Ringtown get season off to perfect start
Ringtown 1-20, Castletown Geoghegan 2-11
On Sunday evening in Cusack Park Ringtown got their 2024 season off to a flyer with this well merited win against Castletown second string in the opening round of the Senior ‘B’ Hurling Championship.
In truth this game was won in the opening half with Ringtown demolishing the Black and Ambers and leading by 10 points and indeed it could have been more. Despite a renaissance of sorts by Castletown after the break, they never really looked as if they were going to trouble the Whitehall men. A slow start was shaken off and Ringtown scored at will in that opening moiety with scores of the highest calibre and even when Castletown Geoghegan put it up to them they were always at arm’s length. They had the firepower to move away at will when the need was most.
For Castletown it was the second defeat of the weekend with the seniors losing their opening tie to Raharney, but certainly there were shoots of recovery and their indomitable spirit will serve them well later in this championship.
The opening exchanges were even enough with Castletown starting the brighter but veteran Johnny Hardman opened the scoring with a fine point and Luke Moore doubled the lead with an even better strike. But Andy Conway pulled one back with Castletown Geoghegan’s first score before Hardman raised the first green flag when he whipped to the net after Conor O’Grady was denied by Eoin Glennon in the Castletown goal.
Dean Slevin and a Sean Jackson free narrowed the gap momentarily, but O’Grady pointed in between these minors for Ringtown and they then hit six without reply, with Moore pointing three frees, Hardman with an overhead flick, and Ciaran Moran and Ryan McAuley adding the rest. Jackson with 0-2 from frees and Conway from play replied, but Luke Moore and McAuley negated those with two sublime points, while Mark Cunningham and Hardman again kept the Ringtown express rolling along nicely. Indeed, they could have had another goal but for the brilliance of Glennon who denied them at point blank range twice but Ringtown led handsomely at the short whistle.
When Moore (free) and Cunningham added two on the restart the gap was out to 12 points, but Jackson stemmed the tide and his long-range free evaded everyone to nestle in the net for Castletown Geoghegan's opening goal. Cunningham and Jackson (free) exchanged points before Conor Lynch netted a second goal for Castletown Geoghegan, followed by two Jackson frees. However, frees from Moore and Cunningham (2) settled the nerves of the Ringtown faithful even though the gap was now down to seven point.
Castletown sub Neal Kirby raised hopes momentarily with two excellent points, but it was all too little too late and Ciaran Moran settled the affair and the scoring with a fabulous point from distance. This score was to prove the final act of what was a thoroughly entertaining game that had a little bit of everything and plenty of quality hurling to boot.
Scorers - Ringtown: Luke Moore 0-7 (5 frees), John Hardman 1-3, Mark Cunningham 0-5 (1 free), Ciaran Moran and Ryan McAuley 0-2 each, Conor O’Grady 0-1.
Castletown Geoghegan: Sean Jackson 1-6 (0-6 free), Conor Lynch 1-0, Andy Conway and Neal Kirby 0-2 each, Dean Slevin 0-1.
Ringtown: Pat Burke, Ryan Moore, Niall Moran, Desmond Smyth, Dominic Flynn, Paul Nangle, Charles Flynn, Conor O’Grady, Mark Cunningham, Sean Cunningham, Ciaran Moran, Ryan McAuley, Stephen Sullivan, John Hardman, Luke Moore.
Castletown Geoghegan: Eoin Glennon, Fergal O’Brien, Ryan Boyne, Liam Maxwell, Alan Conlon, Mikey Lynam, Eoin Kiernan, Shane Doran, Conor Lynch, Sean Jackson, Mick Heeney, Conal Fagan, Dean Slevin, Joe Clarke, Andy Conway. Subs: Odhrán Gavigan for Fagan (H-T), Killian Jackson for Doran and Neal Kirby for Clarke (43 mins).
Referee: Bernard Heaney.