Keyes’ goal keeps Raharney on course to retain SHC title

Raharney 2-21 Castletown-Geoghegan 1-21

Gerry Buckley

Raharney replicated their achievement in last year’s Westmeath Examiner Cup final by edging out Castletown-Geoghegan in a closely-fought round robin game last Sunday afternoon in TEG Cusack Park, the Deelsiders’ deserved victory reviving their campaign after a patchy on-field and turbulent off-field opening.

Under new manager Bernard Crowley, Raharney always looked the more likely winners after netting twice in the opening quarter. Indeed, the only three-pointer scored by the men in black and amber arrived with a matter of seconds remaining, and it was a case of ‘too little, too late’ for last year’s runners-up who will now face a do-or-die final round game against an improving Castlepollard outfit.

Two of the county’s finest talents in recent years, Aonghus Clarke (open play) and Killian Doyle (a monster free), traded early points. In the third minute, Joey Boyle scored a great solo goal, and Rory Keyes soon added a fine point. Niall O’Brien and Mick Heeney responded with points for the losers, before the youthful duo of Eamon Cunneen and Peter Clarke swapped points.

An angled point from Eoin Keyes followed before O’Brien was narrowly wide with a goal as his target. Cormac Boyle opened his account in the 11th minute, and this was quickly followed by a trademark direct-running goal from Eoin Keyes to put the holders seven points clear (2-5 to 0-4).

A Castletown revival yielded four unanswered points by the 16th minute, via O’Brien (two – the second from a free), Heeney and David O’Reilly.

An evenly-contested second quarter consisted of point exchanges between Ciaran Doyle (a low-trajectory effort) and O’Brien (a free), David Hickey (a great score) and Morgan Gavigan, O’Reilly and Robbie Greville (after a turnover), and O’Brien (a free) and Cormac Boyle. A 45-metre free from Killian Doyle in added-time left Raharney ahead by 2-10 to 0-12 at the break.

Killian Doyle converted another free some 50 seconds after play resumed. At the other end, O’Brien lacked his usual consistency from placed balls and missed twice before Killian Doyle hit a great quickfire brace from play. Aonghus Clarke and Killian Doyle then traded points.

Alan Mangan’s troops pounced for four points without reply between the 38th and 43rd minutes, courtesy of O’Brien (two frees), Aonghus Clarke and sub Shane Clavin. Midfielders Cormac Boyle and Rory Keyes both added to their tallies to leave the men in blue ahead by 2-16 to 0-17 at the end of the third quarter.

Both teams added four points to their totals by the end of normal time. Raharney’s scores came via Killian Doyle (two frees), Hickey (his second fine score from play), and Rory Keyes (his third). The Castletown men on target were sub Conor Murphy, O’Brien (a free), Peter Clarke and Aonghus Clarke.

Another Doyle free put the winners two goals clear with almost two of the stipulated three minutes injury-time played. Peter Clarke was denied a goal at the expense of a ‘65’ which was taken by Clavin.

A plethora of hurleys went for the sliotar in mid-air near the Raharney goalmouth, and it was O’Brien who got the decisive goal-scoring touch in the last action of what was a decent contest.

Scorers – Raharney: K Doyle 0-9 (7f), E Keyes 1-1, J Boyle 1-0, C Boyle and R Keyes 0-3 each, D Hickey 0-2, R Greville, C Doyle and E Cunneen 0-1 each. Castletown-Geoghegan: N O’Brien 1-8 (0-6f), A Clarke 0-4, M Heeney, P Clarke and D O’Reilly 0-2 each, M Gavigan, S Clavin and C Murphy 0-1 each.

Raharney: Aaron McHugh; Sean Quinn, Jamie Mulkearns, Darren Finn; Gary Greville, David Hickey, Robbie Greville; Cormac Boyle, Rory Keyes; Joey Boyle, Killian Doyle, Ciaran Doyle; Eamon Cunneen, Eoin Keyes, Eoghan Ahearn. Sub used: Conor McKeogh for Finn (inj., 16).

Castletown-Geoghegan: Kieran Glennon; Conor Kane, Johnny Bermingham, Naoise Mckenna; Eoin Quinn, Liam Varley, Aaron Glennon; Mick Heeney, David Lynch; Aonghus Clarke, Conor Lynch, Peter Clarke; David O'Reilly, Niall O’Brien, Morgan Gavigan. Subs used: Shane Clavin for Quinn (h-t), Conor Murphy for C Lynch (h-t), Jack Gallagher for Gavigan (41), Brandon Carey for Heeney (52), Neal Kirby for O’Reilly (59).

Ref: Mickey Dan Murtagh (Clonkill).