Round-up: Electric Ireland Leinster MHC
Laois overcame Antrim at Laois Hire O’Moore Park in Portlaoise. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Leinster minor hurling championship, Round 4
Westmeath 3-18 Offaly 2-14
Laois 2-17 Antrim 1-18
By Paul Keane
Westmeath and Laois have grabbed the two golden tickets to Tier 1 hurling in the Electric Ireland Leinster MHC.
And both counties had to fight to the very end to come out on top in tense Round 4 ties that decided which teams would advance from Phase 1 of the competition to the Phase 2, Tier 1 group section.
Westmeath, who previously defeated Kerry, will take huge heart from their Round 4 win having coughed up first half goals to Offaly's Jack Collins and Joe Furey to trail by 0-9 to 2-10 at the interval.
Two goals from Eoghan Beehan in the space of 60 seconds amounted to a sensational response from Westmeath in the third quarter, nudging them 2-11 to 2-10 ahead at that stage.
The sides were level twice before Westmeath pushed ahead with points from Conor Raleigh and Conor Williams.
Aidan Doyle wrapped up a hugely significant win for Westmeath with their third goal three minutes into stoppage time.
Laois, who'd also beaten Kerry as well as Kildare, conceded the first four points of their tie against Antrim but battled back quickly to lead by 1-2 to 0-4 after Oisín Gilligan's 10th minute goal.
LJ Cuddy, who scored 1-10 overall, registered the second Laois goal to leave them narrowly ahead at the break, 2-7 to 1-9.
Cuddy, Bobby O'Connor and Luke Hynes weighed in with second half points to make sure Laois stayed just about ahead in a tense tussle.
Jay Gault was the Antrim goalscorer and there were tidy points throughout the game from rising Saffrons stars Oisín McLaren, who top scored for the visitors with 0-11 in Portlaoise, James McGarry, Eunan Curry and Connlaodh McNaughton.
