Ringtown relegated

Sometimes scorelines are misleading while at other times they simply don't lie and this result I'm afraid was of the latter variety. To say that this was a demolition would be an understatement as Clonkill simply treated this as shooting practice and probably had harder training sessions in the lead up to this game. This may sound harsh on Ringtown and added to the fact that they are now relegated it may be rubbing salt in the wounds but it is also simply fact. Flower it up any way you like but in the end they were beaten by 38 points with all but one of the Clonkill scores coming from play and in truth if the winners had bothered they could have at least had two more goals as the under fire Ringtown defence simply collapsed under the weight of the onslaught.Clonkill were sending out a statement, and sending it out emphatically, that they will certainly have a major say in the destination of this year's title and after Sunday's display in Lakepoint Park, there are very few who would argue with them. At times they were mesmerising and their interplay was top drawer quality and they never let up from minute one to sixty and actually got better as the game progressed. Ringtown fought the good fight for 11 minutes but two goals in the 13th and 26th minutes really finished this game as a contest and Ringtown failed to score in the final 32 minutes until a late, late Colin Murtagh free finished the scoring in the game. The game lacked any sort of passion or fire and it was just a matter of time before Clonkill cut loose and when they did they displayed why they are one of the best club sides in Westmeath over the last 10 years and have developed some new talent into the bargain.Ironically Ringtown got the first score of the game when Christy Fanning found Martin Burke and the corner forward put them ahead for the one and only time of the game. Clonkill's response was immediate and decisive and after some comical defending Larry Donoghue pounced to rattle the net and then turned provider for Christopher Austin to add a point. Fanning got one back for Ringtown but points from Owen Price and midfielder Luke Folan extended the Clonkill lead. A Colin Murtagh free and a fine strike from Christy Fanning raised the Ringtown hearts but Alan Dowdall calmed the Clonkill nerves with a super score. Aaron Corrigan and Alan Dowdall swapped equally excellent scores before Clonkill struck for goal number two when Donoghue and Murtagh combined to set up Micky Heffernan who smashed the ball to the net for a marvellous goal.Dermot Cafferty combined with Aaron Corrigan to pull one back for Ringtown but this just seemed to rile the Clonkill boys and they went on a scoring rampage started by a great point from Alan Dowdall and followed by equally fine scores from Donoghue, Paddy Dowdall and Brendan Murtagh before Christopher Austin fielded a long range Andrew Mitchell free and struck for a super goal that really put daylight between the sides and after Heffernan added another point Paddy Dowdall ended a wonderful field length move involving several players to the net for goal number four and even at this stage the game was over as a contest. Johnny Hardman lifted Ringtown spirits momentarily when he combined with Fanning and Corrigan for a lovely goal but the half finished with a superb point from Shane Power after being set up by the industrious Sean Loughlin and at the break it was 4-11 to 1-6 in Clonkill's favour.At this stage the game was still competitive if slightly one sided but on the turnaround Clonkill simply moved up a gear and after some initial poor play they got the juggernaut rolling again. A Murtagh free was followed by two points in a row from Micky Heffernan and a fabulous strike from Paddy Dowdall from long range before a wonder pass from Donoghue found Heffernan on the edge of the square and he gave Pat Burke in the Ringtown goal no chance from point blank range and it was gaol number 5 for Clonkill. Loughlin provided Paddy Dowdall with another point and then it was goal number six when Luke Folan burst through a dispirited Ringtown defence for a great three pointer.It was simply shooting practice at this stage for the green and gold's and sub Paul Farrell and then Paddy Dowdall added simple scores. Donoghue and then Murtagh added more easy scores before Christopher Austin made it seven up with another superbly crafted Clonkill goal as the rout became a massacre and more points followed for Paddy Dowdall and Luke Folan as the Ringtown resistance, such as it was, disintegrated. Farrell and Austin added further pain and then Paddy Dowdall put the icing on the cake when he powered a rocket at Pat Burke who was slightly unlucky to see his effort to save just trickle across the line for goal number 8 and then Ringtown got their only score of the second half when Colin Murtagh pointed from a free and seconds after referee John Weir blew the final whistle to the relief of a beleaguered Ringtown and the joy of the Clonkill faithful. Clonkill had so many stars it would be remiss to name just one as they accumulated such a massive score and the scoring speaks for itself and the men who scored them but Sean Loughlin contributed immensely to this win as did Owen Price who must have covered every blade of grass in the pitch. In fact there were times when one wondered was there two Owen Prices on the pitch. Folan and Power in the middle were other unsung heroes while the forward division simply ran amok with some superb finishing. For Ringtown it was a day best forgotten and they will take a long time to recover from this humiliation but Burke in goal and Cafferty, Murtagh and Martin Cunningham did try their hearts out but on the day it simply was not good enough and they must now look forward to life in Senior B hurling next season.Scorers: Clonkill - Paddy Dowdall 2-5, Christopher Austin 2-3, Micky Heffernan 2-2, Luke Folan and Larry Donoghue 1-2 each, Brendan Murtagh (1 free) and Alan Dowdall 0-3 each, Paul Farrell 0-2, Shane Power and Owen Price 0-1 each. Ringtown - John Hardman 1-0, Colin Murtagh (2 frees) and Christy Fanning 0-2 each, Dermot Cafferty, Aaron Corrigan and Martin Burke 0-1 eachClonkill: Brian Murray, Stephen Cleary, Adam Price, Fergal Fagan, Owen Price, Andrew Mitchell, Sean Loughlin, Luke Folan, Shane Power, Paddy Dowdall, Brendan Murtagh, Alan Dowdall, Micky Heffernan, Larry Donoghue, Christopher Austin. Subs; Conrad Reilly for Alan Dowdall (inj)19 mins, John Fagan for Mitchell and Paul Farrell for Murtagh 39 mins, Murtagh for Reilly (inj) 51 mins.Ringtown: Pat Burke, Tossy Brady, Martin Cunningham, Thomas Daniels, Keith Melia, Eanna Doolin, JP Creggy, Johnny Hardman, Dermot Cafferty, Colin Murtagh, Aaron Corrigan, Darren Kilcoyne, Martin Burke, Christy Fanning, Anthony Blacoe. Subs: Matty Murphy for Melia H/T, Shane Moran for JP Creggy 41 mins.Referee John Weir, (Raharney).