Kelly leads the way as Lake County power past the Cats

Westmeath Schools 4-23 Kilkenny Schools 3-7

By Paul Hughes

It’s not often that a black and amber-clad hurling side from the Marble County leaves Mullingar having lost by 19 points.

That is exactly what happened in TEG Cusack Park last Saturday afternoon, with a Westmeath schools second year combination outfit – effectively, the Lake County’s U15 hurling development squad – eased past their Kilkenny counterparts to claim Leinster honours.

With students from Coláiste Mhuire and St Finian’s College, Mullingar forming the backbone of the panel, and St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge, Mercy Kilbeggan, Castlepollard CC and Marist College, Athlone well represented, this Westmeath outfit is well-drilled by the management team of Ger Beehan (Cullion), Greg Gavin (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Fintan Clarke (Castletown Geoghegan) and Martin Geary (Southern Gaels).

It's worth noting, however, that the Kilkenny Schools team was drawn from the schools in the county outside of those competing at 'A' level.

Leading 3-13 to 2-2, the hosts were out of sight at half-time, with Conor Williams, Aaron Connaire, Hugo Corroon and Dean Kelly among the stars. Though they shipped a couple of soft goals, the winners played high-quality hurling throughout, posting 4-20 from play.

Kelly capped a memorable individual display with Westmeath’s fourth goal on 55 minutes, by which time the Maroons had emptied their bench. Despite introducing 15 subs, they never eased off the gas, with each replacement as hungry to make his mark as the next.

Westmeath led 2-6 to 1-1 by the quarter-hour mark, by which time both sides had taken 100 percent of the opportunities they were presented with.

The hosts opened with scores from Williams, Connaire and Kelly but all of their good work was undone in the fifth minute, when a defensive lapse led to Kilkenny’s Jack Power latching onto a Cian Franks free and sweeping the ball to the net.

Westmeath were relentless however, and Connaire and Kelly added further scores before the former found the net on eight minutes. Two minutes later, Williams rose another green flag, unleashing a rocket after Kilkenny became flustered under a high ball.

Williams (Westmeath) and Franks (Kilkenny) then traded frees before the latter registered the first wide of the game. On 16 minutes, Aaron Connaire showcased an outrageous bit of skill when, after dropping his hurl, he flicked the sliothar onto his boot soccer-style and kicked for the posts. Though it went wide, this was just some evidence of the confidence Westmeath were playing with.

The Kilkenny team, which was drawn from the schools in the county outside of those competing at 'A' level, then had their best spell of the game. Jack Power divided the posts after a defensive lapse from Westmeath, and on 19 minutes, Cadyn Morgan squared to Conor Holohan, who nudged to the net from close range. Despite their dominance, Westmeath now only led by four (2-6 to 2-2).

Kilkenny almost snuck a third goal with chances for Morgan and James Gannon, but Westmeath netminder Dylan Gaffney was equal to these, making a spectacular double save in the 20th minute.

From there, Westmeath closed out the half in style with an unanswered 1-7. Williams, Hugo Corroon and Dara Geary helped themselves to 0-2 each, with the dominant Dean Kelly adding his third point.

Kelly could have had a goal on 23 minutes after scything through the Kilkenny defence, and was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after being impeded while pulling the trigger.

However, a third Westmeath goal arrived on 28 minutes, captain Thomas Wrafter smashing to the net after a breathtaking move involving Connaire, Williams and Geary, leaving the hosts 14 ahead at the break.

The Maroons introduced four subs at half-time but it was business as usual. One of the new arrivals, Andrew Sinnott, pinged an impressive shot over the bar to extend the lead.

Kilkenny had three of the next four scores but all came from frees courtesy of Cian Franks, while Westmeath continued to raise flags from open play at the other end, with Connaire, Wrafter and sub M J Long finding their range. The home side continued to empty their bench but there was no let-up in the intensity.

The visitors nabbed a third goal on 53 minutes when Cadyn Morgan scrambled the sliothar over the line, but the Lake County picked off four more scores, with Dean Kelly, flying corner back Cian Matthews and M J Long (0-2) making it 3-22 to 3-5 with seven minutes to go.

Franks (a free) pulled one back for the Cats but Kelly, still on the field for the Maroons, put the gloss on a superb individual display with Westmeath’s fourth goal. Winning the sliothar in the final third, he juggled it over the heads of three Kilkenny defenders and powered through, kicking to the net from close range.

Aidan Doyle (Westmeath) and Franks (his sixth free) traded scores as the contest came to an end, and at full time, Michael McHugh, the long-time servant to Westmeath GAA’s underage and schools structures, presented the trophy to the winning captain, Thomas Wrafter.

Scorers - Westmeath Schools: C Williams 1-5 (0-3f), D Kelly 1-4, A Connaire 1-2, T Wrafter 1-1, H Corroon and M J Long 0-3 each, D Geary 0-2, A Sinnott, C Matthews and A Doyle 0-1 each. Kilkenny Schools: C Franks 0-6f, J Power 1-1, C Morgan and C Holohan 1-0 each.

Westmeath Schools: Dylan Gaffney; Cian Matthews, Cian McGee, Oisín Gavin; Conor Cleary, Cian McKeogh, Jack Connaughton; Tomás Brennan, Dean Kelly; Hugo Corroon, Aaron Connaire, Eoghan Beehan; Dara Geary, Conor Williams, Thomas Wrafter (capt.). Subs used: Harry Tilson for Gavin (h-t), Andrew Sinnott for Brennan (h-t), Cillian Clarke for Beehan (h-t), Tom Shaw for Corroon (h-t), Alex Cybula for Gaffney (43), M J Long for Connaire (43), Shane Murray for McGee (43), Will Cassidy for Geary (51), Aidan Doyle for Wrafter (51), Eoghan Goldrick for Matthews (51), Cian Kennedy for Cleary (53), Eamonn Gannon for Connaughton (53), Oisín Scally for Kelly (55), Dylan Ward for Williams (56), Cathal Flanagan for McKeogh (56). Rest of panel: Oisín Egan, Oisín Ó Muirí, Shane O’Mara, Robbie Byrne, Rhys Brady.

Kilkenny Schools: AJ Brennan Stafeckis; Darragh Cleere, Seamus Murphy, Richie Costello; Mark Flanagan, Paddy Brophy, Conor Walsh; Adam Norton, Conn Ó Néill; Cadyn Morgan, Billy Gleeson, Cian Franks; Conor Holohan, Jack Power, James Gannon. Subs used: Cillian Deegan for Holohan (40), Cathal Fox for Gannon (49), Jack Dempsey for Cleere (56), Jack Allen for Morgan (56), Jamie Dowling for Norton (59), Jamie Murphy for Walsh (60+1).

Ref: James McGrath (Westmeath).