Lynch’s second half goal clinches it for Castletown

Castletown Geoghegan 3-14 Clonkill 2-15

Castletown Geoghegan put aside the disappointment endured at the premier grade of Westmeath hurling to leave TEG Cusack Park on Saturday afternoon with the Adrian Murray Cup, and the title of Westmeath intermediate hurling champions for 2023.

The cup and the title were all that was on offer here. As the ‘B’ teams of senior clubs, neither side can progress to senior ‘B’ grade in 2024, nor could the winners contest this year’s Leinster club junior hurling championship. The latter responsibility falls to defeated IHC semi-finalists St Brigid’s, who beat Southern Gaels in a playoff on Saturday.

That said, Clonkill and Castletown were both hungry to end the year with an adult championship, and served up a hugely entertaining clash that yielded 34 scores, including five goals. The odd goal in that five, coming from the stick of Conor Lynch after 55 minutes, ultimately proved crucial to the outcome.

Brendan Hogg’s Castletown outfit were firmly on top after the first half, and had they been less profligate they could have racked up a score that might have left Clonkill totally demoralised. Goals from Seán Jackson and Peter Murphy ensured that the Black and Ambers led 2-7 to 0-8 at the short whistle.

Castletown were good for that five-point lead and looked on course for the win. Clonkill had other ideas however, and two goals from their excellent full forward Oisín Murray dragged them back into contention. Though it was nip and tuck for the rest of the half, Lynch’s late strike was decisive, and Castletown held on for the win.

A lively opening saw Seán Jackson (Castletown, a long-range free from the terrace side) and Brian Gaffney (Clonkill) exchange scores, and on six minutes Jackson ghosted past the Clonkill defence to drive a powerful low shot to the net.

Clonkill showed no nerves however, and moments before Jackson’s goal, a well-worked move involving Jonathan Lynam led to a fine score from Robert Cleary. The Loughegar men tacked on three more scores from Michael Heffernan (a terrific puck from the ring wing) and Oisín Murray (two, one from play) to lead just after the quarter-hour mark.

Castletown had regressed since the goal, firing five wides, including a few from Jackson. On 18 minutes, Jackson regained his composure to level matters with a fine score off his left after a poor Clonkill clearance

Clonkill edged in front again a minute later when Robert Cleary picked out Evan Scally with a neat cross-field ball, and Scally divided the posts.

Then, on the counter, Castletown almost had a second goal. Dean Slevin did superbly to pluck a long ball out of the air and showed Scott Murtagh a clean pair of heels, before finishing off a solo run with a fierce shot. It went over instead of under the bar, and the sides were level.

The Black and Ambers regained the lead on 21 minutes after another defensive lapse from Clonkill. Castletown’s Conor Lynch shut down a Clonkill clearance and fed Andy Conway, who again shot over the bar with a goal possibly on.

On the third attempt, Castletown found the net after yet another defensive calamity from their opponents. This time, Peter Murphy scythed his way through Clonkill’s rearguard to drive the sliotar low to the net.

Murphy added two points – including a beauty over his shoulder – before the interval, while Seán Jackson shot another long-range free to ensure that Castletown led by five at the break, with Scally and Murray (frees) responding for Clonkill.

The momentum was with Castletown, and one felt that if they tacked on a couple of early scores or snatched a third goal, the game would be over as a contest.

However, Conor Lynch shot wide for the Black and Ambers in the opening play of the half, and at the other end, they failed to deal with a long ball from Clonkill’s Ciaran Nooney, and Oisín Murray steadied himself to find the net with a cheeky lob over Castletown netminder Peter Dalton.

Murray (a free) reduced the arrears to a single point moments later with a puck just inside the post, and as evidence of how rattled Castletown were, they disputed the decision to award the point. Referee Derek Heffernan consulted his umpires, and the score stood.

Castletown responded by re-establishing a three-point lead thanks to Seán Jackson (two well-taken frees) and Shane Doran. Evan Scally, following a neat turn and strike, added his third point, and after 41 minutes, the Black and Ambers led 2-10 to 1-10.

Then, on 44 minutes, battling Clonkill nabbed a deserved equaliser. Again, Ciaran Nooney caused havoc in the Castletown defence with a long-range free, and sub Ciaran Crentsil rose high to claim the ball. Instead, it was deflected across the face of the goal, where Oisín Murray was waiting to drive a low shot to the net.

The artillery-like delivery from both Nooney and ‘keeper Paul Kelleghan – whose puckouts were hugely important in the semi-final against Crookedwood – caused Castletown all sorts of problems, and the eight minutes of hurling after the goal saw Clonkill take the lead.

Jonathan Lynam divided the posts with an excellent individual score, while Scally (a ’65’) and Murray (a free) also scored as Larry Donoghue’s men led 2-13 to 2-12 with five minutes to go. Odhran Gavigan and Seán Jackson (a free) responded for Castletown.

Then came the key moment. Castletown Geoghegan midfielder Shane Corcoran won the ball and pucked for the square, and Clonkill failed to clear. The sliotar fell to Conor Lynch, whose powerful shot deflected off Paul Kelleghan’s hurl and into the net, despite the goalkeeper’s best efforts.

Kelleghan’s long puck-outs were pressed into action again and caused some nervous moments for the winners, but they defended well. On 57 minutes, Clonkill’s Philip Dowdall went for goal with a low drive, but Castletown’s Mikey Lynam threw himself at the shot and forced the sliothar out for a ‘65’.

Ciaran Nooney converted this and one another ‘65’ in the dying minutes, but Seán Jackson kept the Black and Ambers’ noses in front with another free.

Deep into stoppage time, with just a point between the sides, there were some furious battles for possession as Clonkill went in search for an equaliser to force a replay, or even conjure a late winner.

However, Castletown held on manfully, and deep into time added on, Jackson shot another free to take his personal tally to 1-9 and conclude the scoring.

At full time, the winning captain, Paddy Doran of Castletown Geoghegan, collected the Adrian Murray Cup from Westmeath GAA chairman Frank Mescall.

Footnote: Prior to the throw-in, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the late Pauric Kirby, Castletown Geoghegan.

Scorers - Castletown Geoghegan: S Jackson 1-9 (0-8f), P Murphy 1-2, C Lynch 1-0, D Slevin, A Conway and O Gavigan 0-1 each. Clonkill: O Murray 2-5 (0-4f), E Scally 0-4 (2f, 1 ‘65’), C Nooney 0-2 (‘65s’), B Gaffney, M Heffernan, R Cleary and J Lynam 0-1 each.

Castletown Geoghegan: Peter Dalton; Paul O’Sullivan, Paddy Doran, Fergal O’Brien; Shane Doran, Mikey Lynam, Odhran Gavigan; Eoin Kiernan, Shane Corcoran; Seán Jackson, Peter Murphy, Conal Fagan; Andy Conway, Conor Lynch, Dean Slevin. Subs used: Liam Maxwell for Doran (48), Alan Conlon for Conway (59).

Clonkill: Paul Kelleghan; Scott Murtagh, John Fagan, Eoghan Egerton; Ciaran Nooney, Liam Moran, Ciaran Egerton; Brian Gaffney, Jonathan Lynam; Christopher Austin, Evan Scally, Michael Heffernan; Philip Dowdall, Oisín Murray, Robert Cleary. Subs used: Mikey McGrath for Gaffney (h-t), Ciaran Crentsil for Austin (39), Oisín Dowdall for C Egerton (43), Cillian Doyle for Scally (56), Alex Smyth for Cleary (60+2).

Ref: Derek Heffernan (Turin).