Brilliant Castletown-Geoghegan display sees off Kilkenny champions

Castletown-Geoghegan 1-25 Thomastown 1-14

Not many Gaels in the so-called traditional hurling counties would have been familiar with the name Castletown-Geoghegan last Sunday morning, but the Westmeath champions were the talk of the country by 3pm after their sensational – and fully deserved – 11-point win against Thomastown in TEG Cusack Park.

Yes, the recently-crowned Kilkenny kingpins (after a 78-year absence from the roll of honour) were forced to play almost all of the second half with 14 men after the red-carding of Jonjo Farrell, but a scoreline of 1-13 to 0-4 in the home team’s favour during this astonishing second moiety was much more than simply about having an extra player, as the Westmeath Examiner Cup holders played out of their individual and collective skins to ensure headline status in sports bulletins throughout the land.

To put into context the enormity of this magnificent win for the men who, ironically, have worn the Kilkenny colours throughout their proud existence, all 11 previous clashes in the Leinster club championship between the representatives of the Lake County and the Marble County have gone firmly the way of the latter. Indeed, just two years ago, Castletown-Geoghegan were annihilated by Ballyhale Shamrocks in the same competition, albeit in Nowlan Park.

After the match, winning manager Alan Mangan was understandably elated but still at pains to correctly emphasise that this was merely one victory - albeit a massive one - and the focus must now turn to the very formidable challenge of Kilcormac-Killoughey next Sunday in the semi-final in Mullingar, the Offaly champions (unlike Thomastown) well established in this competition, with a six-point win against Castletown-Geoghegan already on their CV dating back to 2017 in Tullamore.

Some 75 seconds after Castletown-Geoghegan’s Michaela Hogg’s fine rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann, Colm Treacy opened the scoring with a point after 75 seconds for the wind-assisted Kilkenny champions, but the outstanding Niall O’Brien edged the home team ahead by the fourth minute with a brace of points (a very good free and a classy score from play). However, Thomastown responded in the best possible fashion from the resultant puckout when John Donnelly set up Luke Connellan who flashed the ball to the net. A brace of points followed from Robbie Donnelly frees by the eighth minute and, in truth, the visitors looked like they might go to dominate proceedings.

The underdogs were not overawed, however, and they continued to stay well in touch, equally sharing four points by the 13th minute – another two from O’Brien (the first again a quality score from play) for the winners, with long-range scores coming at the other end via Robbie Donnelly (a free) and Brian Staunton (open play). Point exchanges ensued between David O’Reilly (who enhanced his growing reputation on the day) and Donnelly (a free), and O’Brien and Donnelly (both frees). Another great O’Brien free left Castletown trailing by just a goal (1-7 to 0-7) with 20 minutes elapsed.

The Westmeath men had a golden period before the 22nd and 27th minutes during which they outscored their opponents by five points (Liam Varley, O’Reilly, Aonghus Clarke, O’Brien and Peter Clarke – all from play) to one (a Donnelly free), to edge ahead by a point. Points from Eddie Donnelly and Connellan restored the lead for the men in blue and white, sandwiched between which they almost conceded a soft goal to Jack Gallagher. It was still all to play for at the interval, with the scoreboard reading: Thomastown 1-10 Castletown-Geoghegan 0-12.

Farrell’s sending off came just 80 seconds after the resumption of play when one of his linesmen alerted the referee to an off-the-ball incident. Undoubtedly, it gave Castletown-Geoghegan an added boost. They tagged on five points without reply by the 38th minute – one each from Conor Murphy and Peter Murphy, and a hat-trick of frees from the unerring O’Brien. A needlessly-conceded free which Robbie Donnelly converted, and what proved to be Thomastown’s marquee player John Donnelly’s only score of the contest, brought them to within two points (0-17 to 1-12) with 41 minutes elapsed.

However, all the momentum was with the men in black and amber who continued to pop over great points from a variety of angles, while their rearguard stood tall when called upon, with Aonghus Clarke and Shane Clavin helping back in defence to great effect. Seven unanswered white flags were raised at the scoreboard end of the ground by the end of the stipulated hour mark, courtesy of O’Brien (three frees), Varley, Peter Clarke (two – both marvellous scores), and O’Reilly, to put the Lake County men ahead by 0-24 to 1-12.

A minimum of four minutes’ injury-time was announced, during which a number of attempts by Noel Doherty’s charges to manufacture a face-saving goal were thwarted by resolute home defending. A low-trajectory Robbie Donnelly free was cancelled out by Varley from play. Staunton doubled his tally, but to compound the visitors’ misery, Castletown-Geoghegan pounced for a goal deep into added-time, O’Brien availing of confusion in the losers’ defence to whip the ball past Paul Barron to round off a truly astonishing afternoon.

Scorers - Castletown-Geoghegan: N O'Brien 1-13 (0-10f), P Clarke, L Varley, D O'Reilly 0-3 each, P Murphy, C Murphy, A Clarke 0-1 each.

Thomastown: R Donnelly 0-8 (all frees), L Connellan 1-1, B Staunton 0-2, E Donnelly, J Donnelly, C Treacy 0-1 each.

Castletown-Geoghegan: Ciaran O’Brien; Peter Murphy, Aaron Glennon, David Maloney; Johnny Bermingham, Jack Murphy, Morgan Gavigan; Peter Clarke, Shane Clavin; Conor Murphy, Aonghus Clarke, Liam Varley; David O’Reilly, Niall O’Brien, Jack Gallagher. Subs used: David Fennell for C Murphy (56), Mick Heeney for J Murphy (60+4), Padraig Kane for P Murphy (60+5).

Thomastown: Paul Barron; Peter Connellan, Jay Burke, Ned Kirwan; Brian Staunton, Eddie Donnelly, Zach Bay Hammond; Peter McDonald, Jonjo Farrell; Robbie Donnelly, John Donnelly, Luke Connellan; Jack Holden, Stephen Donnelly, Colm Treacy. Subs used: Thomas O’Hanrahan for Holden (h-t), Alex Cass for Treacy (43), David Prendergast for P Connellan (inj., 56), Dylan Caulfield for McDonald (58).

Ref: Conor Daly (Kildare).

Footnote: Prior to the game, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Padraig Jackson (Dysart) and Adrian Duffy (Collinstown), both of whom had died in recent days.