Westmeath 0-18 Limerick 1-24
TJ Ryan’s Limerick hurlers booked their place in Monday morning’s draw for round two of the All-Ireland SHC Qualifiers with this nine-point win over gutsy Westmeath in Mullingar.
Limerick had to play the entire second half with 14 men after corner back Seanie O’Brien was shown a red card in the game’s 29th minute for a foul on Cormac Boyle as he shot for goal.
Westmeath were 0-13 to 1-09 up at half-time after playing with the aid of the breeze in the opening half.
Limerick had set the early pace and opened a 0-06 to 0-01 lead inside 10 minutes.
The visitors had key men Declan Hannon, Kevin Downes and Shane Dowling all on the mark in the early scores but the lead was soon eroded as Westmeath found their feet.
Captain Aonghus Clarke had the first Westmeath score from play in the 10th minute and it started a run of six successive points for a 0-07 to 0-06 lead on 21 minutes.
Niall O’Brien was ultra accurate from frees in this period with Brendan Murtagh also find the range.
Hannon and Dowling (free) hit back for Limerick and then 10 minutes from half-time came the Limerick goal.
It was Graeme Mulcahy that applied the finish after Barry Nash had made the initial shot for goal.
But Limerick didn’t build on the goal and again the hosts came with a run of points.
Aaron Craig, Alan Devine, Boyle and Clarke all used the breeze to land points.
Dowling had a Limerick point but it was captain Clarke that ensured the half time lead for Michael Ryan’s Westmeath, much to the joy of the home support in Cusack Park.
In the second half Limerick held the lead throughout but battling Westmeath kept in touch.
James Ryan and a Dowling free had Limerick ahead within six minutes of the restart.
Niall O’Brien hit back for Westmeath but then came a run of Limerick scores with five points gaining the advantage they held till the end.
Kevin Downes and Paul Browne had scores from play while Dowling had further frees and soon it was 1-16 to 0-14 to Limerick.
But the Leinster side would live to regret a missed penalty in the 12th minute of the half.
It was Brendan Murtagh that crashed his penalty wide of the posts after Daarragh Egerton had been fouled by Richie English.
Again an O’Brien free stopped the run but Dowling hit back with another two points.
Then came a Westmeath charge with Brendan Murtagh (free) and two from O’Brien cut the lead to 1-19 to 0-18.
In front of an attendance of 2,387, Limerick were to push home their advantage in the closing minutes with five points in a row.
Dowling from play and from frees, Kevin Downes and David Reidy had those points to ensure a comfortable win.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Seanie O’Brien, Dan Morrissey, Richie English; Diarmaid Byrnes, Gavin O’Mahony, Paudie O’Brien; James Ryan (0-1), Darragh O’Donovan (0-1); Paul Browne (0-1), Shane Dowling (0-14, 9frees 2 ‘65), Barry Nash; Graeme Mulcahy (1-0), Declan Hannon (0-3), Kevin Downes (0-3). Subs: Gearoid Hegarty for Barry Nash (49), Richie McCarthy for Dan Morrissey (59), David Reidy (0-1) for Declan Hannon (59), Alan Dempsey for James Ryan (63), Tom Condon for Richie English (65).
Westmeath: Paddy Maloney; Conor Shaw, Tommy Doyle, Tommy Gallagher; Aaron Craig (0-1), Aonghus Clarke (0-2), Alan McGrath; Cormac Boyle (0-1), Eoin Price; Alan Devine (0-1), Brendan Murtagh (0-2, 1 free), Niall O’Brien (0-11, 7frees, 1 ‘65, 1 lineball; Niall Mitchell, Derek McNicholas, Darragh Egerton. Subs: Robbie Greville for Derek McNicholas (46), Liam Varley for Alan McGrath (48), Kieran Doyle for Niall Mitchell (59), Gary Greville for Conor Shaw (68).
Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway).
