This was a big one for the Westmeath hurlers.
Under the raging Portlaoise sun, Michael Ryan’s team went out and did something that they hadn’t done in 50 years and that was beat Laois in the championship.
11 times these counties have clashed in the championship since 1968 and not once did the men in maroon emerge on top in that space of time.
However, playing in the first match of the first inaugural Joe McDonagh Cup competition, the Lake County’s luck was about to change in the O’Moore men’s own back yard.
Fantastic result in Portlaoise first Hurling championship win over Laois in 50 yrs@westmeath_gaa 2-21@CLGLaois 1-21
Sean Kelly’s first game and he got to meet two of our many heroes @NiallOBrien13 & @tommydoyle_3 and Manager Michael Ryan. #IarmhíAbú 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/z6FXs6KXCb— Sen Paul Daly (@senatorpauldaly) May 5, 2018
Tommy ‘Jogger’ Doyle led by example as he so often does from full back. Liam Varley out in front of him in the half back line was just as dominant while Cormac Boyle was inspired in midfield, scoring three fine points from play.
The two Nialls did the damage up top, with O’Brien hitting Laois for seven and sub Mitchell looking like a man with a point to prove when he came on from the bench in the second half, with his goal upon arrival proving crucial in the outcome of this tie.
Favourites Laois will have been disappointed to lose this one. Eamonn Kelly’s men were competitive in Division 1B of the hurling League while Westmeath were well beaten by Carlow in the Division Two final.
Westmeath Hurling Trio Derek McNicholas, Niall O’Brien and Tommy Doyle speak to us after a fantastic win today @officialgaa #gaa #iarmhiabu pic.twitter.com/1F9laB902g
— Westmeath GAA (@westmeath_gaa) May 5, 2018
However, the old adage proved true that the League is the League and that the championship is a different ball game entirely. Indeed, Westmeath manager Michael Ryan never had any doubts about the ability of his players, he just didn’t feel that their clever and fast attacking play is suited to winter hurling.
Speaking on Midlands 103 after the game, the Waterford man leaned one of the biggest rural myths in the GAA, that his team are ‘summer hurlers.’ On Saturday afternoon, Westmeath proved that there’s plenty of truth in the tale as old as hurling.
It also goes to show that you can’t always rely on the League as an indicator.
“We have good hurlers, there’s no question about that, but sometimes the physicality in winter doesn’t suit us. I thought today, right through the pitch, we were always doing the right thing,” he said.
“It was a great team performance, and we’re kind of a summer team, we don’t have the biggest team around but our use of the ball was very good and I thought we deserved to shade it.
Where brawn can trump brain in winter games, composure will usually win out in the summer sun.
“We made good decisions on the ball, and I always feel that success is a consequence of right decisions and today, we did just that.”
What laid the platform for Westmeath’s victory was their hounding of the Laois puck-out. They overturned Enda Rowland’s restarts on numerous occasions, with their high-press tactic paying huge dividends. Ryan confirmed that this was no fluke.
“We put a bit of work on it in training during the week. The opposition goalie is the only man on the other team who has the ball in his hand with nobody on him, so we worked on that, closing him down and today we had a bit of joy with it.
It’s a good start for Westmeath.
