Early goals propel Dalton’s to fine win

Fr Dalton's 5-11, Ringtown 0-15

Gerry Buckley

A remarkable haul of 2-1 without reply in the opening 90 seconds gave Fr Dalton’s a cushion they never looked likely to relinquish to Ringtown in last Sunday’s Westmeath senior ‘B’ hurling championship final round robin contest in TEG Cusack Park.

The Ballymore-based side ended up full value for their 11-point winning margin against an out-of-sorts side in their traditional green and gold striped jerseys. Ironically, however, given Delvin’s narrow win against Crookedwood in a simultaneous game in Rochfortbridge, Ringtown will have a quick opportunity to avenge last Sunday’s heavy defeat as they will face Fr Dalton’s again in a penultimate round game in the race for the Mickey Power Cup, with the winners of that match squaring up to the Valley men in the decider.

Eamonn Gallagher’s wind-assisted charges could hardly have dreamt of a better start to the game. A point after ten seconds by Sam Maxwell preceded a rapid-fire brace of goals from the sticks of Owen McCabe (when cleverly teed up by the impressive Jack Duncan) and Enda Kincaid (with McCabe as the provider). A shell-shocked Ringtown outfit regained an element of composure by the fourth minute via a converted free from Luke Moore and a neat score from play by Kevin Daniels.

The winners were almost in again on goal before Moore doubled his tally from frees at the other end. Converted frees by Ronan McLoughlin and Kincaid, and a long-range strike from open play by Jack Kearney ensued. Another Moore free left Declan Mullen’s troops two goals in arrears (2-4 to 0-4) at the end of the opening quarter.

McLoughlin and Moore traded points from frees, sandwiched between which a Ringtown ‘goal’ was disallowed when the referee brought the play back for a throw-in. Daniels pointed again for Ringtown in the 18th minute, and Ryan McCauley added another despite being pressurised. A great sideline cut from the terrace side by McCabe stretched Fr Dalton’s lead. Johnny Hardman was narrowly wide with a goal attempt before his colleague Emmet Corrigan pointed at the end of a fine Ringtown move.

However, the men in changed maroon jerseys pounced for 1-3 without reply between the 25th and 29th minutes, courtesy of McLoughlin (a monster free), a flicked goal by Duncan (at the end of a McCabe delivery), and a brace of points from the latter (an angled shot from play and another superb lineball, this time from the stand side). Darren Kilcoyne pointed in added-time, but his side still trailed by 3-9 to 0-9 at the interval.

McLoughlin teed up McCabe some 25 seconds after play resumed, but the Westmeath player fired the sliotar wide when a goal looked certain. Two more Moore frees reduced the gap to seven points, but when Duncan picked out McCabe in the 36th minute he had time to solo goalward and pick his spot in the corner of the net, to all but seal the win at this early juncture.

Another couple of successful frees by Moore followed. McLoughlin and Moore swapped points from further frees before any lingering hopes of a remarkable Ringtown comeback all but evaporated when Corrigan flicked the ball wide from a great goal opportunity at the start of the final quarter.

A McLoughlin free was quickly followed by a fifth three-pointer for Fr Dalton’s, Brian Finerty on hand to blast the ball to the net after a dipping shot from fellow-sub Kieran Marin had come back off the crossbar. Moore brought his tally from frees to double figures in the 59th minute. The losers almost conjured up a consolation goal, but the rock solid Fr Dalton’s defence stood tall. McCabe was narrowly wide with his effort for a lineball hat-trick with the last puck of the game.

Scorers – Fr Dalton’s: O McCabe 2-3 (0-2s/l), R McLoughlin 0-5 (5f), E Kincaid 1-1 (0-1f), B Finerty, J Duncan 1-0 each, J Kearney, S Maxwell 0-1 each.

Ringtown: L Moore 0-10 (10f), K Daniels 0-2, D Kilcoyne, E Corrigan, R McCauley 0-1 each.

Fr Dalton’s: Eoin Moran; Eoin Ryan, Kenny Kincaid, Jack Kearney; Ronan Hanley, Brian McCabe, Liam O’Neill; Ivan Smyth, Colm O’Roarke; Sam Maxwell, Owen McCabe, Ronan McLoughlin; Enda Kincaid, John Tumelty, Jack Duncan. Subs used: Ciaran Clear for Tumelty (h-t), Brian Finerty for E Kincaid (43), Kieran Martin for Maxwell (47), John Gilligan for Duncan (55), Dylan Murtagh for McLoughlin (58).

Ringtown: Pat Burke; Sean Boylan, Ciaran Moran, Niall Moran; Charles Flynn, Paul Nangle, Desmond Smyth; Conor O’Grady, Mark Cunningham; Ryan McCauley, Johnny Hardman, Kevin Daniels; Emmet Corrigan, Darren Kilcoyne, Luke Moore. Subs used: James Boylan for Daniels (42), Dominic Flynn for C Flynn (inj., 42), Jason Moran for S Boylan (52), Stephen Sullivan for Hardman (57), Sean Cunningham for O’Grady (57).

Ref: Caymon Flynn (St Brigid’s).