Westmeath rarely faze Kerry, even in Mullingar, but they should still hold whip hand

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in this game over the years it’s to be wary of hard and fast predictions, particularly when it comes to the Kerry senior hurlers. The Kingdom have a remarkable capacity to surprise, to reinvent themselves on the fly.

Go back five years and they travelled to the same venue they must visit this weekend for a game looking like they were on a hiding to nothing. Two weeks before they’d been walloped double scores by Antrim in Dunloy, 3-19 to 0-14.

The following week on these pages we wrote that it was ‘hard to look past a Westmeath win’ in Mullingar in the next game, given Kerry’s form coming into the fixture and given that the home side had already beaten Kerry in the Division 2A final that same year.

Instead of the game going along expected lines, however, the green and gold took the fight to the Lake county and actually emerged two-point victors, 1-21 to 2-16.

We left the ground that day shaking our heads in a combination of admiration for the doughty nature of that group of hurlers, and also at the folly of our own certitude that they were likely in big trouble.

At times this week we’ve felt a similar sort of certainly catch hold of us. Kerry, without Shane Conway and a whole host of other hurlers, can’t possibly hope to win in Cusack Park this weekend, can they?

Logically we think not and, yet, every time that thought crosses our mind memories of previous glory days in Cusack Park come to mind. A year after that famous victory the Kingdom had another in the midlands town.

With their 2-19 to 0-14 victory, Kerry put one foot in their first of three successive Joe McDonagh Cup final appearances. For whatever reason, Kerry rarely fear playing in Cusack Park.

In Stephen Molumphy’s first year in charge, Kerry went danged close to overhauling the home side in the Division 2A semi-final. Were it not for the first half dismissal of Mikey Boyle, we suspect they probably would have won that one too.

No, whatever it is, Kerry don’t ever fear making the trek to Mullingar and don’t especially fear Westmeath either. They respect them, certainly, fear, though, no, never fear.

Coming in from a reasonably encouraging Division 1B campaign – where they secured victory over Antrim and ran Limerick credibly close – Westmeath are the obvious favourites for the game.

They’ve got the more experienced side, the more settled side, they’ve been playing at a higher level, they’ve got greater Joe McDonagh Cup pedigree having won it in 2021 (seeing off Kerry in the final).

With players of the calibre of Darragh Egerton, Tommy Doyle, Robbie Greville, Niall Mitchell, Killian Doyle, Conor Shaw, Joey Boyle, and Davy Glennon they’ve guys who have been there and done that. That alone should have them at an obvious advantage over the green and gold.

Still for all that it’s a new Kerry team – a turnover of 14 players from last year to this not including the injured Shane Conway – Kerry aren’t without experienced hands.

Louis Dee in goal is very solid. At the back the likes of Fionán Mackessy, Eric Leen, Tomás O’Connor, Kyle O’Connor and Darragh Shanahan all have at least a couple of years under their belts.

Midfield, in the absence of Conway, could prove tricky. Michael Leane, though, could be deployed there quite comfortably (and to our mind, at least, he’s a more natural half-back / midfielder than forward anyway).

Up front, however, Kerry are for sure a bit light. Okay, Maurice O’Connor and Dan Goggin provide a certain amount of experience (not to mention quality), but you’re still waiting for the likes of Tom Doyle, David Woulfe and Killian Hayes to really catch fire.

There are hopes that Rathmore’s Luke Crowley might provide a jolt of quality there, but other than internal games he’s not hurled a game since January and is also involved with the Kerry Under 20 footballers.

Other than, maybe, a role off the bench how much can he be expected to feature? How much would be fair for him to have to play? Then again he was named on the bench both times for the Under 20 footballers, so might have some spare capacity (remembering he’s just back from injury).

The returns to the fold of Colin Walsh and Brandon Barrett are other pluses for the Kingdom, again though we can’t be sure how sharp they’ll be considering their spells on the side lines, Walsh’s longer than Barrett’s admittedly.

We’ll never say never when it comes to the Kerry senior hurlers, there is a chance here, even if only a slim one.

Nevertheless, this is a game Westmeath really ought to be winning. A team, which only lost to Limerick by six points, should be capable of seeing off a side with just one win over Meath in its column in 2024.

Verdict: Westmeath

JOE McDONAGH CUP (Round 1)

Westmeath v Kerry

Sunday, April 21

TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar 2pm

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