‘No margin for error’ insist leading hurling contenders

Club championship season is upon us and first up are the hurling clubs of Westmeath as the Senior ‘A’, Senior ‘B’ and Intermediate championships kick off this coming weekend.

Defending champions Castletown Geoghegan are in action against Lough Lene Gaels in the first round on Friday, at TEG Cusack Park, in what is a repeat of last year’s Westmeath Examiner Cup decider.

Alan Mangan, manager of defending champions Castletown Geoghegan, is looking forward to a fiercely competitive campaign in the weeks ahead, pointing to the fact that only three teams will emerge from the group after five rounds.

“There are a few clubs there who are very keen to win this senior title. Lough Lene Gaels are after being in the last two finals, and were unlucky, while Raharney have won it two years’ ago and they are a serious outfit. We are trying to do something that has not been done for a long time in Castletown Geoghegan - win back-to-back titles - and we know that is a massive challenge,” he remarked.

Raharney, the league champions and winners of the title in 2023, are gearing themselves for a big run and will be fully focused on reaching the knock-out stages after last year’s earlier than anticipated exit.

“It shows how competitive the championship is,” remarked manager John Shaw, who, like Mangan, is in his second year at the helm.

“We got caught out in the group stages last year and then conceded a late goal against Lough Lene Gaels which meant we failed to qualify based on head to head results. There’s very little margin for error and every team will be gunning to make an impact from the early stages,” he remarked.

“We are targeting the semi-final, obviously, and we’ll take it from there, but we are well aware it’s a tough challenge and there is a lot at stake in every group game. We were really disappointed last year to have failed to make the semi-final and that still hurts, so like every other team, it will be a case of ‘all guns blazing’ from the start, and Friday’s first round against Fr Dalton’s is where our focus is.”

Mangan feels there’s plenty of jeopardy and no team will want to lose in the first round as it leaves you on a backfoot immediately.

“It is unbelievably competitive with just three teams coming out of it. If anyone gets injured it’s very difficult to get them back, and to get into a rhythm. That is a major factor and anyone who is going to win is going to have to be fortunate with injuries and it’s very difficult to get any kind of momentum if you’re missing players,” he observed.

While aware of the threat of Lough Lene Gaels and Raharney, Mangan is fully aware that teams like Clonkill are fully capable of mixing it with the leading contenders.

“There are four or five teams with their eyes on the title, that’s the reality. The top team in the group will reach the final, the second and third are through to a semi-final. If you lose twice, there is a strong possibility you won’t get out of the group,” he remarked.