'We are ready to give this our best shot' - Bulfin
Westmeath senior hurling manager Seoirse Bulfin has made two changes to his side for Sunday’s home game against Dublin in Division 1B of the Allianz National Hurling League.
Key player Niall Mitchell and Castlepollard’s Darragh McCormack are in from the start, replacing Darragh Clinton and Owen McCabe.
Westmeath are aiming to bounce back from their 2-25 to 1-19 defeat in Belfast last week. McCormack has been a prodigious talent at underage level and comes into the senior team at centre forward in an attack that includes vastly experienced players like Robbie Greville and the aforementioned Mitchell.
Westmeath are still without some of their more experienced players like Noel Conaty, Niall O’Brien, Davy Glennon and Aonghus Clarke. Killian Doyle is another notable absentee.
They face a Dublin side comfortably beat Antrim, 1-25 to 0-14, in round 1.
Bulfin has been impressed with the level of commitment shown since he took over from Joe Fortune last year.
“We had 26 lads, some of whom mightn’t have been exposed to this level of hurling before and they worked very hard,” he said following the game against Antrim.
“With 15 minutes to go they could have folded, but they worked very hard. Even after Antrim got a run on us they stayed focused. We got a goal and tapped on a couple of points, so I was very happy with the way they finished the game. They never threw in the towel.”
He is acutely aware of what they are facing on Sunday.
“We all saw what Dublin did to Antrim in Croke Park (round 1). They are a serious outfit and they are rightly favourites to go up this year from Division 1B. They are coming to Mullingar, but we’ll be ready for them and give it our best shot,” he remarked.
Westmeath team: Jack Gillen; Conor Gaffney, Tommy Doyle, Gary Greville; Johnny Bermingham, Aaron Craig, Eoin Keyes; Peter Clarke, Shane Williams; Robbie Greville, Darragh McCormack, Mark Cunningham; Eamonn Cunneen, Niall Mitchell, David Williams.
Throw-in time at TEG Cusack Park on Sunday is 2pm.