Carlow subs keep Westmeath at bay

Half-time substitutes Ross Smithers and Mark Brennan made a massive impact on this vital NHL Division 2A tie at Dr Cullen Park yesterday, scoring a combined 2-4 from play as Carlow maintained their 100% league record.

Kevin Ryan’s side deserve high praise for dealing with the loss of talented right corner-forward Marty Kavanagh to a second yellow card on 25 minutes, at a stage when the home side led 0-4 to 0-3.

Westmeath depended hugely on centre-forward Brendan Murtagh and the Clonkill clubman finished with 1-10, all his scores coming from placed balls.