Castlepollard edge out Plunkett's

The first leg of last Sunday's Westmeath senior hurling championship winners' group double-header at Cusack Park provided little in the way of entertainment for the small crowd present. However, from a Castlepollard perspective, the object of the exercise was to garner two precious points and they acheived this against a disappointing St. Oliver Plunkett's side, who managed a mere three scores from play over the hour.Not for the first time, and almost certainly not for the last time, wily veteran Barry Kennedy came up with the all-important goal which effectively won the match, flashing the sliotar to the net in the 23rd minute of the first half. While the Mullingar lads played their best hurling early in the second moiety, Kennedy's goal always looked likely to swing the tie in favour of the blue and golds, and so it proved.The winners had the advantage of a useful wind for the first half and the aforementioned Barry Kennedy gave them the lead with exactly a minute on the clock, firing over a terrific point from 65 metres. The men in white and green seemed to be entitled to a fourth minute free when Cian O'Leary was impeded. However, they got their just reward within a minute, Noel Gavin dissecting the posts with an excellent strike against the wind, from a free on the 65-metre line near the sideline. Stephen Bardon soon replicated this great standard of freetaking for 'Pollard from a good 80 metres from goal. Plunketts then took the lead with a brace of points, a Mick Cleary free (moved forward for dissent) and a neat effort from Govinda Geoghegan. In the 12th minute, the sides were level again when Alan Devine converted a routine free. Soon afterwards, an eye-catching solo run from David Gavin ended with the youthful full forward shooting wide.At the midpoint of the half, star Westmeath defender, Darren McCormack had words with the referee over a free awarded against him (and the 'Pollard man had a justifiable gripe, in this reporter's opinion). However, poetic justice applied when Mick Cleary mishit the free and duly shot the rebound wide for good measure. The sides then traded points - a well-taken score from Alfie Devine being cancelled out by a straightforward free from Mick Cleary. Then came the crucial score of the hour, when a huge Stephen Bardon free was batted sideways by Greg Gavin and poacher-supreme Barry Kennedy flashed the breaking ball past Peter Collins. Bardon followed up with a converted '65', before his side had a narrow escape at the other end when goalkeeper Noel Boylan fumbled David Gavin's shot. The netminder came perilously close to conceding a penalty in the follow-up but escaped with a '65', which was duly pointed by Noel Gavin.The winners wrapped up first half scoring with a brace of converted frees from close range by Alan Devine in the 29th and 32nd minutes respectively. The second of these was the last action of the half, at the end of which Castlepollard led by 1-7 to 0-5.The Mullingar outfit had by far the better of the early exchanges on the change of ends and five unanswered points had them on level terms by the tenth minute. Team captain Noel Gavin slotted over the first three of these, showing great versatility with a wonderful point from play (after a mere 15 seconds), followed by a converted '65' and a free from the halfway line.In the eighth minute, fine play from Govinda Geoghegan set up his fellow wing forward Ciaran Curley for a tidy score. Cian O'Leary almost got in for a goal in the next passage of play, but there was the consolation of pointed free from Mick Cleary to leave the contest tied and all to play for.However, 'Polard responded in style with a mini scoring blitz of their own. Four points in as many minutes put the winners ahead by 1-11 to 0-10 by the 14th minute. Sandwiched between two successful frees by Stephen Bardon, wing back Ollie Devine did well to find the range under pressure. The winners' 11th point came courtesy of Barry Kennedy, the former inter-county forward both starting and finishing the move in some style.A converted free from Mick Cleary reduced the deficit to a goal in the 18th minute and the same player then almost got in for a goal. It took a great block by Darren McCormack to keep him out.Alan Devine pointed a 25-metre free for the winners but Plunkett's responded with two converted placed balls of their own - a Noel Gavin '65' and a 40-metre free from Mick Cleary. Freetaking continued to be of a very high standard, with Stephen Bardon splitting the posts from halfway to put Castlepollard a goal to the good, with three minutes of normal time remaining. Plunkett's were in desperate of a goal but the 'Pollard defence held firm as the losers threw the 'kitchen sink' into attack. Indeed, it was strange that they brought forward Greg Gavin in the second minute of added-time for a 45-metre free when he elected to take a point in the very last action of a match, which was closely fought but ultimately of a far-from-high standard.Castlepollard: Noel Boylan; Jody Murray (capt), Johnny Murray, Paul Dermody; Glen Flynn, Darren McCormack, Ollie Devine (0-1); Donal Devine, Stephen Bardon (0-5, 0-1 from a '65', 0-4 from frees); Derek Murray, Alfie Devine (0-1), Andrew Dermody; Alan Devine (0-4, all from frees), Kevin Brazil, Barry Kennedy (1-2). Sub: John Devine (for A. Dermody, 40 mins).St. Oliver Plunketts: Peter Collins; Dernot Curley, Sean O'Leary, Aaron Craig; Damien Kiernan, Greg Gavin (0-1, from a free), Mickey Harris; Noel Gavin (capt) (0-6, 0-3 from '65's, 0-3 from frees), Micheal Curley; Ciaran Curley (0-1), Connaire Flanagan, Govinda Geoghegan (0-1); Cian O'Leary, David Gavin, Mick Cleary (0-5, all from frees). Subs: David Murray (for C. O'Leary, 48 mins), Kevin Baker (for Geoghegan, 53 mins).Referee: Mick Mannion.