The Westmeath senior hurlers are still without a manager as they prepare to face Down in Allianz Hurling League Division 2 this Sunday.

The season is not long over and already there has been plenty of movement on the management merry-go-round ahead of 2011’s campaign, writes Fintan O’Toole.

Westmeath 1-10 Offaly 1-7

Leo Smith will lead the Westmeath attack against Dublin in Sunday's Leinster SHC quarter-final clash at Portlaoise (throw-in 3.50pm).

FINALS of any description can be a trigger for nerves but both Westmeath and Carlow will be approaching Sunday’s Division Two decider with an air of calm, safe in the knowledge the hard work is already done.

ALLIANZ NHL DIVISION 2A: Kildare 0-11 Kerry 4-13

UCD and Westmeath kicked off the Walsh Cup senior hurling competition, which began in earnest today. The students did enough to claim a 2-15 to 0-14 win at Cusack Park, Mullingar.

LIAM SHEEDY’S two-year term as Tipperary senior hurling manager will officially begin this evening when the Kilruane McDonagh clubman is ratified at a meeting of the county board.

Christy Ring Cup champions Westmeath are on the lookout for a new manager after Seamus Qualter's decision to step down from the position he has held for more than two years.

Westmeath manager Seamus Qualter has kept faith with the team that beat Carlow ten days ago and named an unchanged side for Sunday's Christy Ring Cup final against Kildare (Croke Park, throw-in 12.15pm).

Carlow lost for the first time in this year's Christy Ring Cup as Westmeath scored a 4-11 to 2-15 win over the Barrowsiders to qualify for the August 5 final at Croke Park.

Carlow lost for the first time in this year's Christy Ring Cup as Westmeath scored a 4-11 to 2-15 win over the Barrowsiders to qualify for the August 5 final at Croke Park.

Laois 3-18 Westmeath 2-20

Johnny Dooley, a former All-Ireland winner with Offaly, will act as coach to the Westmeath senior hurlers for next season.

Enda Loughlin has shaken off an ankle injury to be included in the Westmeath line-up for this afternoon's crucial All-Ireland SFC Relegation final against Dublin (Tullamore, throw-in 2pm).

The loss of centre back Darren McCormack to a cruciate knee ligament injury is a severe hit to Westmeath's hopes of holding onto their Liam McCarthy Cup status.

IT’S not often you see a manager smiling after his team has just been beaten by more than double scores, but that was the case in Mullingar on Saturday evening.

Westmeath manager Seamus Qualter has named an unchanged line-up for Saturday's Leinster SHC semi-final against reigning champions Kilkenny (Cusack Park, throw-in 7pm).

WESTMEATH senior hurling manager Seamus Qualter is confident that Kilkenny will not have matters all their own way in Saturday evenings’s Leinster SHC semi-final.

JOHN HAYES is out of Cork’s Munster SFC semi-final against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.

A LOT of people were shocked at Westmeath’s win over Dublin in the Leinster senior hurling quarter-final on Sunday; they shouldn’t have been.

THE first match of the 2006 Leinster senior hurling championship and the first shock.

Seamus Qualter’s Westmeath side made history in weather-hit Portlaoise as they ended Dublin’s Leinster championship campaign with a 0-13 to 0-11 victory.

Westmeath manager Seamus Qualter has included three championship debutants for Sunday's Leinster SHC quarter-final against Dublin (O'Moore Park, Portlaoise, throw-in 2.10pm).

Former Galway forward Justin Campbell has been taken on as coach to the Westmeath senior hurlers.

OLLIE BAKER will return to the inter-county hurling scene in 2006, as a selector with Westmeath.

Seamus Qualter's Ireland side lost today's Shinty/Hurling senior international 20-17 to their Scottish counterparts at Bught Park, Inverness.

The panels to represent Ireland in Saturday week's Hurling/Shinty International games at senior and Under-21 level against Scotland were announced today.

Down's hurlers may seek a replay after the first half of yesterday's Christy Ring Cup final last only 33 minutes.

Westmeath 1-23 Down 2-18

Seamus Qualter is set to take charge of Westmeath's hurlers following the departure of Tom Ryan as manager.

Michael Ellard and Brendan Larkin