Gaels prevail in incredible late drama

Lough Lene Gaels 4-17, Raharney 3-19

By Gerry Buckley

While the repeat of last year’s Westmeath senior football final proved to be a damp squib seven days earlier, the small ball repeat could hardly have been more dramatic in TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon with Lough Lene Gaels staging a Houdini-like late recovery to effectively eliminate champions Raharney from this year’s championship.

Trailing by five points at the end of normal time, the ‘Yellow Bellies’ somehow conjured up two goals in injury-time to gain a modicum of revenge for the heartbreak they suffered last October when they had one hand on the Westmeath Examiner Cup. The Deelsiders’ quest to complete a first-ever two in-a-row was left in tatters after a nail-biting finale.

The opening ten minutes was action-packed and full of quality scores, at the end of which the sides were tied at 1-3 apiece. Raharney’s goal was a fine individual effort from Robert Coyne in the second minute, and the Gaels’ came six minutes later from a David Williams penalty after Eoin Daly had been fouled. Eamonn Cunneen (two – the first after 70 seconds) and Michael Doherty pointed for John Shaw’s troops, with Marcus Kennedy, Tommy Doyle and Williams (a routine free) raising the winners’ white flags.

The latter (a superb sideline cut) and Killian Doyle (a ‘65’ after Noel Conaty had denied Cormac Boyle a three-pointer) traded points, but Raharney, aided by a slight wind, then took control against a side hampered by the loss of two members of their full back line, Dan Higgins and Dan Reilly, in quick succession due to injury. Points from Cunneen and Killian Doyle (a monster free) preceded a goal from Ciaran Doyle (when superbly teed up by the impressive Eoin Keyes), and further points from Killian Doyle (another ‘65’) and Doherty, to lead by double-scores (2-8 to 1-4) with 27 minutes elapsed.

The respective number 11s, David Williams and Killian Doyle, soon swapped points from frees. Kennedy pointed on the half-hour mark, but the same player blazed the sliotar wide in the second minute of added-time when a goal was on. A Killian Doyle brace (a free and open play) left Raharney ahead by 2-11 to 1-6 at the interval.

Williams pointed a mere ten seconds after play resumed. Within a minute, Keyes batted the ball over the bar with the net gaping after being set up brilliantly by Devin Hill. Kennedy and Williams (a free) kept the Collinstown men in touch with a point apiece. Killian Doyle scored an opportunist point at the other end before Cormac Boyle’s flicked effort was wide when a goal beckoned. Top scorers Williams and Doyle traded quality points from play, leaving the men in blue and white ahead by 2-14 to 1-10 with 39 minutes on the clock, and seemingly well in control.

However, Joey Williams’ men pounced for four unanswered points in as many minutes from the sticks of Derek McNicholas (a brace scored with trademark class) and David Williams (also two, the first from play almost dropped into the net, and the second was from a free). Darren Finn and Shane Williams (a wonderful score) then opened their accounts at either end, leaving the losers ahead by 2-15 to 1-15 with 47 minutes on the clock.

Another Killian Doyle brace (the first from a free) edged Raharney further in front. An absolute piledriver from McNicholas shook the crossbar, but there was no denying sub Warren Williams a three-pointer in the 55th minute when set up by Shane Williams. Sub Rory Keyes put the Deelsiders three points clear with five minutes of normal time remaining. The woodwork again denied the men in purple and gold a minute later, David Williams’ shot coming back off the butt of the post. The same player converted a free in the 57th minute.

The deficit was now just two points (2-18 to 2-16), but when Eoin Keyes netted after a great delivery under pressure by Killian Doyle, and the same player tagged on a point in the 59th minute, Lough Lene Gaels appeared to be a beaten docket. David Williams pointed a routine free on the hour mark when many expected him to blast for a goal.

A minimum of four minutes’ injury-time was announced and in the third of these an underhit ‘65’ by Micheál Daly ended with a splendid goal from Shane Williams. Aaron Kennedy’s weak goal attempt was blocked, but there was still time for a Hitchcock-like finale when another Daly ‘65’ squirmed past a massed Raharney rearguard and into the net. The holders were unable to equalize in the half-minute remaining.

Scorers – Lough Lene Gaels: D Williams 1-10 (1-0pen, 6f, 1s/l), S Williams 1-1, W Williams, M Daly (‘65’) 1-0 each, M Kennedy 0-3, D McNicholas 0-2, T Doyle 0-1.

Raharney: K Doyle 0-10 (4f, 2‘65’), E Keyes 1-2, R Coyne, C Doyle 1-0 each, E Cunneen 0-3, M Doherty 0-2, D Finn, R Keyes 0-1each.

Lough Lene Gaels: Noel Conaty; Dan Reilly, Dan Higgins, Daire Daly; Philip Reilly, Dara Qamar, Shane Williams; Micheál Daly, Brendan Doyle; Eoin Daly, David Williams, Aaron Kennedy; Warren Williams, Tommy Doyle, Marcus Kennedy. Subs used: Derek McNicholas for Higgins (inj., 22), Jason Malone for D Reilly (inj., 23).

Raharney: Aaron McHugh; Conor McKeogh, Jamie Mulkearns, Darren Finn; David Hickey, Robbie Greville, Gary Greville; Eamonn Cunneen, Michael Doherty; Robert Coyne, Killian Doyle, Cormac Boyle; Ciaran Doyle, Eoin Keyes, Devin Hill. Subs used: Rory Keyes for Hickey (inj., 38), Brian McGrath for C Doyle (49), Joey Boyle for Hill (60+2).

Ref: Barry Kelly (St Oliver Plunkett’s).

Footnote. Prior to the throw-in, a minute’s silence was impeccably observed in memory of the late PJ Fulham who gave a lifetime of service to the GAA in Westmeath in a variety of roles, including county board chairman.