High-flying Ringtown held as late Gillen penalty saves Cullion

Ringtown 1-18, Cullion 2-15

A late penalty from Cullion’s Jack Gillen meant that in-form Ringtown missed out on a third consecutive victory after a pulsating SHC ‘B’ clash at Joristown on Friday night.

There was never much between these sides throughout but a fitter looking Ringtown will rue not winning this one, having missed a first-half penalty and being three points ahead going into the final minute of the game. Declan Mullen’s charges played the better hurling, and in Luke Moore and Mark Cunningham, had a potent attacking duo who lit up an otherwise gloomy Friday evening. A win here would have kept their 100% record intact and enhance their chances of automatic qualification for the final.

However, Cullion could call on the dead-ball prowess of Gillen and some excellent contributions from Kevin and Conor Regan to eke out a draw, getting Stephen Morley’s troops off the mark points wise after their opening defeats to Delvin and Crookedwood.

With Ringtown rattling off a couple of wides, including a goal chance from Stephen Sullivan, it was Cullion who had more fortune early on, leading 1-2 to 0-1 after seven minutes.

Kevin Regan’s opening score for the Mullingar men was cancelled out by Ringtown’s Johnny Hardman, and after Jack Gillen restored Cullion’s lead with a ‘65’, Regan got in behind the Ringtown defence to tap to the net. The Whitehall hurlers responded well with scores from Mark Cunningham and Luke Moore (a free), and although Gillen tacked on a great point from the left corner, the sides were level (1-3 apiece) when Cunningham netted after a quick move.

Moore edged Ringtown in front again with a superb strike under pressure, and on 15 minutes he was hauled down and awarded a penalty. Ringtown brought Pat Burke to take the resultant puck, and he drove it low and hard but straight at the hurl of his opposite number, Conor Kelly.

Tit-for-tat scoring followed, at the end of which the sides couldn’t be separated. Moore pointed after a classy turn to extend Ringtown’s lead to two, but by the 24th minute Cullion were level, with Shane Broughan and two Jack Gillen frees cancelling out another point from Mark Cunningham. Further scores from Cunningham (a superb effort off his left from 65 metres) and Moore (a ‘65’) were answered by Kevin Regan and a Gillen free, and it was 1-8 each at the short whistle.

The pattern of scoring continued well into the second half, with the sides locked at 1-14 each after 51 minutes. The points came from Moore (4) and Cunningham (2) for Ringtown, and Gillen (2), Conor Regan (3) and Jamie Kindregan. Some of these scores were of the highest quality, including a monster free by Gillen from inside his own half (35) and a great turn, solo and point by Moore (39). Two of Regan’s points, from out wide on the left, were a joy to behold.

However, there was controversy on 50 minutes when a point from Ringtown’s Cunningham initially looked to have been deemed wide, but after a confab between referee Jimmy Greville and his umpires, it was allowed to stand.

Cullion drew some blanks at this stage and as the game wore on and the light faded, the Whitehall men built up a three-point cushion. Luke Moore tacked on another free before Emmet Corrigan shot over after the move of the game. After a neat pass from Cunningham, Moore played a superb cross-field ball to Conor O’Grady, who gracefully flicked it into Corrigan’s path.

Ryan McCauley then added his name to the Ringtown scoresheet to make it 1-17 to 1-14 with two minutes to go.

After the subsequent puckout, Cullion attacked and, after hitting the upright, must have felt their luck had expired.

However, in the subsequent scramble for the sliotar, Shane Broughan was hauled down and the Mullingar men were awarded a penalty. Jack Gillen stepped up and rattled the net to level matters on the stroke of 60 minutes.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Ringtown looked to have edged it when Cunningham was fouled and converted the resultant free, but there was still time for more. A minute later, Gillen again delivered for Cullion with a free – his eighth dead-ball conversion of the game – to tie it up at 2-15 to 1-18.

Then, deep into time added on, Luke Moore had a chance to win it for Ringtown with a free from the right wing, but with visibility and distance against him, he pucked it wide, and a pulsating hour plus of hurling ended all square.

Scorers - Ringtown: L Moore 0-10 (5f, 1 ‘65’), M Cunningham 1-5, J Hardman, E Corrigan and R McCauley 0-1 each. Cullion: J Gillen 1-8 (1-0 pen, 0-6f, 0-1 ‘65’), K Regan 1-2, C Regan 0-3, S Broughan and J Kindregan 0-1 each.

Ringtown: Pat Burke; Ryan Moore, Ciaran Moran, Niall Moran; Emmet Corrigan, Paul Nangle, Charles Flynn; Mark Cunningham, Conor O'Grady; Ryan McCauley, Darren Kilcoyne, Seán Cunningham; Stephen Sullivan, Johnny Hardman, Luke Moore. Subs used: Jason Moran for Hardman (inj., h-t), Desmond Smyth for Sullivan (h-t).

Cullion: Conor Kelly; Tadhg Desmond, James Clarke, Liam Shaw; Shane O’Connor, Conor Shaw, Conor Gilhooley; Pearce Corroon, Conor Regan; Jamie Kindregan, Kevin Regan, Anthony Kelly; Shane Broughan, Jack Gillen, Pierce Shaw. Subs used: Marc Watters for Clarke (inj., 42), Dan Connaughton for Kelly (57), Brian O'Reilly for O’Connor (60).

Ref: Jimmy Greville (Castlepollard).

Footnote

Prior to the throw-in, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the late Brendan Cawley, Cullionmore, Mullingar, and the late Dermot McLoughlin, Ardee, and formerly of Castlepollard.