Derry minor hurlers finish top of their Celtic Challenge group

Derry 0-14 Westmeath 1-10

Derry minor hurlers came from behind to emerge one-point winners in their final Celtic Challenge round robin match on Saturday after a tough and physical encounter with a strong Westmeath team in Castlepollard. Played in poor conditions, this match provided Derry with a stern challenge after straightforward wins in their first two matches, and was the ideal preparation for them as they progress into the knockout stages of the competition where they will face other teams who also topped their groups. Having already secured a top two place, Derry gave their entire panel an opportunity to stake a claim on a starting place in the quarter-final and replaced nearly the entire starting fifteen at half-time.

Westmeath, fielding a stronger team than in their previous matches, took the initiative from the start and unsettled Derry with their pace and physicality around the middle third, with their half-forwards in particular in fine shooting form. The key score in the first half came in the 21st minute when Westmeath corner forward Luke Meyler latched onto to a long ball over the top to flick the ball past Derry keeper, Caomhan Irwin, to leave Westmeath in command 1-4 v 0-3. Derry were finding it difficult to create chances in their own attack, with only one score from play from Lorcan McDonnell, and were reliant on the accuracy of Mikey Kennedy from placed balls for their other scores. Derry got to grips with Westmeath's dominance in the last ten minutes of the first half, and scores from play by Ben McCullagh and Jude Bryson, along with Kennedy's third from a free, left the half-time score Westmeath 1-7 Derry 0-6.

Derry had seen what Westmeath were about and matched Westmeath's intensity from the very start of the second half, managing to restrict Westmeath to just three points in the entire half. The first ten minutes was largely stalemate with only one score, a point from play by Jack Convery for Derry, but from then on Derry grew stronger and reeled Westmeath in point by point. Two points from frees by Convery and Kennedy were followed by a fine point on the run by Convery and a well-worked team score by Ruairí Biggs that brought Derry level with five minutes to go. Westmeath's best player, centre-forward Padraig Casey, put them ahead again but that proved to be their last score. Derry equalised with a long-rage Kennedy free, and as the match went into additional time a sweeping move out of defence ended with Ryan McGarvey finding Biggs in the corner and he rounded his man to slot over the winning score.

Derry's quarter-final will be on Saturday, May 6, with opponents and venue yet to be confirmed.

Derry scorers: Mikey Kennedy (0-6, all frees); Jack Convery (0-3, 1 free); Ruairí Biggs(0-2); Lorcan McDonnell, Jude Bryson, Ben McCullagh (0-1 each).

Westmeath scorers: Padraig Casey (0-4, one free); Luke Meyler (1-0); Sean Hayes, Dylan Corrigan, Ryan Williams (0-2 each).

Derry: Caomhán Irwin; Malachy McCartney, Cathal Ó Mianáin, Fintan Quinn; Danny Gallagher, James O'Connor, Chris McCullagh; Mikey Kennedy, Ronan McCallion; Padraig McAreavey, Ben McCullagh, Jude Connery; Ciaran Henry, Jude Bryson, Lorcan McDonnell. Replacements (all half-time): Conall Moore, Lorcan Bradley, Kayne Ponsonby, Anthony McGill, Michael Walls, Ryan McGarvey, Dara McKenna, Jack Convery, Cathal Quinn, Connor Melaugh, Saul McCloskey, Caolán Connery, Ruairí Biggs.