IN A FARCICAL situation in the Leinster minor hurling championship game at Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday, a Wicklow side which could muster just 13 players at the outset, did not retake the field for the second half.

To add to their woes Stephen O'Neill suffered a nasty injury midway through the half and Westmeath, already well in control, duly turned the screw to run out 9-22 to 0-0 winners.

A Stephen Boylan goal kick-started the rout and he helped himself to 3-3. Westmeath also had goals from Michael Heffernan, Darren Kilcoyne, Barry O'Meara (two), Killian Murphy and Stephen Bardon.

Also in the Leinster MHC yesterday, Kildare and Meath played out a 1-10 to 1-10 draw.