Curley leads the way in opening win for Plunkett’s

With experienced corner forward Ciaran Curley in fine form, St Oliver Plunkett’s edged out Crookedwood in a closely-contested first round game of the Westmeath Senior Hurling ‘B’ Championship in pleasant conditions at Clonkill last Saturday afternoon.

Paddy Lynam opened the scoring from a first-minute ‘65’, and the aforementioned Curley followed up with a neat point from play. In the fifth minute, a quickly-taken free by Barry O’Mara teed up Oisín Boyle for the ‘Wood’s opening score. In a blow for the winners, Westmeath regular Aaron Craig then had to leave the pitch injured, albeit his replacement, veteran defender Greg Gavin, did well throughout. O’Mara made it 0-2 apiece in the seventh minute at the end of a patient move.

A point exchange ensued between Colm O’Leary and Shane McGovern. The Mullingar men, who had whatever advantage was accruing from a strong – if swirling – wind on a resplendent surface, tagged on three unanswered points by the midpoint of the first half, courtesy of Davy Gavin (after a great piece of fielding), Curley, and Lynam.

Respective midfielders, McGovern and Lynam, traded points from frees, before rapid-fire scores from Conor Savage and Enda Murray left the tricoloured outfit just a point in arrears (0-7 to 0-6) with 23 minutes elapsed. Three points without reply from the sticks of Curley (a quality score), O’Leary, and Ross Corroon gave Plunkett’s a little breathing space. In added-time, Boyle and Brian McLoughlin (despite being pressurised) pointed for the losers, but another great score from Curley with the last puck of the opening half left St Oliver Plunkett’s ahead by 0-11 to 0-8 at the break.

Donal Liddy was denied a goal by Alan O’Mara in the first minute of the second moiety, at the expense of an unconverted ‘65’, but the same player made amends with a 33rd-minute point. Tit-for-tat point scoring followed between two evenly-matched teams until the 52nd minute. The scores were swapped by Brendan McCarthy and Cathal Craig (sandwiched between which Conor Lynch saved well from a disappointing Savage goal attempt), goalkeeper Lynch (a ‘65’) and O’Mara (a free), Curley and O’Mara (another free), and the latter pair (again open play and a free respectively).

The gap was still four points (0-16 to 0-12), but lively Crookedwood sub John Ryan, McCarthy, and O’Mara (a superb long-range free) struck for points for the ‘Wood to leave the deficit at the bare minimum approaching the end of normal time.

Cathal Craig was red-carded on the hour mark, but his colleague Lynam – now plying his trade at inter-county level with Longford – popped up with a crucial brace (open play and a great free). Ryan doubled his tally for the losers late on, but it was the men in white and green who held on for a solid win to start their campaign.

Scorers –

St Oliver Plunkett’s: C Curley 0-6, P Lynam 0-5 (2f, 1‘65’), C O’Leary 0-2, D Gavin, R Corroon, D Liddy, C Craig, C Lynch (‘65’) 0-1 each.

Crookedwood: B O’Mara 0-5 (4f), S McGovern (1f), O Boyle, B McCarthy, J Ryan 0-2 each, C Savage, E Murray, B McLoughlin 0-1 each.

St Oliver Plunkett’s: Conor Lynch; Darragh Geraghty, Brian Reidy, Stephen McManus; Liam Carey, Aaron Craig, Zach Aherne; Ross Corroon, Paddy Lynam; Cathal Craig, Davy Gavin, Colm O’Leary; Donal Liddy, Conor Bracken, Ciaran Curley. Subs used: Greg Gavin for A Craig (inj, 7), John Fry for McManus (inj, 17), Nathan Cornally for O’Leary (48), Stephen Conway for Bracken (60+3).

Crookedwood: Alan O’Mara; Caolán Varley, Seamus Savage, Jonathan Nally; Simon McCarthy, Feichin Óg Brennan, Adam Bate; Shane McGovern, Oisín Boyle; Brian McLoughlin, Edward Nally, Brendan McCarthy; Barry O’Mara, Enda Murray, Conor Savage. Subs used: Ronan Scally for Murray (30+1), John Ryan for McCarthy (h-t).

Ref: Jimmy Greville. (Castlepollard).