Raharney make no mistake in replay

Raharney laid down a marker for all other contenders in the Westmeath senior hurling championship at Cusack Park last Sunday evening when they condemned Clonkill to the losers" section, with a fully deserved seven points win over their predecessors as holders of the Westmeath Examiner Cup.In truth, this replay did not match the original tie four days earlier as the Deelsiders looked the more likely winners from an early stage of the contest. When Niall Flanagan found the net in the 24th minute of the first half, the winners opened a six-point gap which Clonkill never seriously threatened to plug. Many observers in the good-sized attendance expressed the opinion that Sunday"s match was another dress rehearsal for a county final showdown, come the autumn. However, respective managers Ray Smyth(Raharney) and Pat O"Toole (Clonkill) will be all too aware that there is a lot of hurling to be played in the interim.On another pleasant evening for hurling, it was Raharney who settled the quicker with a pointed free in the third minute from John Shaw, soon followed by a fine individual score from Brendan McKeogh. Within a minute, Clonkill registered their first point, a very clever pass from Brendan Murtagh picking out Luke Folan whose shot scraped inside the upright, with the referee overruling his umpire"s wide signal. Brian Connaughton, who had given an exhibition of long-range striking in the drawn encounter, then fired over a wonderful shot from 60 metres. Brendan Murtagh reduced the margin to the bare minimum with a converted free from the 45-metre line.Alan McGrath was unlucky not to equalise with his shot from a tight angle going wide via the upright.John Shaw put Raharney 0-4 to 0-2 ahead in the tenth minute from a 30-metre free before Clonkill came close to wiping out the lead, but Andrew Doyle did well to advance from his line to prevent Luke Folan finding the net.John Shaw pointed neatly under pressure but this was cancelled out when his opposite number, Brendan Murtagh rifled over a difficult 55-metre free.Christopher Flanagan made it double scores (0-6 to 0-3) with a tremendous individual point at the midpoint of the half. A routine free from Brendan Murtagh followed at the other end before his inter-county colleague, Conor Jordan produced a wonderful catch to keep out a monster free from Murtagh.In the 22nd minute, John Shaw fired over a great point from near the terrace sideline, some 60 metres from goal. Then came the game"s turning point, an eye-catching handpass from Brendan McKeogh setting up Niall Flanagan who duly fired an unstoppable shot past Eoin Price from 20 metres.A close-range free by Brendan Murtagh left five points between the sides but Brian Connaughton replied with a superb strike from a free from inside his own half. Both of the winners" freetakers were on form and John Shaw made no mistake from a 30-metre placed ball. In the second minute of added-time, great play from Sean Loughlin enabled Luke Folan to slot over his second point of the evening, but Clonkill still trailed at the interval by six points, the scoreboard reading, Raharney 1-9 Clonkill 0-6.The challengers need a god start to the second moiety and it duly arrived, with Andrew Mitchell slotting over a 60-metre free. It almost got better for the men in green and gold in their next attack, Alan Dowdall bearing down on goal before being bundled out of possession. John Shaw restored the Deelsiders" six-points lead from a close-range free, but Alan Dowdall replied with a fine point on the run. Shane Leavy produced a marvellously brave block on Sean Loughlin before Barry Kelly briefly became the centre of attention. The twice All-Ireland final referee penalised Sean Loughlin for his lineball not travelling the required distance and Brian Connaughton exacted the maximum punishment by pointing the resultant free from the 65-metre line. When Clonkill were not similarly rewarded after a near-identical (but not quite) incident a few moments later, their bainisteoir Pat O"Toole had words with the St. Oliver Plunkett"s whistler.Alan Dowdall"s hard graft continued unabated and the midfielder hit another fine solo point in the 12th minute. Brian Connaughton dissected the posts from a 70-metre free, with Brendan Murtagh replicating this accuracy, albeit from much nearer the goal. Christopher Flanagan finished over the bar in style after a solo run and a Brian Connaughton "65" put the men in blue and white ahead by 1-14 to 0-10, with ten minutes of normal time remaining. Andrew Mitchell responded with a fine strike from play but Raharney"s ability to reply with a score of their own again surfaced when John Shaw struck for a great point from 45 metres after a short solo run.Brendan Murtagh tried to instigate a rousing finish with an attempt for a goal from a 30-metre free, but his shot was blocked by a massed Raharney defence, at the expense of an unconverted "65". Fittingly, the undoubted star of the two games, Brian Connaughton slotted over the last score with a free from his own 65-metre line, leaving Ray Smyth"s troops in the winners" section and firm favourites to retain their crown.Raharney: Andrew Doyle; Adam Sheils, Paul Greville, Tony Doyle; Johnny Greville, Brian Connaughton (0-6, 0-1 from a "65", 0-4 from frees), Conor Jordan; Alan Giles, Niall Flanagan (1-0); Christopher Flanagan (0-2), John Shaw (0-7, 0-4 from frees), Shane Leavy; Daniel Riggs, Brendan McKeogh (0-1), Brian Smyth. Subs: Stephen Morley (for Riggs, 41 mins), David Flanagan (for Smyth, 52 mins).Clonkill: Eoin Price; Steven Cleary, Martin Scally, Fergal Fagan; John Fagan, Andrew Mitchell (0-2, 0-1 from a free), Sean Loughlin; Alan Dowdall (0-2), Christy Austin; Alan McGrath, Brendan Murtagh (0-5, all from frees), Luke Folan (0-2); Adam Price, Gerard Fagan, Paul Farrell. Subs: Shane Power (for Farrell, half-time), Michael Heffernan (for Austin, 47 mins).Referee: Barry Kelly (St. Oliver Plunketts).