Ahearn’s brace helps Raharney to comfortable win over the Gaels

Raharney 2-21, Lough Lene Gaels 2-7

Gerry Buckley

Raharney laid down a marker in TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon with a surprisingly comprehensive win against Lough Lene Gaels, thereby helping to set up a fascinating fifth and final round robin series in the Westmeath senior hurling championship on the weekend after next.

Most observers expected this to be a closely-fought contest between two genuine contenders for the Westmeath Examiner Cup. However, it proved to be very one-sided with the Collinstown men (albeit short the services of their marquee defender, Tommy ‘Jogger’ Doyle) unable on the day to cope with a powerful Deelside attack.

Cormac Boyle delightfully nudged his side ahead after a mere 15 seconds. David Williams equalised from a fifth-minute free. Eoin Keyes soon superbly put Raharney into a lead they never looked likely to relinquish, and Killian Doyle followed up with a brace of converted frees.

Williams (a ‘65’) and Joey Boyle (open play) traded points. The winners were wasteful at this juncture and this allowed the Gaels to stay in touch courtesy of a fine point from Micheál Daly and a Williams free (brought closer to the target for dissent). This left Raharney ahead by the bare minimum (0-5 to 0-4) at the end of the opening quarter.

Eoghan Ahearn pointed when a goal looked possible after displaying a great piece of individual skill. Point exchanges ensued between David Hickey and Williams (a ‘65’), and Doyle and Williams (both from frees).

However, the men in blue and white crucially pounced for four unanswered points before the interval, courtesy of Eamonn Cunneen (a terrific score), and three from the Doyle twins – a free from Killian and a brace from play by Ciaran (sandwiched between which Joey Boyle was denied what would have been a quality goal by fine goalkeeping from Noel Conaty), to lead by 0-12 to 0-6 at the break.

The wind-assisted men in purple and gold got a tonic start to the second half when Daly’s seemingly innocuous shot went all the way to the back of the net.  However, Ger Flanagan’s troops responded in style by scoring three points without reply by the 36th minute from the sticks of Cunneen (at the end of a patient move), Hickey and Joey Boyle.

Daly replied with a point before an untypically weak effort when a goal beckoned from his colleague Derek McNicholas. A successful Killian Doyle free preceded Raharney’s first goal, Ahearn fielding the sliotar in style before soloing goalward and giving Conaty no chance.

A poor wide from a free by Williams followed at the other end, and it was the winners who dominated a somewhat lifeless closing quarter. Ahearn doubled his goal tally in the 46th minute (when teed up by Brian McGrath), while Killian Doyle added five points to his tally. Three came from frees, and the two from open play were typically classy strikes. A goal from a McNicholas free in the 56th minute was all that Joey Williams’ charges could add to their tally in what was a very disappointing all-round display.

Scorers – Raharney: K Doyle 0-10 (8f), E Ahearn 2-1, E Cunneen, C Doyle, J Boyle, D Hickey 0-2 each, C Boyle, E Keyes 0-1 each.

Lough Lene Gaels: M Daly 1-2, D Williams 0-5 (3f, 2‘65’), D McNicholas 1-0 (f).

Raharney: Aaron McHugh; Conor McKeogh, Jamie Mulkearns, Darren Finn; Cormac Boyle, Robbie Greville, David Hickey; Gary Greville, Eamonn Cunneen; Eoin Keyes, Ciaran Doyle, Joey Boyle; Brian McGrath, Killian Doyle, Eoghan Ahearn. Subs used: Rory Keyes for Hickey (inj., 40), Devin Hill for McGrath (47), Brian McHugh for C Doyle (52), Michael Doherty for Cunneen (52), Neil Carty for C Boyle (59).

Lough Lene Gaels: Noel Conaty; Daniel Reilly, Dan Higgins, Daire Daly; Philip Reilly, Daragh Qamar, John Egan; Micheál Daly, Brendan Doyle; Shane Williams, David Williams, Eoin Daly; Derek McNicholas, Marcus Kennedy, Jason Malone. Subs used: Thomas Kennedy for S Williams (inj., 42), Warren Williams for Malone (44), Oisín Dolan for E Daly (48), Conor Lynch for Doyle (60+3).

Ref: Barry Kelly (St Oliver Plunkett’s).

Examiner's Eye on the game

Man of the match

Jamie Mulkearns (Raharney). The young full back was a tower of strength in an impressive winning defence. Indeed, none of the Gaels’ forwards registered as much as a single score from play over the course of the hour-plus.

Key moment

Raharney wiped out their opponents’ fortunate 31st minute goal with three rapid-fire points.