Westmeath qualified for their first Leinster under 21 'A' hurling championship final in five years last spring, only to succumb to a Carlow team that never looked like being caught after a dominant first half display. Earlier, Johnny Dooley's charges had recorded victories over both Wicklow and Kildare. After a few disappointing years for Westmeath in under 21 hurling, last year witnessed something of an improvement with the Lake County reaching the Leinster 'A' championship final for the first time since 2003. Victories over Wicklow and defending champions Kildare earned the maroon and whites a final showdown with Carlow at St. Loman's Lakepoint Park on May 3. Carlow, who have been making great strides in underage hurling of late, were rampant when favoured by the strong wind in the first half and held a commanding 0-11 to 0-1 interval lead. But despite staging a strong comeback following the change of ends, Westmeath left themselves with too much to do and were eventually beaten by five points, 0-16 to 0-11. While the campaign was an improvement on previous years, Westmeath were still bitterly disappointed not to have claimed silverware and earned the right to compete in the Leinster championship proper. The team was not short on experience, with Adam and Eoin Price, Robbie Jackson, Philip Gilsenan and Niall Kilcoyne all having featured for the senior side. However, Carlow fielded many players with senior experience themselves, and a number of them were also part of the minor team that played Kilkenny in the 2006 Leinster final. Under the guidance of senior boss Johnny Dooley, Westmeath were drawn against Wicklow in the first round for the second year running. And just as in 2007, Westmeath emerged as victors over a battling Garden County outfit at Kinnegad. After a one-sided first half which saw the home side lead by 0-14 to 0-3 at the break, Wicklow reduced the deficit to five points before a late flurry of scores sealed a 1-18 to 1-11 victory for Johnny Dooley's men. On a bitterly cold afternoon, this game was dictated to a large extent by a strong wind which favoured Westmeath in the first half. The Lake County made a blistering start with two points inside the first minute from full forward Niall Kilcoyne. Further scores from Kilcoyne, Christopher Flanagan, Padraig Fitzsimons and Ciaran Curley had eased the home side into a 0-9 to 0-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. It continued to be one-way traffic as efforts from Flanagan, Andrew Dermody and Kilcoyne extended Westmeath's advantage to 0-12 to 0-0 after 19 minutes. Andy O'Brien finally broke Wicklow's duck in the 21st minute before tagging on two frees to cut the deficit to nine points. But two points from Robbie Jackson ensured Westmeath of a big lead at half-time. Wicklow resumed with scores from Alan Driver (two), Andy O'Brien and Eoin Mason, while Westmeath had to wait until the 42nd minute for Eoin Price to register their first score of the half. The Lake County then re-established their 12-point advantage when Luke Folan, using the football skills he has undoubtedly perfected with The Downs over the years, booted the sliothar past Wicklow goalkeeper Michael Collins for the opening goal. Trailing by 0-6 to 1-15, there looked to be no way back for Wicklow but they were handed a lifeline when midfielder Driver pulled back a goal in the 47th minute. That score lifted Wicklow spirits no end, and a succession of points from Andy O'Brien, Driver and George O'Brien brought the margin back to five points with five minutes remaining. It was then that Westmeath upped their game and pulled away again. Andrew Dermody pointed in the 58th minute and a brace of late points from Kilcoyne (one from a penalty) finally ended the Wicklow challenge. Cusack Park was the setting for Westmeath's semi-final joust with holders Kildare on April 26. Johnny Dooley's side triumphed by 4-17 to 1-16, but such an outcome had appeared unlikely when Kildare led by four points entering the closing stages of the first half. But between the 25th and 29th minutes, Westmeath hit the visitors for 2-2 and went from trailing by four points to leading by the same margin before Kildare closed the gap to two at the short whistle. But the second half belonged to Westmeath whose ability to score goals proved the major difference between the teams. Kildare registered the opening two points, only for the maroon and whites to score the next three per Eoin Price, Niall Kilcoyne and Andrew Dermody. Kildare responded with efforts from John O'Malley, Aidan Ryan and Philip Quigley to establish a 0-5 to 0-3 lead before Patrick Ward was denied a certain goal by a splendid save from Jimmy Greville. Despite that missed opportunity, Kildare continued to take the game to the home side and points from Fergal Byrne and Donie Heffernan pushed them into a 0-8 to 0-4 lead. An Eoin Price '65' reduced the deficit before Niall Kilcoyne scored a cracking goal to bring the sides level. Before Kildare could recover, Luke Folan hit over a point to put Westmeath in front and the same player blasted a second major moments later to give the home side an unlikely four-point lead. In a frenetic end to the first half, Kildare outscored the hosts by 0-3 to 0-1 to trail by 0-11 to 2-7 at the break. With a slight breeze in their favour, Westmeath resumed with four unanswered points from Niall Kilcoyne (two), Robbie Jackson and Eoin Price. Scores from Patrick Maloney and John O'Malley kept Kildare in touch, but Westmeath were then awarded a penalty which Price duly rifled to the roof of the net. Kildare hit back almost immediately with a similar score from Aidan Ryan, but Westmeath kept them at arm's length with points from Christopher Flanagan and Noel Conaty. The Lilywhites reduced the deficit to five points once again before Lough Lene Gaels clubman Conaty put the result beyond doubt with a fourth Westmeath goal in the closing stages, and Eoin Price applied the coup de grace with his fifth point in injury-time. For the third game in-a-row, Westmeath were handed home advantage for the final against a strong Carlow team who had ousted Meath by 3-12 to 1-5 in the other semi-final. With Jack Rogers outstanding at midfield, the Barrowsiders were quickly into their stride and they posted the first three points. Eoin Price got Westmeath off the mark from a close-in free, but it proved to be their only score of the half as a wind-assisted Carlow continued to dominate proceedings. Carlow were much faster to the breaking balls and this was reflected on the scoreboard. They reached double-figures on the half-hour mark when Derek Byrne hit a marvellous point and after Christopher Flanagan was unlucky to see his goal attempt rebound from the post, Derek Byrne tagged on another point to leave the visitors sitting pretty on a 0-11 to 0-1 lead at the break. Westmeath were clearly facing an uphill task at the start of the second half, but they set about their task in impressive fashion by scoring four points - three coming from the stick of Eoin Price - without reply in the opening eight minutes. Carlow replied with a Cian Clancy point before scores from midfielders Price and Jackson left five in it with the final quarter still to come. Carlow grabbed the next two points before they had senior star Craig Doyle sent off for an off-the-ball incident. Westmeath reduced the gap to four points with six minutes remaining thanks to efforts from Price, Niall Kilcoyne and corner back Antoin Savage, but that was as close as they came as Carlow wrapped up the win with a Derek Byrne point in injury-time. The Westmeath team that lined out against Carlow in the Leinster under 21 'A' hurling final was: Stephen Bardon; Antoin Savage, Adam Price (captain), Shane Egan; Ciaran Curley, Philip Gilsenan, Alan Giles; Robbie Jackson, Eoin Price; Noel Conaty, Niall Kilcoyne, Christopher Flanagan; Andrew Dermody, Luke Folan, Padraig Fitzsimons. Sub used: Conrad Reilly. Tweet

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