Castletown ‘in with a fighting chance in the final’ – O’Brien

“Overall, you’d have to be happy enough. We knew ‘Pollard would put it up to us. They are a strong and physical side. We hurled well in stages and our work-rate was good, but we still have a lot to do.”

These were the initial thoughts of Castletown-Geoghegan senior hurling manager, Pat O’Brien, after his troops had a relatively comfortable 4-16 to 3-10 win against Castlepollard in the first of the two Slevin’s Coaches SHC semi-finals played in sun-drenched TEG Cusack Park today.

In the end, the black and amber-clad outfit won by nine points, but their bainisteoir was understandably unhappy at the concession of two preventable goals deep into added-time.

“We showed a lack of concentration in the first half when the ball hit the post and our backs weren’t alert to it. It ended up in the back of the net,” O’Brien told Gerry Buckley after today’s game.

“It was the same at the end. I know we probably had the game won, but they got two goals that we wouldn’t be happy with. If we were only six or seven points up, you’d let a team get back into it with that type of lack of concentration. We need to be more ruthless. Listen, we got over the line and that’s the main thing.”

However, at the other end, the winners scored four goals which pleased the manager.

“Today was the first day that we actually got goals. We normally are unable to get them, but we’ve done a bit of work on that. Hopefully, if the opportunities present themselves in the final, we’ll be able to take them,” he stated.

Castletown’s big-names in the forward line came good last Sunday, but O’Brien expected nothing less. “The lads that we were hoping would lead did so today in attack,” he said. “There will be days that they will lead, and other days that they will get bottled up. You’d be hoping that we’d win good ball and get those key players on it.”

Looking ahead to next Sunday week’s battle for the Westmeath Examiner Cup against either Clonkill or Lough Lene Gaels, O’Brien was just pleased to be there.

“Finals are hard won. We were there last year and lost it despite being better prepared, as we had a full run at the summer with probably less football to play. We’re happy to be in the final and we’ll be doing our best,” he said.

The manager was pleased that a couple of his defenders got on the scoresheet, including corner back Aaron Glennon. In this regard, O’Brien stated: “We try to be positive in all lines of the pitch and strike when the chance is on. The corner back’s job these days is not just to drive the ball 100 yards down the pitch. He has to place the ball, and if a chance is on he has to go for it.

“Shane Clavin was out today and he probably will be for the final also. He had surgery for a hand injury. He is a big presence on the pitch. We were lucky enough to have had Aonghus (Clarke) back today. That was his first bit of hurling in five weeks.

“There’s only really one week to do a bit of work ahead of the final. The second week will be toning things down. Our lads are after playing three championship matches since our last hurling game.

“They were probably a bit rusty at the hurling. But we have to take it as it is. We’re in with a fighting chance,” he concluded.