Jason Nugent, Garrycastle, is tackled by Milltown’s Conor Dillon in Monday’s Westmeath IFC final replay at Lakpoint Park GAA grounds, Mullingar. Pics: J McCauley.

Strong second half sees Garrycastle straight back to senior ranks

Garrycastle 0-13 Milltown 0-7

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Jason Nugent, Garrycastle, is tackled by Milltown’s Conor Dillon in Monday’s Westmeath IFC final replay at Lakpoint Park GAA grounds, Mullingar. Pics: J McCauley. JOHN_MC_CAULEY

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Garrycastle’s Eoin Monaghan comes under pressure from Diarmuid Maguire. JOHN_MC_CAULEY

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Garrycastle’s James Dolan is fouled by Milltown’s Seán Dillon in Monday’s replay. Pic: J McCauley. JOHN_MC_CAULEY

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Milltown’s Jack Duncan puts in a challenge on Garrycastle’s Matthew Guiheen. JOHN_MC_CAULEY

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Milltown’s Jack Murtagh and Garrycastle’s Cian McCarthy contest this high ball. JOHN_MC_CAULEY

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The Garrycastle side pictured before the replay on Bank Holiday Monday.

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The Milltown side pictured before the IFC final replay.

Published: Tue 29 Oct 2024, 2:22 PM

Last updated: Wed 30 Oct 2024, 10:34 AM

Dominating the second half in great style, Garrycastle ended up as comfortable winners against Milltown in the replay of the Peter Geraghty Cup final in front of a big crowd at Homestead Lakepoint Park on Monday, October 28.

The replay was played in much more pleasant conditions that had been the case for the drawn match in TEG Cusack Park eight days earlier. Of course, Westmeath GAA headquarters had become unavailable for the replay due to the understandably poor state of the pitch after a glut of hurling games over the bank holiday weekend, including the abandoned senior county final some 23 hours earlier.

As expected, there was very little between the teams in the first half and neither side led by more than the bare minimum at any stage. They were tied at 0-3 each at the end of the opening quarter, Milltown’s scores coming courtesy of Conor Dillon, Ben McGauran (a free) and Daire Hynes, while Conor Cosgrove (a brace of frees) and Eoin Monaghan hit the target for Garrycastle, who had the aid of a slight wind.

The tit-for-tat trend continued as the half progressed. The teams were very well matched at this juncture and they equally shared four points during the second quarter. Jack Murtagh and Jack Duncan (a free) pointed for the side in navy and green, while the men in green and red replied with two more from Cosgrove (the first of them from open play). This left the sides level at 0-5 apiece at the interval.

Luke Gunning nudged the losers ahead less than three minutes after play resumed, but they failed to score again for a full half an hour. For their part, the South Westmeath side displayed all the big match experience gained from many years participating at the business end of the Flanagan Cup and they took control in most sectors of the pitch.

Jack Mulvihill equalised in the 38th minute, and points followed from Cosgrove (a left-footed free) and Michael Monaghan (two right-footed frees) to open up a significant three-point lead (0-9 to 0-6) midway through the second moiety.

The latter player tagged on another brace (the first of them from play) by the 50th minute.

Dillon and Hynes went close with goal attempts for Milltown before the winners added points from Eoin Mulvihill and Jason Nugent by the end of normal time. Hynes tapped over a consolation point from a free in the fourth of a minimum of five minutes injury-time announced.

Scorers – Garrycastle: C Cosgrove 0-5 (4f), M Monaghan 0-4 (3f), E Monaghan, J Mulvihill, E Mulvihill, J Nugent 0-1 each. Milltown: D Hynes 0-2 (1f), B McGauran (f), J Duncan (f), C Dillon, J Murtagh, L Gunning 0-1 each.

Garrycastle: Seán Brennan; Jack Mulvihill, Jack Donohoe, Gary McCallon; John Gaffey, Mark McCallon, Mattie Guiheen; Eoin Mulvihill, Andrew Monaghan; Michael Monaghan, Eoin Monaghan, Jason Nugent; James Dolan, Conor Cosgrove, Cian McCarthy. Subs used: Rory McGowan for McCarthy (36), Ben Donegan for Gaffey (54), John Gaffey for E Monaghan (60), Cathal Mannion for Cosgrove (60+1), Ger Heneghan for Nugent (60+2).

Milltown: Alan Geraghty; Seán Dillon, Bernard Kiernan, Diarmuid Maguire; Peter Ballesty, Conor Gibney, Conor Dillon; Jack Murtagh, Dylan Murtagh; Nathan Dillon Creagh, Daire Hynes, Jack Duncan; Luke Gunning, Ben McGauran, Matthew Gunning. Subs used: Thomas Lynn for Dillon Creagh (h-t), Wayne Smith for L Gunning (44), Sean Somers for Kiernan (47), Patrick Somers for Ballesty (49), Paul Mahon for McGauran (59).

Referee: Alan Coyne (Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall).