Raharney advance after high-scoring encounter

Raharney advanced to the penultimate round of this year"s Westmeath senior hurling championship after a hard-fought two-point win over age-old rivals, Castletown-Geoghegan in the second match of last Sunday"s double-header in Cusack Park.However, there were no real losers from this contest as the men in black and amber are still in contention for the Westmeath Examiner Cup, having qualified for a quarter-final clash with Castlepollard.This was quite an entertaining encounter, but the level of intensity inevitably dropped after a very lengthy delay towards the end of the first half when Castletown-Geoghegan defender, David Langan had to be taken from the field in an ambulance having suffered a serious neck injury, after what appeared to be an innocuous clash. His departure was applauded very sportingly by all present, but the knock-on effect was that the closing stages were played out with the light fading rapidly. However, 34 scores in an hour"s hurling says a lot about the overall standard.One of the features of the game was the excellence of Derek Gallagher"s sideline cuts for Castletown-Geoghegan and the midfielder opened the scoring after a mere 40 seconds from a lineball, taken from near the 45-metre line. Soon, Raharney goalkeeper, Jimmy Greville had to be alert to come off his line to prevent Ronan Whelan getting in on goal, but the black and ambers eventually doubled their advantage in the sixth minute, courtesy of a fine strike from Blaine Lehart. Within a minute, a fine lift and strike from Brendan McKeogh got the Deelsiders on the scoreboard and they soon took the lead, Brian Smyth flashing the rebound to the net, after his intitial goalbound effort was well saved by Gary Jackson.The scores now started to come thick and fast and the respective full forwards, Robbie Jackson (Castletown-Geoghegan), from a free, and Brian Smyth (Raharney), from play, exchanged points, before two terrific points from John Shaw and Frank Boyle put the blue and whites four points ahead by the 16th minute. However, Castletown"s Emmett Dalton, now operating at full back, fired a long delivery to his forward line and Keith Gorry kicked the ball to the net from close range. A fine effort from Robbie Jackson soon had the sides level at 1-4 apiece.A brace of points in rapid succession from John Shaw, a wonderful shot from play followed by a converted "65", regained the lead for the winners, but the only talking point for the next 20 minutes was the injury to David Langan, as players from both sides limbered up on the pitch, prior to the medical services transporting the Castletown-Geoghegan left half back to hospital. Ironically, Langan"s replacement, Conor Daly pointed with his first touch of the sliotar with a confusing 43 minutes now elapsed, leaving most spectators (and reporters) unsure as to how much time would be played to finish out the first moiety.A good point under pressure from John Shaw put Raharney two points ahead, but this lead was wiped out when another Derek Gallagher sideline "special" was added to by Eamonn Óg Clarke and the sliotar flashed into the winners" net. Blaine Lehart added a point within a minute but John Shaw responded with a converted free for Raharney. A similar free by Robbie Jackson followed for Castletown-Geoghegan and Derek Gallagher ended an incident-packed first half as it had started with a fabulous sideline cut from 50 metres, leaving Castletown-Geoghegan ahead by 2-8 to 1-8 at the interval.Within a minute of the restart, Shane Leavy rifled over a fine point for Raharney from 55 metres. Castletown-Geoghegan then proceeded to spurn three good chances within five minutes, misses which were ultimately to prove very costly, as the Deelsiders went on a scoring spree which yielded eight unanswered points between the sixth and 17th minutes. Two each from John Shaw (one from a "65"), Christopher Flanagan and Frank Boyle, and a point apiece from Niall Flanagan and Brendan McKeogh - the latter"s effort was a gilt-edged goal opportunity - put the blue and whites six points ahead as the light began to fade in Cusack Park.Six scoreless minutes ensued before Robbie Jackson pointed a 40-metre free for the black and ambers. With five minutes of normal time remaining, the same player tried unsuccessfully to blast the ball to the net from a 35-metre, ironically then opting to take a point from another placed ball closer to goal. Another great point from Frank Boyle put Raharney five points to the good, with Robbie Jackson replying in the 30th minute from a 55-metre free. In the first minute of added-time, John Shaw scored one of the points of the evening from a free taken from inside his own half and Robbie Jackson"s goal from a 25-metre free in the dying seconds was no more than a consolation score for the losers.Overall, Raharney will be pleased with their performance last Sunday, with a scoring haul of 1-19 in a start-stop game being a very creditable effort. Conor Jordan was a very dependable defensive pivot, while seven of the eight starting midfielders/forwards sgot their names on the scoresheet, with John Shaw excelling at centre half forward, while Frank Boyle had his best game in the blue and white jersey for quite some time.Castletown-Geoghegan remain in the championship on scoring difference and will need to improve if they are to be a major threat in the knockout stages. They were particularly well served on Sunday by Alan Mangan, Derek Gallagher, Blaine Lehart and Robbie Jackson.Raharney: Jimmy Greville; Peter Mullen, Paul Greville, Johnny Greville; Tony Doyle, Conor Jordan, John Sheils; Shane Leavy (0-1), Niall Flanagan (0-1); Christopher Flanagan (0-2), John Shaw (0-8, 0-2 from "65"s, 0-2 from frees), Stephen Morley; Frank Boyle (0-4), Brian Smyth (1-1), Brendan McKeogh (0-2). Subs: Padraig Connaughton (for Morley, 36 mins), Mark Conroy (for Mullen, 39 mins), Alan Doyle (for Leavy, 48 mins).Castletown-Geoghegan: Gary Jackson; Alan Mangan, Peter Dalton, John Gallagher; Pat Clarke, Emmett Dalton, David Langan; Derek Gallagher (0-2, both from lineballs), Joe Clarke; Ian Corrigan, Blaine Lehart (0-2), Eamonn Óg Clarke (1-0); Keith Gorry (1-0), Robbie Jackson (1-6, 1-5 from frees), Ronan Whelan. Subs: Conor Daly (0-1) (for Langan, inj, 30 mins), Mark McDermott (for Whelan, 41 mins), Paddy Corcoran (for Corrigan, 47 mins), Fintan Clarke (for E.Óg Clarke, 47 mins).Referee: James McGrath (Turin)