Carlow 1-13
Westmeath 2-18
It was a disappointing afternoon in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday for the Carlow U20 hurlers as Westmeath proved far too strong for them in the Leinster championship.
The spectators at today’s encounter would have been expecting a strong Carlow performance following a fast start with points from talisman Fiach O’Toole, Conor Kehoe and Jason Wall giving the home side a 0-05 to 0-04 lead midway through the first half.
That was as good as it would get for the hosts however, as two quickfire Westmeath goals saw the visitors take complete control of what eventually became a largely one-sided affair.
Despite two points from O’Toole prior to the interval, the Barrowsiders could not narrow the deficit to within two scores at half-time as the scoreboard read Carlow 0-07 to 2-08 Westmeath.
Three points from their trusty free-taker gave Carlow a lifeline as they got within five-points of their opponents but a strong spell from the midlands county saw them steamroll Martin Byrne’s men as they could not stem the tide of the game.
A last-minute goal from O’Toole was nothing more than a mere consolation as Westmeath claimed a deserved victory at the expense of Carlow.
