Nangle goal propels Ringtown to another title
Westmeath Junior Hurling ‘B’ Championship Final: Ringtown 1-11, Crookedwood 1-7
Gerry Buckley reports
A progressive year for Ringtown ended with the Whitehall-based club picking up a second piece of adult silverware for 2022 when their junior ‘B’ side edged out neighbours Crookedwood in a low-key decider on the main pitch in St Loman’s, Mullingar yesterday (Saturday) afternoon.
A small but enthusiastic crowd turned up for this rescheduled game, with the threatened rain thankfully staying away for the duration of a contest which never reached any great heights.
Overall, there is no denying that Nigel Mannion’s troops were worthy victors, thereby adding the trophy to the intermediate title won in the autumn.
A point exchange from frees between Brendan McCarthy and Jason Moran had the sides tied after five minutes. The wind-assisted men in green and gold stripes edged ahead a minute later via Anthony Nea.
Scores were hard to come by at this juncture and both teams only troubled the scoreboard operator once more by the end of the opening quarter, Enda Murray (open play) and Moran (a free) pointing for their respective teams, either side of Ciaran Bawle whipping the sliotar wide at the end of a McCarthy free.
In the 17th minute, the hard-working Paul Nangle scored a fine goal for the winners. Moran and McCarthy again traded points from converted frees by the end of normal time, but Ringtown opened up a seven-point lead by the interval (1-7 to 0-3) courtesy of unanswered scores in added-time from the sticks of Ryan McCauley (a fine strike under pressure), Nangle (at the end of a patient move), and Moran (a great free from close to the sideline).
Ringtown’s lead was extended to nine points by the 35th minute via another brace of Moran frees (the second coming after they had almost scrambled a goal). McCarthy responded in kind with two frees for the ‘Wood. The same duo swapped points from frees. Murray soon came close to finding the net for the men in the tricoloured jerseys and McCarthy pointed the resultant ‘65’.
Darragh Moran needed to be alert on a couple of occasions in the winners' goalmouth as Crookedwood piled on the pressure with the breeze behind them. A foul on Nea resulted in a Ringtown penalty in the 53rd minute and Moran pointed from the spot.
Dominic Flynn was red-carded some two minutes later but 14-man Ringtown still held out, the only score in the time remaining coming with time almost up when McCarthy found the net from a close-range free.
After the game, the chairman of the Westmeath County Board, Frank Mescall presented the cup to the victorious Ringtown captain, Ciaran Moran.
Scorers – Ringtown: J Moran 0-8 (7f, 1 pen), P Nangle 1-1, A Nea and R McCauley 0-1 each. Crookedwood: B McCarthy 1-6 (1-5f, 0-1 ‘65’), E Murray 0-1.
Ringtown: Darragh Moran; Jack McMahon, Anthony Nea, Dominick Flynn; Feidhlim Burke, Ryan Moore, Kevin Nea; Ciaran Moran, James Boylan; Conor O’Grady, Paul Nangle, Ryan McCauley; Jason Moran, Johnny Hardman, Sean Boylan. Subs used: Brian Brophy for Hardman (60), Dylan Brady for A Nea (60), Sean Cunningham for J Boylan (60+1), Damien Moran for K Nea (60+2), Christopher Kiernan for J Moran (60+2).
Crookedwood: Adam Mitchell; John Kiernan, Oisín Boyle, Ciaran McGovern; Kevin Orme, Ciaran Bawle, Damien Grifferty; Brendan McCarthy, Ian McGovern; Simon McCarthy, Noel Yourell, Michael Davitt; Jack Butler, Enda Murray, Lorcan O’Mara. Subs used: Alan O’Mara for Butler (58), Robert Burge for Orme (59), Padraig Keenan for Boyle (60+1).
Ref: Jim Bob Baker (Cullion).