By Mike Fitzpatrick
Westmeath 3-13, Tipperary 1-14
The smile on Tom Nugent’s face at full time said it all.
Westmeath’s senior hurlers had overcome the odds, and gotten a most satisfactory result versus arguably New York’s best hurling side in this knockout tournament.
Coming into the tie without such an experienced and reliable player as Brian McCabe was never going to be easy for Westmeath. Throw in the fact that they were facing the on-form side in New York hurling, and it looked as if a heavy defeat would be on the cards. Well, there was a heavy defeat, but not for Westmeath. Dessie Costello’s Westmeath men deserve full credit for overcoming the odds and defeating not only Tipperary, but thrashing the form book while they were at it.
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