Offaly win with ease to set up clash with Cats

Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Knockout Round 2

Offaly 0-17 Westmeath 0-6

By Gerry Buckley

Reigning Leinster minor hurling champions Offaly claimed an 11-point win over Westmeath in what was an often-scrappy encounter at TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon

Despite starting the match in promising fashion, Westmeath ultimately bowed out tamely from the Leinster championship in pleasant conditions in Mullingar.

Pat Clarke’s charges put it to up the holders in the first half, and were only a point down after 34 minutes. However, the tricoloured outfit took over at that juncture and, in truth, they ended up as very comfortable winners.

Westmeath started very brightly and they had two well-worked points on the board in the opening 90 seconds via Darragh Smith and Joe Mulvaney. Eight scoreless minutes ensued before a quick-fire brace from Liam O'Riordan (a 45-metre free and a great score from play) had Offaly on level terms.

Conor Heffernan’s successful free from just inside his own half – the sliotar having been moved forward for dissent – edged the young men in maroon and white ahead again in the 12th minute. Play was disjointed at this stage, but Kian Loughlin’s assured goalkeeping kept Westmeath’s noses in front until the 21st minute when O’Riordan pointed neatly.

The visitors took the lead for the first time at the end of a counter attack in the 25th minute courtesy of Cillian Bourke. Stylish Offaly half-back Mark Mulrooney doubled his team’s advantage in the 27th minute. A minute before the end of normal time, Darragh Scully cut in from the right wing and slotted the ball over the crossbar from a tight angle. The Faithful County lads led by 0-6 to 0-3 at the interval.

A very good point within 30 seconds of the resumption of play by Caolan Ready and a routine Heffernan free some three minutes later had the deficit down to the bare minimum. However, that was as good as it got for the home team who only scored one more point during the ensuing half-hour, Mulvaney neatly doubling his haul in the 43rd minute.

For their part, Offaly took control in most sectors and they slotted over a range of quality points against a somewhat deflated Westmeath side. A fabulous solo point from Mulrooney preceded points from Bourke (shortly after the outstanding Jack Murtagh had superbly hooked Niall Flannery who looked set to find the net) and Mulrooney again. The aforementioned point from Mulvaney was cancelled out by a Scully score, leaving Enda Mulhare’s troops ahead by 0-10 to 0-6 at the end of the third quarter.

In truth, the final quarter was virtually all one-way traffic, despite Conor Leech twice coming close to finding a gap in the winners’ solid rearguard. Offaly won in a canter courtesy of seven unanswered points from the sticks of lively substitute Ajay Cleary, Scully (a free), O’Riordan (three, the first of them from a free), Bourke, and Gearóid Maher (a long-range free deep into added-time to round off match scoring).

Man of the match: Mark Mulrooney (Offaly). The wing-back scored three quality points from play and always looked a classy player in possession.

Key moment: Offaly’s scoring burst at the start of the final quarter opened up a significant gap at a crucial juncture.

Match stats: Wides: Offaly 9 (first half, 4); Westmeath 9 (5). Yellow cards: Offaly 2 – N Flannery, R Carney; Westmeath 1 – C Heffernan.

Match officials: Matthew Redmond had a fine match in charge of the whistle, devoid of controversy.

What's next: Offaly now face Kilkenny in this Sunday's Leinster quarter-final (Faithful Fields, 12.00).

Scorers - Offaly: L O'Riordan 0-6 (2f), M Mulrooney, C Bourke and D Scully (1f) 0-3 each, G Maher (f) and A Cleary 0-1 each. Westmeath: J Mulvaney and C Heffernan (2f) 0-2 each, D Smith and C Ready 0-1 each.

Offaly: Eanna Mulhare; Caelum Larkin, Richard Bracken, Daire Daly; Luke Bracken, Gearóid Maher, Mark Mulrooney; James O'Sullivan, Harry Sweeney; Dylan Hollywood, Liam O'Riordan, Niall Flannery; Cillian Bourke, Rob Carney, Darragh Scully. Subs used: Ajay Cleary for Sweeney (41 mins), James Morkan for Carney (45), Niall Kelly for Flannery (57).

Westmeath: Kian Loughlin; Mikey Weir, Jack Murtagh, Darragh Kenny; Darragh Smith, Connaire Martin, Neale Pierson; Carl McCormack, Joe Mulvaney; Conor Leech, Winston Larkin McHugh, Eoin Meehan; Conor Heffernan, Caolan Ready, Ben McNamee. Subs used: Cormac McKeogh for McNamee (h-t), Dylan Corrigan for Larkin McHugh (46 mins), Conor Daly for McCormack (58), Sean Hayes for Meehan (58).

Referee: Matthew Redmond (Kildare).