Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Antrim 4-24 Westmeath 1-19

By Gerry Buckley at TEG Cusack Park

Westmeath's sensational win in Wexford seven days ago not enough to prevent relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup for 2024, as they were decisively beaten by Antrim in front of a big crowd in glorious weather conditions in Mullingar.

Conal Cunning (a free) and Ciaran Doyle (a ‘65’) traded early points, but Antrim looked the better and more economical side overall in the opening quarter. Goals in the eighth minute by Cunning (just after he had been booked) and Conor Johnston helped them to a deserved 2-6 to 0-5 lead by the 21st minute.

Antrim could easily have found the net for the third time in the 28th minute, but Neil McManus (after a great piece of fielding) was superbly denied by Noel Conaty. Doyle’s second successful ‘65’ left the home team trailing by 2-6 to 0-8 approaching the half-hour mark.

Owen McCabe then availed of slack Antrim defending to find the net. Joe Fortune’s men added four unanswered points before the break, the best of them from Niall O’Brien, and they led by 1-12 to 2-7 at the interval.  

The two-point deficit was wiped out within a minute of the restart with Keelan Molloy (after nine seconds) and McManus on target. The sides were still on level terms (2-11 to 1-14) after 41 minutes, but a fired-up Antrim took over.

Firing over some great points from a variety of angles, they outscored the home team by 0-10 to 0-3 by the 65th minute.

Substitute Eoin O’Neill rifled in a great goal some two minutes later, to more or less copper-fasten their place in next year’s Leinster championship. Midfielder James McNaughton scored a fourth goal in the 68th minute to seal a fully deserved win.  

Scorers for Antrim: C Cunning 1-9 (0-7 fs), J McNaughton 1-3, C Johnston, E O’Neill 1-1 each, N McKenna 0-3, N McManus, S Elliott, N O’Connor 0-2 each, K Molloy 0-1.  

Scorers for Westmeath: C Doyle 0-7 (4fs, 2‘65’s), D Glennon 0-4, O McCabe 1-0, N O’Brien 0-3 (1f), J Boyle, J Galvin (1s/l) 0-2 each, J Bermingham 0-1.

Antrim: R Elliott; P Burke, R McGarry, N O’Connor; G Walsh, E Campbell, C Bohill; J McNaughton, M Bradley; K Molloy, C Johnston, N McManus; C Cunning, N McKenna, S Elliott.

Subs: D McKernan for Bohill (inj., 11), E O’Neill for Johnston (61), R McMullan for McManus (70), D Nugent for Cunning (70+3).

Westmeath: N Conaty; D Egerton, C Shaw, J Bermingham; T Doyle, A Craig, R Greville; J Galvin, C McCormack; D Glennon, E Keyes, N O’Brien; O McCabe, J Boyle, C Doyle.

Subs: N Mitchell for McCormack (41), P Clarke for Craig (49), D McNicholas for C Doyle (59), C Boyle for Shaw (69), K Regan for McCabe (70+1).

Referee: K Jordan (Tipperary).