Mark McHugh welcomes O’Byrne Cup return as Westmeath reach final

Mark McHugh has led his Westmeath side into the final of the O’Byrne Cup after defeating Offaly on Saturday afternoon.

The Kilcar man saw his side defeat Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly’s men by 5-10 to 2-8 in Mullingar, thanks to a strong start as they went 1-5 to 0-0 ahead.

They kept their neighbours at bay for the remainder of the game, and a brace from Brandon Kelly and Danny McCartan, along with one goal from Senan Baker ensured their passage to the final, where they will face Kildare on Friday, January 16.

Like the McKenna Cup, it’s a return of the O’Byrne Cup after a year away and McHugh has been happy to use it to build ahead of their Division 3 campaign.

"We are pleased with the attacking display, but realise there is significant room for improvement around midfield, as Offaly took over for a spell after the break,” McHugh said after the game.

“The O'Byrne Cup offers a controlled environment and is a very useful competition for developing players."

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An All-Ireland winner in 2012. McHugh is in his first season in charge of the county, and he had to wait a bit longer for his first game as their opener against Longford was postponed last weekend, going through via a coin toss.

But he began his tenure with a 2-15 to 0-15 win over Louth in the quarter-finals in Mullingar on Wednesday.

“You'll always remember your first, is that what they say? We were very disappointed that the game (vs Longford) was called off at the weekend and we had planned for the last few weeks just to get a game, and it was a lovely day for it,” McHugh added.