Adam Loughlin goal decisive as Clonkill edge out Raharney
Slevin’s Coaches Senior Hurling Championship: Clonkill 2-15, Raharney 0-19
Gerry Buckley reports
Age-old rivals Clonkill and Raharney served up a terrific contest for the good-sized crowd in very pleasant conditions at TEG Cusack Park last Wednesday evening, with the Loughegar-based outfit edging the Westmeath senior hurling championship second round game by a two-point margin.
The two sides already seem certain to figure in the last three in the race for the Westmeath Examiner Cup and there is a distinct possibility of a repeat of this fixture - be that in a semi-final or final - with no back door available for the losers. It is a mouth-watering prospect as, on any given day, there is no more than a puck of the sliotar between two very well-coached teams.
The standard of hurling was high from first whistle to last and they shared four points in the opening five minutes – Anthony Price (a free) and Shane Power (a fine score under pressure) on target for Pat O’Toole’s charges, with Killian Doyle (a free) and Eoin Keyes responding for Raharney.
The scores were still tied at 0-5 apiece with 20 minutes on the clock. Clonkill added points from the sticks of Price (after a Darragh Egerton lineball), Jordy Smyth, and Price (from a free), while David Hickey (a majestic solo score), and a Killian Doyle brace (a free and a wonderful individual effort from play) kept the scoreboard ticking over for the reigning champions.
The green and gold-clad side pounced for three unanswered points by the 26th minute, courtesy of Niall Mitchell (a long-range free), Andrew Shaw (rounding off a good move), and Price (a free).
Not to be out-done, however, Brendan McKeogh’s troops responded in kind with a Killian Doyle hat-trick (two frees – the second coming after Smyth spurned a great goal chance at the other end – and a great solo point from open play). It was 0-8 each at the interval.
The men in blue and white made it eight points without reply by raising five flags in as many minutes on the resumption of play, via Eamonn Cunneen (two), Robbie Greville (a great score), Ciaran Doyle, and Killian Doyle (a free).
However, the winners were on level terms again within seven minutes, with points from Price (a free) and Egerton (the latest outstanding solo score of the contest) preceding a close-range goal from Niall Dowdall, after Raharney failed to clear their lines.
Killian Doyle nudged the holders ahead from a 43rd-minute free, but their opponents raised a second green flag within a minute, Shaw feeding Adam Loughlin who gave Aaron McHugh no chance. Another Killian Doyle free and a point from play by his twin brother Ciaran, left the teams level at 2-10 to 0-16 with 48 minutes on the clock.
Two points at either end – Power and Peadar Scally for Clonkill, Killian Doyle (a free) and Rory Keyes for Raharney – levelled the game yet again with six minutes of normal time remaining.
The challengers finished marginally the stronger, outscoring the Deelsiders by three points (Shaw, Scally and a Price free) to one (a Killian Doyle free), but Clonkill needed outstanding catches from Mitchell and Scally in the closing moments to keep their opponents at bay.
Scorers - Clonkill: A Price 0-6 (5f), A Loughlin and N Dowdall 1-0 each, P Scally, S Power and A Shaw 0-2 each, D Egerton, N Mitchell (f) and J Smyth 0-1 each. Raharney: K Doyle 0-11 (9f), C Doyle and E Cunneen 0-2 each, D Hickey, R Keyes, R Greville and E Keyes 0-1 each.
Clonkill: Andrew Mitchell; Ciaran Nolan, John Kenny, Alan McGrath; Josh Murtagh, Peadar Scally, Darragh Egerton; Shane Power, Andrew Shaw; Adam Loughlin, Niall Dowdall, Niall Mitchell; Jordy Smyth, Anthony Price, Mickey McGrath. Subs used: Paddy Dowdall for Murtagh (39), Michael Heffernan for N Dowdall (50), Matthew Glynn for Smyth (60 + 2).
Raharney: Aaron McHugh; Sean Quinn, Gary Greville, Darren Finn; David Hickey, Conor McKeogh, Cormac Boyle; Rory Keyes, Robbie Greville; Mark Glennon, Killian Doyle, Joey Boyle; Ciaran Doyle, Eoin Keyes, Eamonn Cunneen. Sub used: James Goonery for Glennon (46).
Ref: James McGrath (Turin).