Late goals flatter the Gaels

The topsy-turvy nature of this year's Westmeath senior hurling championship continued right down to the last games of the group stages last Sunday evening. In the first of a Cusack Park double-header, Castlepollard surprised their great rivals, Lough Lene Gaels with a power-packed display which resulted in a three-point win for the men in blue and gold, a very flattering scoreline for the losers.The Collinstown men still progress to a semi-final slot, where they may well face their neighbours again (but not if Castletown-Geoghegan have their way). However, three late, late goals for the purple and golds could not disguise the fact that a very focused 'Pollard were significantly the better side on the day and they will be favoured by many observers to overcome the black and ambers in the only quarter-final game in the championship.The winners were straight out of the traps and they led by two points with only 80 seconds on the clock, the scores coming from Derek Murray from play and a 60-metre free by Stephen Bardon. The respective number 13s, Noel Conaty (Lough Lene Gaels) and Alan Devine (Castlepollard) then exchanged points, before Barry Kennedy's narrow miss registered the first wide of the contest in the fifth minute. A neat flick by Padraig Fitzsimons set up Derek McNicholas for the Gaels' second point from 45 metres, before Alan Devine (a 35-metre free) and Noel Conaty (with Padraig Fitzsimons again the provider) once more traded minors. Two huge frees from Jonathan Clarke came to nothing for the losers before an unanswered scoring blitz of 1-4 put 'Pollard firmly in control by the 20th minute.Converted frees from Alan Devine (40 metres) and Stephen Bardon (70 metres) preceded a typical opportunist goal from the evergreen Barry Kennedy, who first-timed the ball to the net following a great run from Derek Murray in the 17th minute. A brace of quickfire points from Donal Devine and Barry Kennedy increased the winners' lead to eight points. The Gaels responded with a pointed free from Dan Carty, but Castlepollard were on fire and Barry Kennedy teed up Alan Devine for a superbly-finished second goal in the 23rd minute. Sandwiched between two successful late frees from Dan Carty (30 and 45 metres respectively), Darren McCormack scored one of the points of the championship from 75 metres, despite having to strike the sliotar under pressure. At the break, the scoreboard made for remarkable reading with Castlepollard ahead by 2-10 to 0-6.The Gaels needed a bright start to the second moiety but Dan Carty was off target from a massive free, after Christo Murtagh was fouled directly from the throw-in. A misjudgment of what seemed an innocuous cross by Kevin Brazil resulted in a fourth-minute '65' for Castlepollard which Stephen Bardon duly converted. The latter player followed up with a successful 45-metre free, but Dan Carty replied with a neat point for the Gaels. Three unanswered points in as many minutes ensued for the winners. The first came after a most untypical error from Mark Briody which gifted a score to Andrew Dermody. An intuitive pass from Barry Kennedy then set up Donal Devine for his second point of the evening. A great block by Johnny Murray on Padraig Fitzsimons precipitated a 'Pollard counterattack which ended with Alan Devine tapping over another point.The hitherto-subdued Derek McNicholas gave Gaels' a glimmer of hope with a well-taken goal in the 13th minute but the winners soon pointed yet again, Kevin Brazil firing over from a simple opportunity. This left 'Pollard ahead by 12 points at the midpoint of the half. A 40-metre free from Dan Carty reduced the margin to double scores (2-16 to 1-8) before the latter player brought a great save out of Noel Boylan. With exactly 20 minutes elapsed in the second half, Stephen Bardon struck home a wonderful free from the halfway line. His colleague, Kevin Gavigan then may have set an unwanted Cusack Park record when he was involved in an altercation with the Gaels' Jonathan Clarke within a few seconds of his introduction as a sub. After consulting his umpires, the referee issued a straight red card to Gavigan and a yellow to Clarke.A remarkable late scoring spree by the Gaels made for a lively conclusion to an otherwise disappointing game. Substitute Mark McNicholas flashed home a 29th-minute goal but the real drama came in injury-time when another brace of Gaels' goals threatened to produce an amazing result. Dan Carty rolled home the first of these and substitute Stephen Bardon whipped home a terrific fourth goal for the Collinstown men. Sean Carroll had now played two and a half minutes of added-time - it could have been more - but the final whistle blew with unquestionably the better team having secured a knock-out spot as they chase another Westmeath Examiner Cup success, in what has become an intriguing championship.Castlepollard: Noel Boylan; Jody Murray, Johnny Murray, Paul Dermody; Glen Flynn, Darren McCormack (0-1), Ollie Devine; Donal Devine (0-2), Stephen Bardon (0-5, 0-1 from a '65', 0-4 from frees); Martin Egan, Kevin Brazil (0-1), Derek Murray (0-1); Alan Devine (1-5, 0-3 from frees), Barry Kennedy (1-1), Andrew Dermody (0-1). Subs: Stephen Boylan (for Egan, 51 mins), Kevin Gavigan (for A. Dermody, 53 mins).Lough Lene Gaels: Mark Briody; Jimmy Boyle, Martin Williams, Jim Connell; Jonathan Clarke, Christo Murtagh, Seamus Carroll; David Cunningham, Francis McDermott; Dan Carty (1-5, 0-4 from frees), Derek McNicholas (1-1), Padraig Fitzsimons; Noel Conaty (0-2), Killian Cosgrove, Darragh McCormack. Subs: Paul Williams (for McDermott, 20 mins), Stephen Bardon (1-0) (for Carroll, 41 mins), Philip Reilly (for McCormack, 41 mins), Fergal Moran (for Murtagh, 45 mins), Mark McNicholas (1-0) (for Cunningham, 58 mins).Referee: Sean Carroll (Cullion).Footnote. Prior to the game, a minute's silence was observed in memory of the recently deceased Colette Hannon from Collinstown.