Walsh Cup: Murtagh double sinks Faithful
January 23, 2012
Westmeath's Brendan Murtagh gets away from Offaly's Michael Verney during the Walsh Cup game at Kinnegad
The Lake County were 4/1 outsiders going into this match, but they impressed throughout with corner forward Brendan Murtagh top scoring with 2-6 (five points from frees).
Within seconds of the throw in, both sides were down to 14-men as Westmeath's Aonghus Clarke and Offaly's Shane Kelly were dismissed, virtually from the throw in.
Despite playing with the aid of a strong breeze, Offaly could not pull away from Westmeath and only for the free taking of Shane Dooley, they would have struggled more.
Indeed, Westmeath went in at the break leading by 1-5 to 0-6 after Murtagh got in behind the Offaly defence and coolly finished to the net on the stroke of half time.
Offaly rallied briefly in the second as Dooley, who finished the match with 0-9, seven of which came from placed balls kept them in touch before Murtagh second major midway through the half sealed their fate.
The visitors' woes were compounded when substitute Ger Healion was sent off with seven minutes remaining and it was left to Westmeath substitute John Gilligan to finish the scoring with an excellent point when under pressure.
Westmeath: S McGovern; P Fennell, A Price, C Jordan; D Fennell, E Price, P Gilsenan; P Dowdall (0-2), A Clarke; P Greville (0-1), F Boyle (0-1), A Mitchell (0-2 1f, 1 '65); B Murtagh (2-6 5f), D Higgins, J Shaw. Subs: A Dermody for Boyle (inj, h-t), D Carty for Higgins (47), J Gilligan (0-1) for D Fennell (65).
Offaly: J Dempsey; M Verney, P Healion, S Wynne; E Murphy, R Hanniffy, D Horan; J Bergin, S Kelly; D Dunne, C Egan, B Murphy; S Dooley (0-9 7f), D Molloy, S Ryan (0-1). Subs: G Healion (0-1) for Molloy (34), M Morkan (0-1) for Dunne (46), S Coughlan for P Healion (47).
Ref: P O'Dwyer (Carlow). Tweet
