Westmeath secure final spot as Scahill and McHugh lead the way

Westmeath have earned the right to compete in the All-Ireland Tier 3 minor football championship final after an impressive victory over Laois on Saturday afternoon in Tullamore. An impressive 2-1 from William Scahill and 1-5 from James McHugh helped Eoghan Kevlihan’s side to victory.

It was two points apiece after ten minutes, with McHugh and Mikey Weir pointing for Westmeath, and Ultan Dunne and Darren Brennan for Laois. The men in blue were on top after that, kicking four of the next five scores, including three from Dunne and a beauty from Seán Michael Ward.

McHugh pointed two frees in reply before Laois raised the game's first green flag when Dunne played in Calum McElroy who finished well.

But the game turned on its head three minutes before the break, when Laois goalkeeper, Liam Conroy brought down Scahill. The Shandonagh forward took the responsibility himself and duly converted.

The sides then swapped a point each, including a tremendous long-range effort from Jack Carroll, before Scahill grabbed a second goal for his team, fisting the ball into the top corner after a good ball inside from Andrew Henson.

That left Westmeath a point ahead at half time, up 2-5 to 1-7. But Kevlihan's side would have been much further ahead had they managed to convert a few of their eight wides in the opening period.

Laois started brightly after the break with Dunne pointing twice early on. But Westmeath hit a serious purple patch after that, scoring 1-3 without reply to go five points clear, including a well-taken goal from Cormac McKeogh and two lovely scores from Carroll.

They were now five ahead, but Laois came storming back, with Dunne kicking four points on the bounce. He and Weir then traded scores to leave just one point between them with five minutes left on the clock.

But just as they did before half time, Westmeath again finished extremely well, adding 1-3 in the closing stages. Garrycastle forward, McHugh raised the green flag that proved to be the nail in Laois’s coffin as Westmeath advanced to the final.

SCORERS - Westmeath: William Scahill 2-1, James McHugh 1-5 (0-2 frees), Cormac McKeogh 1-0, Jack Carroll 0-3, Mikey Weir 0-2, Daire O'Brien 0-1. Laois: Ultan Dunne 0-11 (five frees), Calum McElroy 1-0, Darren Brennan, Seán Michael Ward and Ennae Byrne 0-1 each.

WESTMEATH: Adam Buckley (Mullingar Shamrocks); Ben Sheerin (Mullingar Shamrocks), Cian Whitney (Moate All Whites), Daire Burke (Tubberclair); Ty Masterson (Mullingar Shamrocks), Adam Smyth (Maryland Tang), Jack Carroll (St Mary’s Rochfortbridge); Mikey Weir (St Loman’s Mullingar), Daire O'Brien (Tyrellspass); Andrew Henson (Garrycastle), Darragh Lough (Athlone), Cormac McKeogh (Killucan); James McHugh (Garrycastle), Ryan Flynn (St Paul’s), William Scahill (Shandonagh). Subs: Michael Moloney (The Downs) for Burke (42, inj), Paul Keating (Mullingar Shamrocks) for McKeogh (51), Sean Byrne (St Loman’s Mullingar) for Smyth (61).

LAOIS: Liam Conroy; Jack Murphy, Ben O'Connor, Fionn O'Sullivan; Hugh Connolly, Tom Corcoran, Jack Julian; Robbie Murphy, Ruairí Bourke; Calum McElroy, Ultan Dunne, Seán Michael Ward; Paddy Murray, Ennea Byrne, Darren Brennan. Subs: Conor O'Callaghan for Julian (42), Jack Ó Dea for McElroy (48), Sean Rowan for Corcoran (58).

REFEREE: Kevin Williamson (Offaly).