Kilcoyne’s late goal seals hard-earned win for Ringtown

Ringtown 1-19, Brownstown 0-18

by Gerry Buckley

A well-taken goal by experienced attacker Darren Kilcoyne in the third minute of added-time proved to be the decisive score as Ringtown edged past Brownstown in their closely-fought Westmeath senior hurling ‘B’ championship opener, played in front of a small crowd in TEG Cusack Park last Saturday evening.

In truth, there was a lack of atmosphere for long periods of this contest which seldom reached any great heights. However, there was no shortage of effort from all participants representing two of the former kingpins in Lake County hurling, with bravery very evident in many of the fearless hooks and blocks at both ends throughout. Such was the closeness of the scoring that a draw looked a likely – and eminently fair outcome – until Kilcoyne struck late to secure a precious brace of championship points for Shane Brophy’s charges.

The teams equally shared four points during a low-key opening ten minutes. Emmet Corrigan (a free) and Kilcoyne were the men on target for the winners, with Anthony Mulvaney and Conor Rice (a quality score from near the stand sideline) dissecting the posts for the men in blue and white. A brace of converted frees by Niall Leonard, either side of a weak attempt for a goal at the other end by Charles Flynn, nudged Brownstown ahead. Corrigan (a free) and Tiernan Purcell (open play) traded points, leaving the losers ahead by 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter.

Jamie Fitzsimons soon increased the gap to three points, but Ringtown dominated the next eight minutes scoring an impressive six unanswered points therein, courtesy of Corrigan (two frees), and one each from play by Paul Nangle, Westmeath senior regular Mark Cunningham, Sean Boylan and Luke Moore.

The respective number 13s, Leonard and Corrigan, then traded points from frees. Emmett Cunneen was narrowly wide from a close-range goal attempt in the 59th minute. Kilcoyne wrapped up first-half scoring at the end of a patient move in injury-time, leaving Ringtown ahead by 0-11 to 0-7 at the interval.

Leonard pointed neatly just 13 seconds after play resumed, but his opposite number Corrigan soon cancelled this out from a ‘65’. Gerry Mangan’s troops’ four-point deficit was completely wiped out between the 35th and 41st minute, all from the stick of Leonard – two frees followed by an outstanding brace from play from very similar and tight angles. Corrigan (a free) and Jamie Reilly (a clever finish over his shoulder) traded points, as did Cunningham and Leonard (another free), leaving the sides tied at 0-14 apiece midway through the second moiety.

Further point exchanges ensued between Cunningham (after Darragh Moran had batted out Patrick O’Reilly’s attempt at the other end) and Rice (from an acute angle), and scorers-in-chief Leonard (when a goal briefly looked possible) and Corrigan (a routine free). Callum Boyle made an instant impression with a point for the men in the green and gold striped jerseys, and his colleague Corrigan doubled their advantage with a fine free conversion a minute into injury-time (a minimum of four was signalled). A Leonard free halved the gap, but then came Kilcoyne’s all-important three-pointer after Brownstown failed to clear the sliotar. Johnny Hardman opened his account at the end of a well-worked move, leaving Purcell’s second point in the dying seconds as a mere consolation score.

Scorers – Ringtown: E Corrigan 0-9 (7f, 1‘65’), D Kilcoyne 1-2, M Cunningham 0-3, P Nangle, L Moore, S Boylan, J Hardman, C Boyle 0-1 each.

Brownstown: N Leonard 0-11 (8f), C Rice, T Purcell 0-2 each, A Mulvaney, J Fitzsimons, J Reilly 0-1 each.

Ringtown: Darragh Moran; Desmond Smyth, Niall Moran, Ryan Moore; Paul Nangle, Ciaran Moran, Charles Flynn; James Boylan, Luke Moore; Sean Boylan, Darren Kilcoyne, Mark Cunningham; Emmet Corrigan, Johnny Hardman, Owen Harper. Sub used: Callum Boyle for S Boylan (53).

Brownstown: James Moore; Shane Henry, Philip Gilsenan, Tom Flynn; Patrick O’Reilly, Conor Shaw, Anthony Mulvaney; Conor Rice, Oisín Kiernan; Donal Lane, Tiernan Purcell, Robert Dugdale; Niall Leonard, Emmett Cunneen, Jamie Fitzsimons. Subs used: Jamie Reilly for Dugdale (40), Brian Guerin for Kiernan (53), Sean Mulvaney for Rice (59).

Ref: Alfie Devine (Castlepollard).