While they say one swallow doesn’t make a summer it is hard not to be enthused by the nature of this win over a fancied Carlow side. Without a win throughout the entire league and having parted company with manager Kevin Martin it is not surprising that most pundits had written off the Lakelanders chances.
Luck undoubtedly played its part in the outcome with a number of the Westmeath goals of the soft variety but they say you make your own luck. After a luckless spring nobody could begrudge them their bit of good fortune in front of goal.
Brendan Murtagh bagged seven points from frees while Brian Smith (two ), Derek McNicholas, and Andrew Mitchell got the all important goals.
New manager Brian Hanley has got his reign off to the best possible start and can now look forward to welcoming his native county to Mullingar. What a boost it will be for hurling in the county to have the likes of Joe Canning, Damien Hayes, and company in action in Cusack Park. The tribesmen will understandably be the hottest of favourites to clinch a Leinster semi-final spot but in sport anything is possible. I’m sure the newly appointed Athenry man will do all in his power to instil Obama’s mantra, “Yes we can” into his players and have a right good cut at the Galway men.
June 4 in Cusack Park is certainly a date for the diary.
