Wonderful late rally ensures memorable victory for Westmeath Schools

This was an absolutely enthralling match from start to finish. A good-sized crowd ensured a lively atmosphere and sportsmanship was the order of the day, despite the ongoing intensity of the exchanges. Both sides looked likely winners at various stages of the contest and the metropolitans will certainly rue their profligacy in the first half of normal time, as well as the mishitting of an eminently scoreable free to win the tie in the dying moments of the opening hour. However, the visitors certainly deserved to bring the match to extra-time and, particularly given that that there was no wind to help them, outscoring their opponents by 1-5 to 0-0 in the second period of same ranks with any performance achieved by a Westmeath hurling team in recent years.Aonghus Clarke hurled superbly from start to finish and his class shone through right from the off, the young Castletown-Geoghegan star rifling over two great points from either side of the pitch in the opening 90 seconds. Eoin Crowley's tentative puck-outs were putting the Dubs under pressure, but his opposite number Cathal Scally looked assured from his first touch in the fourth minute. However, a brace of converted frees from Aodán Clabby had the home side level by the tenth minute. The same player was then just short from a '65', Cathal Scally producing an almost nonchalant save. The Clonkill netminder's huge free soon set up Shane Donoher for a fine point. Better was to come at the midpoint of the first moiety when another booming strike from Scally caused consternation in the South Dublin defence and Philip Reilly pounced for an opportunist goal, to put the maroon and whites four points to the good.Ben Quinn and Naoise Maguire chipped in with a point apiece for Dublin. Aonghus Clarke (showing great composure) replied with a terrific point, before the navy and blues wasted two good chances through hasty shooting. A burst out of defence reminiscent of his father and namesake in his heyday, saw Thomas Doyle set up Anthony Price for a neat score, but this was soon cancelled out by livewire corner forward Ben Quinn, who was a constant thorn in the winners' rearguard. A Westmeath counterattack after Cathal Scally saved Aodán Clabby's free at the second attempt ended with strong-running Joey Boyle firing over a lovely point. Ben Quinn chipped in with a fine solo point for the Dubs and, seconds later, he set up Naoise Maguire for his side's seventh point. Sandwiched between two wides from Conor Murphy, his opposite number Aonghus Clarke rifled over a great free from 65 metres. At the break, Westmeath (who had shot no wides compared with their opponents' five) led by 1-7 to 0-7.Aodán Clabby reduced the deficit in the third minute of the second half with a fine point from play. The action continued to come thick and fast and Dillon Mulligan did well to ship a few would-be tackles to leave the bare minimum between the sides in the seventh minute. Both sides missed decent chances before Aonghus Clarke tapped over a close-range free, the ball having been moved forward for dissent - in fairness, the losers' frustration was understandable when they heard the original whistle. A weak clearance from a tiring Westmeath defence gifted Sean Barron a point in the 23rd minute. Two minutes later, Ben Quinn levelled the match with a trademark score. As time ticked away, Glen Flynn's handpass failed to find a colleague when a crucial score looked likely. Soon afterwards, substitute Neal Kirby almost created a goal chance but nothing came of the attack. These misses looked to be fatal when South Dublin were awarded a scoreable free in the last moments of the game. Aodán Clabby's freetaking had not been as reliable as Aonghus Clarke and recently-introduced substitute Niall Ryan was given the chance to be his side's hero. However, he completely underhit his shot. There was time for one more attack but an easy save for Eoin Crowley proved to be last action of normal time, the sides finishing on level terms: Westmeath 1-8 South Dublin 0-11.Aonghus Clarke opened the scoring in extra-time with a magnificent point from 50 metres after only 15 seconds. Aodán Clabby was restored as freetaker and he tapped over a simple free in the fourth minute. The Dubs took the lead for the first time when Niall Ryan availed of hesitancy in the visitors' defence to shoot a fine point. The referee's signals were unclear in the eighth minute when he awarded the losers a close-range free. However, an apparent penalty signal preceded an 'ordinary' free and Aodán Clabby's attempt to blast a goal was unsuccessful. The ever-dangerous Ben Quinn made amends with a brace of outstanding points - a goal looked a distinct possibility for the first of these - to leave the Dubs in control at the end of the first ten-minute period of extra-time, on a scoreline of 0-15 to 1-9.Dublin mentors were overheard at the break, talking of "needing this wake-up call" in anticipation of later games in the championship. However, it is Westmeath, not South Dublin, who will be playing at least one more game, producing a fantastic ten minutes on the change of ends, showing spirit and skill levels of the very highest order. Two converted Aonghus Clarke frees and another minor from play from the same player (following good work by substitute Enda Kincaid) had the teams tied by the fourth minute. The initiative was now very much with the Lake County and a disputed point from Philip Reilly gave them a lead they never looked likely to relinquish. An all-out assault on the winners' goal yielded no tangible reward for the Dubs, before a counterattack ended with Aonghus Clarke again showing his accuracy from placed balls, this time scoring from some 40 metres. In the second minute of added-time, goalpoacher supreme Philip Reilly was on hand to guide the sliotar to the net from Neal Kirby's cross.While a five-point winning margin undoubtedly flattered Westmeath, nonetheless their victory was thoroughly deserved. No doubt, news of this truly excellent win will act as a huge pick-me-up to the winners' hospitalised colleague Jordy Cassidy, who has been in the thoughts and prayers of all Lake County Gaels over the past few days.Westmeath Schools: Cathal Scally (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar); Daniel Kelleher (Moate Community School), Thomas Doyle (Castlepollard Community College), Aaron Craig (Mullingar Community College); Shane Donoher (Moate Community School) (0-1), Cormac Boyle (St. Joseph's, Rochfortbridge), Paddy Laide (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar); Conor Thompson (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar), David Gavin (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar); Joey Boyle (St. Joseph's, Rochfortbridge) (0-1), Anthony Price (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar) (0-1), Glen Flynn (Castlepollard Community College); Philip Reilly (Castlepollard Community College) (2-1), David Higgins (St. Finian's, Mullingar), Aonghus Clarke (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar) (0-10, 0-5 from frees). Subs: David Fennell (Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan) (for Craig, 25 mins), Paul Fennell (Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan) (for Thompson, half-time), Shane Fagan (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar) (for Higgins, 41 mins), Neal Kirby (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar) (for Gavin, 47 mins), Enda Kincaid (Moate Community School), (for Flynn, 63 mins), Dean McDermott (Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan) (for Donoher, 68 mins).Dublin South Schools: Eoin Crowley; Enda Grogan, Bill O'Carroll, Eoin Small; Emmet McKenna, Cillian Moffatt, John Breen; Sean Barron (0-1), Glen Whelan; Aodán Clabby (0-4, 0-3 from frees), Jack Doughan, Dillon Mulligan (0-1); Ben Quinn (0-6), Naoise Maguire (0-2), Conor Murphy. Subs: Fergal Heavey (for Doughan, 45 mins), Niall Ryan (0-1) (for Murphy, 57 mins).Referee: David O'Donovan (Dublin).