Westmeath show improvement in fine win over Down

Jekyll and Hyde in their prime were models of consistency when compared with the Westmeath senior hurlers in the first five months of 2010! After quite an insipid display in a second round defeat by Kerry a week earlier, Kevin Martin's troops raised their performance by several notches to qualify for the semi-finals of the Christy Ring Cup, with a thoroughly-deserved six-point win over Down in a very entertaining contest, played out in sweltering heat in Navan last Saturday afternoon.Páirc Tailteann looked resplendent for the curtain-raiser of a two-game programme on Saturday (how utterly tragic it was that Liam Tolan RIP was to participate in the minor football game later in the afternoon for Meath v. Offaly). A small Westmeath following was present on a true summer's day by any standards, including a couple of very courteous (and clearly well-travelled) fans who jovially took this reporter to task for his comments in last week's paper that "the visitors had virtually no vocal backing other than Westmeath County Board officials" in Tralee on May 15!Despite a quite hit-and-miss opening quarter, the winners settled into a rhythm by the interval, Joe Clarke's opportunist goal in the 31st minute giving them the lead for the first time, and they were never subsequently overtaken. The moving of Paul Greville (strangely out-of-sorts in his usual commanding full-back role) to full-forward proved to be a master stroke and the teak-tough Raharney clubman caused untold damage in the Mournemen's defence in the second moiety. With three minutes of normal time remaining, Dan Carty pounced for the maroon and whites' second goal and there was to be no way back for Gerard Monan's charges in the time remaining.The Westmeath team which started bore very little resemblance to the match programme, both in terms of personnel and positions, in particular. For their part, Down welcomed back marquee forward Paul Branniff, who had not started in the recent league tie in Ballycran and the Portaferry man was immediately to the fore, opening the scoring with a neat point from 30 metres. James Coyle followed up with a converted free from 45 metres, before Joe Clarke opened Westmeath's account with a great point from halfway (a fitting reward for a very brave block moments earlier). With exactly ten minutes elapsed, Eoin Clarke scored a fabulous point from near the sideline some 35 metres from goal and the ever-dangerous Paul Branniff made it 0-4 to 0-1 within a minute. Brendan Murtagh responded with a successful 45-metre free. The winners then spurned a goal chance, John Shaw hesitating at the vital moment when set up by fine approach play from Andrew Mitchell. Seconds later, the youthful Stephen Bardon (who continues to settle in well to the team) pointed neatly, but the scores continued to come thick and fast and a fine point apiece from play by Paul Branniff and James Coyle put the men in red and black ahead by double-scores after a quarter-of-an-hour (0-6 to 0-3).Brendan Murtagh soon reduced the deficit from play from 55 metres but this was instantly cancelled out by Connor Woods, who slotted over the rebound after Pat Burke had produced a great save from Paul Branniff's goalbound shot. Blaine Lahart opened his account at the midpoint of the half with a great score from 65 metres and the tit-for-tat scoring continued when Paul Branniff pointed a free from the halfway line (after Stephen Bardon appeared to be harshly penalised for 'overcarrying'). Blaine Lahart doubled his personal tally with a fine score under pressure from 55 metres, but James Coyle restored the losers' three-point cushion from a 45-metre free. A wonderful long-range effort from Darren McCormack just tailed off wide, but John Shaw compensated with a sublime point from near the terrace sideline. Directly from the puck-out, Eoin Clarke nabbed his second point, leaving Down ahead by 0-10 to 0-7. Significantly, Westmeath struck for an unanswered 1-3 between the 28th and 31st minutes. A Brendan Murtagh free was immediately followed by a fabulous score from halfway by Enda Loughlin. Stephen Bardon's long-range strike then came back off the upright and an alert Joe Clarke showed admirable composure to rifle the sliotar past two Down players for a tonic goal. Brendan Murtagh pointed a 35-metre free, after the rampaging Darren McCormack had been fouled following a great catch. James Coyle pointed another Down free, but impressive Westmeath sub Leo Smith responded with a terrific score after loose Down defending, with exactly 35 minutes on the clock. This left Westmeath ahead at the interval by 1-11 to 0-11.A rare error from Pat Burke almost gifted Down a score within a few seconds of the resumption of play, but the Ringtown netminder could certainly not be blamed for the losers' goal about a minute later, when he produced a really fantastic full-length save from James Coyle but was powerless to stop Stephen Clarke batting in the rebound. Dan Carty fielded Burke's ensuing puck-out and put his side into a lead they would never relinquish. Paul Greville was now manning the square where he had been defending in the first half and he was unlucky when his improvised effort went narrowly wide. Converted frees from the Clonkill duo of Andrew Mitchell (from all of 90 metres) and Brendan Murtagh (55 metres) increased the Lake County's lead, the latter player then being unlucky when his fine strike from play came back off the woodwork. A James Coyle brace reduced the gap to the bare minimum, sandwiched between which Paul Branniff came close to getting in for a Down goal. Brendan Murtagh then shot a fine point for the lads in maroon and white, but Paul Branniff responded with another converted free. With 15 minutes on the clock, Paul Greville opened his account with a great point, following a brave catch under pressure. A better pass from Stephen Bardon could have led to a Westmeath goal, while at the other end John Shaw (who had swapped with Greville at the interval) produced a great block on Paul Branniff. The winners needed to create some breathing space and three points without reply in as many minutes were therefore crucial. Sandwiched between two successful frees from around 40 metres from Brendan Murtagh, great play by Adam Price (who had a fine game all through) teed up Paul Greville for a lovely point.Paul Branniff reduced the margin to four points from a 50-metre free, before outstanding fielding by Paul Greville set up Blaine Lahart for a scoring opportunity, but the Castletown-Geoghegan man shot weakly. A dubious free to the Mournemen was converted by Paul Branniff, but Stephen Bardon replied with a marvellous point from the halfway line. A now-dominant Westmeath failed to convert any of their next three chances, with goalkeeper Graham Clarke doing very well to save from Dan Carty. However, there was to be no denying the Lough Lene Gaels man in the winners' next attack, great play from substitute Philip Gilsenan setting up Carty who buried the sliotar in the Down net, with just three minutes remaining, despite a valiant effort from Graham Clarke to keep the ball out. Paul Branniff tried unsuccessfully to blast a goal from a 30-metre free for an increasingly-desperate Down side and Pat Burke again did well to stop Aiden Clarke's first-time pull. Ciarán Coulter and Leo Smith (with a wonderful shot) exchanged scores, before a neat point from Paul Branniff with time running out rounded off match scoring, before Pat Burke produced yet another top-drawer save when he stopped a rasping shot from Down sub Jonathan McCusker. Westmeath could even afford the luxury of a rare missed free from Brendan Murtagh in the last action of a very enjoyable game.Frankly, it is becoming progressively more difficult to guess which Westmeath senior hurling team is going to turn up on any given day! However, it is not being overly-confident to suggest that a fully-focused side has every chance of annexing a third Ring Cup, but semi-final opponents Kildare are to sure to have other ideas come June 5. Final score: Westmeath 2-21, Down 1-18.Westmeath: Pat Burke; Eoin Price, Paul Greville (0-2), Adam Price; Ronan Whelan, Andrew Mitchell (0-1, from a free), Darren McCormack; Blaine Lahart (0-2), Enda Loughlin (0-1); Joe Clarke (1-1), Brendan Murtagh (0-8, 0-6 from frees), Stephen Bardon (0-2); Dan Carty (1-1), John Shaw (0-1), Andrew Dermody. Subs: Leo Smith (0-2) (for Dermody, 23 mins), Alan Dowdall (for Loughlin, 45 mins), Philip Gilsenan (for Lahart, 61 mins).Down: Graham Clarke; Paddy Hughes, Stephen Murray, Sean Ennis; Simon Wilson, Fintan Conway, Michael Ennis; Andy Savage, Eoin Clarke (0-2); Connor Woods (0-1), Stephen Clarke (1-0), Ciarán Coulter (0-1); James Coyle (0-6, 0-3 from frees), Paul Branniff (0-8, 0-4 from frees), Paul Keith. Subs: Darren Flynn (for Conway, 55 mins), Aiden Clarke (for Keith, 56 mins), Michael Hughes (for Wilson, 67 mins), Jonathan McCusker (for Coyle, 70 mins).Referee: Eamonn Hassan (Derry).by Gerry Buckley