Westmeath going a goal in front after only 25 seconds, Derry looked very likely winners for long periods, leading by six points at the interval after playing with the wind. Derry only scored once in the second half, Paddy McCloskey nabbing his second goal in the 47th minute, but James O'Kane's side seemed sure to cause a shock when five points to the good with only four minutes of normal time remaining and playing with a spare man, Alan Dowdall having been dismissed in the 62nd minute. However, a goal from Brendan Murtagh and a great point from John Shaw reduced the gap to the bare minimum, before Andrew Mitchell kept his composure to fire home the equaliser.The winners struck with a goal apiece from substitutes Andrew Dermody and Johnny Hardman (who had come on to make up 15 players) in the opening four minutes of extra-time. A fortuitous goal from centre half back Peter O'Kane brought Derry right back into contention and they trailed by just two points at half-time in extra-time. However, Westmeath edged further ahead in the second ten-minute period to secure a precious victory.A small crowd turned up on a very pleasant afternoon in Mullingar in the hope of seeing a quality match. In that regard, they were to be disappointed with most of the fare on offer mediocre in the extreme. However, for sheer drama the game was worth the admission money, even if the long journey home northwards will have been painful for the handful of red and white-clad fans, who looked sure to be celebrating a shock victory as the minutes ticked away. To Westmeath's credit, they dug deep when the odds were stacked against them but, in truth, the overall display was often painfully reminiscent of the very poor performances in the early rounds of this year's topsy-turvy National League campaign.Derry had the advantage of the significant wind blowing into the Dunnes Stores end of Cusack Park in the first moiety, but it was Westmeath who got off to a dream start, Joe Clarke's deft touch adding to Leo Smith's long drive and diverting the ball to the net, with less than half-a-minute elapsed. The first of a plethora of needlessly-conceded frees soon gave ultra-reliable freetaker Ruairí Convery the chance to convert a 45-metre free. Brendan McLoughlin and Paul Greville (the first of many from the Raharney man) both produced great catches as Derry began to dominate proceedings. Ciaran Curley restored the winners' three-point advantage with a neat score in the ninth minute. Philip Gilsenan failed to react quickly enough to poke the sliotar home after a handling error by Derry netminder Darryl McDermott, before Brendan Murtagh (who, by his own lofty standards, had not one of his better days in the maroon and white jersey, despite chalking up 2-4 overall) slotted over a 40-metre free. Within a minute, Derry pounced for their first goal, burly corner forward Paddy McCloskey bundling the ball to the net from point-blank range. Eoin Price, who worked tirelessly throughout, then struck for a classy point, but Ruairí Convery quickly cancelled this out from a 40-metre free. The same player tied up the scores in the 16th minute with a tremendous free from all of 80 metres.Derry were winning almost all of the 50/50 balls up for grabs and they deservedly took the lead courtesy of a Mickey Conway point from 55 metres. Brendan Murtagh responded with a converted free from 45 metres, but the very determined Ulster men proceeded to rattle off no less than seven unanswered points between the 22nd and 31st minutes, Ruairí Convery (four, the first three of which came from frees), left half forward Paddy Henry, substitute Diarmuid Brunton and overlapping full back Oisín McCloskey being the men on target. With three minutes of normal time remaining in the first half, Brendan Murtagh buried the sliotar in the Derry net from a 25-metre and an immediate point from Ciaran Curley reduced the deficit to three points. However, the visitors finished the half strongly, adding three points without reply from the sticks of Diarmuid Brunton, Ruairí Convery (another free) and a terrific point from near the terrace sideline from substitute Alan Grant. This left Derry ahead by 1-14 to 2-5 at the interval.After Brendan Murtagh was narrowly wide, his Clonkill team-mate Eoin Price pointed in style for Westmeath in the fourth minute of the second half. Scrappy play continued from both sides, but the winners had the better of the exchanges with a point apiece from Alan Dowdall and a third on the day from Ciaran Curley (seconds before he was replaced, much to his displeasure). Ruairí Convery shot his first wide of the afternoon from a placed ball before a Westmeath 'goal' was correctly disallowed, with returning star Enda Loughlin deemed to be in the square when he 'scored'. The losers responded with a perfectly good goal, Paddy Henry teeing up Paddy McCloskey who buried the sliotar past Brendan McLoughlin from 15 metres, despite the O'Tooles' netminder getting his hurley to the shot. Brendan Murtagh was unable to replicate his earlier goalscoring heroics from a close-range free, Cathal Brunton getting his stick to the well-struck shot. Still six points in arrears, Westmeath's woes were compounded when Alan Dowdall was dismissed for dissent, seconds after receiving a yellow card, also for dissent when over-reacting to a free awarded against him for overcarrying. Brendan Murtagh pointed a 50-metre free in the 29th minute and, moments after hitting a 'fresh air' as he attempted to add to Eoin Price's through ball, Murtagh struck for Westmeath's third goal, rifling the ball home from a tight angle some 20 metres from goal. In the last minute of normal time, the hitherto-subdued John Shaw fired over an inspirational point to leave just a point between the sides. When substitute Andrew Dermody shot wide from a first-time pull, it looked as if Westmeath were heading for the 'back door' in the Ring Cup but, with the stipulated added-time of two minutes just up, Andrew Mitchell played a captain's part by dissecting the posts from a '65', after Sean McCullagh put the ball over his own endline. A massive collective sigh of relief was almost audible from the home fans, with the scoreboard reading: Westmeath 3-11 Derry 2-14.Johnny Hardman came on at the start of extra-time to restore Westmeath's numbers to 15. Andrew Dermody put the home team a goal ahead after only 30 seconds, after taking Joe Clarke's pass. The aforementioned Hardman doubled this advantage some three minutes later, with an opportunist finish following fine play from another sub, Blaine Lahart. Gareth O'Kane kicked the ball wide for a visibly-tiring Derry side, but Cathal Brunton had better fortune with a shot for a point in the eighth minute. Ruairí Convery's shot for a goal from a close-range free was saved by Brendan McLoughlin, but the goalkeeper will be disappointed to have let in Peter O'Kane's speculative effort from all of 85 metres, in the last action of the first ten-minute period of extra-time. The scoreboard now read: Westmeath 5-11 Derry 3-15.Westmeath, with Paul Greville very prominent in defence, wrapped up victory by outscoring their opponents by 0-4 to 0-1 in the second period of extra-time. A routine free from Brendan Murtagh was followed by a neat point from Stephen Bardon, after a brave block from Enda Loughlin. The latter player then got his own name on the scoresheet with a marvellous point from 60 metres near the sideline. Ruairí Convery nabbed his ninth point of the game with a converted free, surprisingly opting not to go for goal with only two minutes remaining. Stephen Bardon rounded off match scoring with a tidy finish, after Dan Carty's shot came back off the woodwork, leaving Westmeath winners by a very flattering five points.With Kerry having negotiated a very tricky first-round assignment in Newry, the Kingdom's hurlers will be fired up to take another Division Two scalp next weekend, when Westmeath make the long trek to the south-west. The visitors will certainly need to focus for the entire 70 minutes if they are to gain automatic entry to the Ring Cup penultimate round.Scorers: Westmeath: B. Murtagh 2-4 (1-4 from frees), J. Clarke, A. Dermody and J. Hardman 1-0 each, C. Curley 0-3, E. Price and S. Bardon 0-2 each, J. Shaw, A. Mitchell (from a '65'), A. Dowdall, and E. Loughlin 0-1 each. Derry: R. Convery 0-9 (0-8 from frees), P. McCloskey 2-0, P. O'Kane 1-0, D. Brunton 0-2, O. McCloskey, C. Brunton, M. Conway, P. Henry and A. Grant 0-1 each.Westmeath: Brendan McLoughlin; Conor Jordan, Paul Greville, Adam Price; John Shaw, Andrew Mitchell, Darren McCormack; Alan Dowdall, Leo Smith; Eoin Price, Brendan Murtagh, Joe Clarke; Ciaran Curley, Philip Gilsenan, Dan Carty. Subs: Subs: Stephen Bardon (for Smith, half-time), Blaine Lahart (for Curley, 46 mins), Enda Loughlin (for Gilsenan, 46 mins), Andrew Dermody (for Carty, 50 mins), Johnny Hardman (start of extra-time to make up 15 players), Dan Carty (for Clarke, e/t 16 mins), Kevin Brazil (for Murtagh, e/t 18 mins).Derry: Darryl McDermott; Sean McCullagh, Oisín McCloskey, Ruairí McCloskey; Conall McCloskey, Peter O'Kane, Cathal Brunton; Sean McNicholl, Aaron Kelly; Gavin Kelly, Mickey Conway, Paddy Henry; Paddy McCloskey, Ruairí Convery, Sean McBride. Subs: Alan Grant (for McBride, inj, 8 mins), Diarmuid Brunton (for Conway, 24 mins), Darragh McCloskey (for McNicholl, inj, 39 mins), Gareth O'Kane (for G. Kelly, 52 mins), Eugene McGuckin (for A. Kelly, e/t 6 mins).Referee: Seamus Roche (Tipperary).Footnote. Prior to the game, a minute's silence was observed in memory of Nancy Flynn from Raharney, grandmother of Westmeath full back, Paul Greville.by Gerry Buckley