Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG

Hurling

hurling

Allianz HL D2A: Glennon inspires Westmeath to victory over Down

Davy Glennon was in excellent scoring form for Westmeath.

Davy Glennon was in excellent scoring form for Westmeath.

Allianz Hurling League Division 2A Final

Westmeath 5-19 Down 1-17

By Gerry Buckley at Semple Stadium

A well-taken hat-trick by former Galway player Davy Glennon enabled Westmeath to immediately regain Division 1 status by defeating a disappointing Down side in cold but pleasant conditions in Semple Stadium.

Wind-assisted Down started much the brighter and they had four unanswered points on the board by the eighth minute, two of them coming from centre half forward Paul Sheehan. They led 0-5 to 0-3 when Glennon rifled in a great goal in the 18th minute. Westmeath took control at this juncture and outscored the Mourne County men by 0-7 to 0-1 during the ensuing 16 minutes, with team captain Killian Doyle leading the way, both from frees and open play. A brace of successful placed balls in injury-time from Sheehan – a free and a ‘65’ – kept Down in touch, but Westmeath still led by 1-10 to 0-8 at the interval.

The midlanders had four points on the board without reply within six minutes of the resumption, and when Doyle pounced for their second goal in the 42nd minute there was no looking back for Joe Fortune’s troops. Down rallied briefly, but Glennon’s second goal in the 50th minute put Westmeath 13 points clear (3-16 to 0-12). Cormac Boyle rifled home a fourth goal in the 63rd minute. Down sub Chris Egan scored a consolation three-pointer in added-time, but there was to be no denying Glennon his hat-trick with time almost up.

Scorers for Westmeath: Killian Doyle 1-11 (0-7f), Davy Glennon 3-1, Joey Boyle 0-4, Cormac Boyle 1-0, Eoin Keyes, Niall O’Brien, Derek McNicholas 0-1 each.

Scorers for Down: Ryan McCusker and Paul Sheehan (1f, 1‘65’) 0-4 each, Chris Egan 1-0, Pearse Óg McCrickard, Caolan Teggart, Matt Conlon, John McManus, Tom Murray, Conor Woods (f), Daithí Sands, Eoghan Sands, Tom McGrattan 0-1 each. 

Westmeath: Noel Conaty; Darragh Egerton, Tommy Doyle, Conor Shaw; Aaron Craig, Robbie Greville, Jack Galvin; Cormac Boyle, Kevin Regan; Joey Boyle, Killian Doyle, Davy Glennon; Derek McNicholas, Eoin Keyes, Niall Mitchell.

Subs: Niall O’Brien for Keyes (45); Jack Gillen for McNicholas (56); Tommy Gallagher for Craig (56); Darragh Clinton for Mitchell (65); Johnny Bermingham for Regan (67).

Down: Stephen Keith; Matt Conlon, John McManus, Michael Hughes; Tom Murray, Conor Woods, Caolan Teggart; Pearse Og McCrickard, Liam Savage; Ryan McCusker, Paul Sheehan, Marc Fisher; Daithí Sands, Eoghan Sands, Oisín McManus.

Subs: Chris Egan for Fisher (42); Tom McGrattan for O McManus (44); Barry Trainor for Sheehan (55); Declan McCartney for Hughes (57); Niall McFarland for Teggart (70+2).

Referee: Kevin Jordan (Tipperary).