Westmeath relegated after humiliating loss to Waterford

Waterford 7-34 Westmeath 0-24

By Gerry Buckley

Westmeath’s small cohort of diehard hurling fans endured one of their most torrid afternoons in many a long day in TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon when promotion-chasing Waterford proved far too strong for a weak home side in lovely conditions for sport. The winners were in no way flattered by their 31-point margin as Seoirse Bulfin’s winless charges were relegated to Division 2 for 2026.

In truth, the drop to what is effectively the third tier has been on the cards right from the first day in Corrigan Park last month of what has been a largely depressing campaign. While there were glimmers of hope in the Dublin and Offaly games, the performance at Westmeath’s GAA headquarters two days ago rests firmly – and charitably – in the ‘unacceptable’ category.

It is hard to drum up any positives from a Lake County display which – literally – had the far-from-gloating Waterford stats people in the press box checking their records to compare this demolition with others which the Déise men have dished out over the years. Having been caught cold by Carlow in round one, Peter Queally’s troops were – perfectly understandably – in no mood to waste opportunities to bolster their scoring difference, with promotion to Division 1A still not copper-fastened as a result of that setback on day one.

Waterford had the aid of a strong wind blowing towards the Dunnes Stores end in the first half, but Westmeath stayed well in touch for the opening ten minutes at the end of which they were on level terms (0-4 each). The winners’ white flags were garnered by Dessie Hutchinson, Charlie Treen (availing of the first of many examples of sloppy Westmeath defending), Conor Sheahan, and Stephen Bennett (a free). Three of the home team’s points came from Killian Doyle frees, with David O’Reilly scoring the fourth from open play.

However, when Bennett superbly teed up Kevin Mahony for the visitors’ first goal in the 11th minute, the signs were already ominous that more goals would follow. Doyle (opening his account from play) and Niall O’Brien (after the hard-working Mark Cunningham had seen his rasping shot come back off Billy Nolan’s crossbar) kept the men in maroon and white very much in touch, but their opponents went on to score an unanswered 1-3 between the 12th and 14th minutes. The goal was scored by Patrick Curran (Jack Prendergast providing the assist on this occasion), with Mahony, Bennett, and Prendergast chipping in with the points, to lead by 2-7 to 0-6.

David Williams stemmed the tide momentarily with a point, but the white and blue-clad outfit then took complete control and outscored their hosts by 1-10 to 0-1 between the 16th and 29th minutes.

Doyle converted a 24th-minute free, but he was not as reliable as usual from placed balls, while Waterford were much more ruthless with chances from play and frees. Their 1-10 was shared between Treen 1-2 (the goal in the 26th minute after cutting in along the endline), Bennett 0-2 (frees), and Hutchinson 0-3, Curran 0-2, and Mahony 0-1 (all from play).

Doyle (a free) and O’Brien (play) pointed for Westmeath, with Mahony and Mark Fitzgerald responding for the Munster men. A minimum of two minutes’ injury-time was signalled. Sub Shane Williams pointed from a tight angle, but Waterford piled on further misery for the hosts in the closing minutes with a point apiece from Prendergast and Sheahan, either side of Treen’s second goal, gifted to him by woeful Westmeath defending. The contest was already well and truly settled at the interval, with Waterford leading by 4-21 to 0-11.

The teams equally shared six points in the opening ten minutes of the second moiety – Doyle (a free and a ‘65’) and Cunningham for Westmeath, and sub Shane Bennett (play) and Stephen Bennett (two frees) for Waterford. In the 48th minute, the winners pounced for their fifth goal when a fabulous run by Jack Prendergast teed up Hutchinson for a well-taken three-pointer. This left them ahead by 5-24 to 0-14.

Westmeath had only pride to play for at this juncture, but they never remotely looked like eating into the yawning gap between the sides despite edging the next quarter of an hour by 0-7 (three from Doyle – including two frees, two from O’Brien, and one each from Shane Williams and David Williams – a free) to 0-6 (two apiece from Stephen Bennett – frees – and Mahony, and Prendergast and sub Padraig Fitzgerald – one each).

The crowd, mainly supporting the visitors, had long since fallen quiet, but there was a great cheer approaching the hour mark when former Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson was introduced after taking a sabbatical from the inter-county game.

Waterford sub Sean Walsh scored a quickfire brace of goals within 90 seconds of his introduction. Cunningham, Williams (a free), and Eamon Cunneen pointed for the losers, before the Déise men wrapped up a ridiculously easy win with late points from the sticks of Stephen Bennett (two, including a free), Mahony, and Shane Bennett.

Westmeath’s woes were compounded when Cunningham picked up his second yellow card on the 70-minute mark to round off a truly miserable afternoon.

Scorers - Waterford: Stephen Bennett 0-10 (8f), C Treen 2-3, K Mahony 1-6, D Hutchinson 1-4, S Walsh 2-0, P Curran 1-2, J Prendergast 0-3, C Sheahan, Shane Bennett 0-2 each, P Fitzgerald, M Fitzgerald 0-1 each. Westmeath: K Doyle 0-11 (8f, 1'65'), N O'Brien 0-4, D Williams 0-3 (2f), M Cunningham, S Williams 0-2 each, D O'Reilly, E Cunneen 0-1 each.

Waterford: Billy Nolan; Seamus Fitzgerald, Conor Prunty, Ian Kenny; Gavin Fives, Mark Fitzgerald, Kieran Bennett; Kevin Mahony, Conor Sheahan; Peter Hogan, Charlie Treen, Jack Prendergast; Dessie Hutchinson, Stephen Bennett, Patrick Curran. Subs used: Shane Bennett for Fives (h-t), Darragh Lyons for Hogan (40), Padraig Fitzgerald for Treen (50), Austin Gleeson for Curran (58), Sean Walsh for Prunty (63).

Westmeath: Ciaran O’Brien; Conor Gaffney, Johnny Bermingham, Gary Greville; Adam Ennis, Robbie Greville, Eoin Keyes; Peter Clarke, Davy Glennon; David Williams, Killian Doyle, Mark Cunningham; Eamon Cunneen, Niall O’Brien, David O’Reilly. Subs used: Tommy Doyle for Ennis (30), Shane Williams for G Greville (33), Niall Mitchell for Glennon (h-t), Aaron Craig for Keyes (h-t), Darragh McCormack for K Doyle (60).

Ref: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).