Buckley leads goal-scoring rout as Plunketts prevail

St Oliver Plunketts 6-12, Clonkill 0-7

Back in 1940, the Battle of Britain was won in the air, a significant victory. On Sunday at Dovida Lakepoint Park, the aerial strength and prowess of St Oliver Plunketts laid the platform for success in the Minor Hurling Division 1 final against Clonkill, a proud success for the Mullingar club.

For the first time in 24 years, St Oliver Plunketts are celebrating a premier minor hurling title and there is a buzz around the club and a feel good factor among players, mentors and supporters. It augurs well for the future, with this talented group feeding into an already successful U20 side.

Sunday’s emphatic victory over hat-trick chasing Clonkill is a powerful statement. Hurling is clearly on an upward curve in Mullingar, long overdue given the club’s proud standing and rich history. Manager Eddie Casey produced a superbly drilled side, full-forward Adam Buckley planting seeds of doubt in the Clonkill defence from an early stage, his first half hat-tick giving them a sizeable lead at the interval - 4-7 to 0-3.

Playing conditions, a stiff breeze and a searing sun, favoured Clonkill in the second half, but there was to be no heroic turnaround. Instead, Buckley swooped for a fourth major and substitute Hugo Corroon completed a rout of the Clonkill defence when he booted home goal number six in the 56th minute.

Team captains Mikee Weir and Ben McNamee accepted the Ben Kelly Memorial Cup afterwards and there were emotional tributes to former club greats. Ben Kelly was Westmeath Minor Board secretary at the time of his untimely passing and more recently, Maurice Wallace, an ardent and loyal St Oliver Plunketts supporter passed to his eternal reward.

“Our history is important; the players have been learning it during the year. Sometimes we tend to forget the people who put us where we are. There’s a proud history to our club,” explained Casey at the end.

St Oliver Plunketts made the perfect start when, after just three minutes, corner-forward Michael Fry opened the scoring with a tidy point. Clonkill replied almost immediately as wing-forward Luke Meyler fired over from play to level matters.

Five minutes later, Plunketts struck for the first goal of the game when full-forward Adam Buckley batted home the ball, having done superbly to keep it in play near the endline before finishing in unorthodox fashion. Barely a minute later they were on target again, Eoin Meehan pouncing on a loose ball after centre-back Seán Hayes delivered a long free into the danger area.

Plunketts were nearly in for a third goal soon after, but Clonkill goalkeeper, Niall Brady, produced a fine save from Buckley. From the resulting ’65’, wing-forward Padraig Casey sent the ball straight over the bar.

In the 13th minute, Buckley grabbed his second major, showing brilliant high fielding before racing away and batting the ball home again for a clever and effective finish. Midfielder Ben McNamee added an excellent point in the 19th minute to keep the scoreboard ticking over. A minute later, Clonkill responded with a fine point from the left wing by centre-forward Kian Loughlin.

Plunketts extended their advantage in the 21st minute when Casey pointed from a free, and he followed up two minutes later with a score from play. Clonkill hit back quickly, as midfielder Finn Raeside set up full-forward Padraig Monaghan for a neat point. In the 25th minute, McNamee struck again after Buckley’s aerial presence caused chaos in the Clonkill defence under a high delivery from Casey, as the holders continued to struggle with the physical threat inside.

In the final minute of normal time, the hard work of McNamee and Criostóir Ormsby in midfield earned another free, with Plunketts showing determination to win the ruck, and Casey converted to push his side 13 clear. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Buckley bagged his third goal, this time a scrappy effort, but one he finished smartly, keeping the ball low, rounding the goalkeeper and belting the ball to the net.

Plunketts held what looked like an unassailable lead at half-time.

Just 30 seconds into the second half, McNamee landed a superb point from midfield to stretch the lead. Two minutes later, Clonkill got one back through an unmarked Finn Raeside, who finished after a good pass from Conor Cleary. Loughlin added two pointed frees in the ninth and thirteenth minutes as Clonkill tried to build some momentum.

However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed in the 15th minute when Buckley struck for his fourth goal, latching onto a McNamee delivery, keeping the ball on the ground and rounding the stranded goalkeeper before finishing to the net. Two minutes later, Loughlin pointed again for Clonkill from what had looked a promising goal chance after a delivery from Darragh Kenny’s free.

In the 26th minute, Casey added another point following a good ball from Hayes, with the Clonkill defence again under pressure. From the resulting puck-out, Clonkill failed to clear, and substitute Hugo Corroon pounced to boot home his side’s sixth goal. Casey pointed another free on 29 minutes before McNamee added a fine long-range score from over 65 metres a minute into added time.

Three minutes later, full-back Mikee Weir rounded off the scoring with a well-taken point after good combination play between Casey and Corroon, sealing an emphatic victory for St Oliver Plunkett’s.

Afterwards, Paddy Wallace called on St Oliver Plunketts chairman, Dr Liam Dalton, a great servant of club and county, to co-present the Ben Kelly Memorial trophy to the winning captains.

Scorers - St Oliver Plunketts: A Buckley 4-0, P Casey 0-7 (3f; 1 ‘65’), B McNamee 0-4, E Meehan and H Corroon 1-0 each, M Fry and M Weir 0-1 each.

Clonkill: K Loughlin 0-4 (2f), L Meyler, P Monaghan and F Raeside 0-1 each.

St Oliver Plunketts: Ryan McNamee; Robert Hogg, Mikee Weir, Conor Walshe; Charlie Foy, Seán Hayes, Hugo Sleator; Ben McNamee, Criostóir Ormsby; Padraig Casey, Rory O’Brien, Eoin Meehan; Michael Fry, Adam Buckley, Will Scahill. Subs: Hugo Corroon for Fry (37), Seán Byrne for Foy (54), Oisin Gavin, Cillian Traynor and Oisin Murray for Walshe, Hogg and Meehan (58).

Clonkill: Niall Brady; Eoghan Daly, Andrew Brennan, Seán Flynn; Jamie Kellaghan, Darragh Kenny, Conor Cleary; Michael Moloney, Finn Raeside; Michael Brennan, Kian Loughlin, Luke Meyler; Beau Greene, Padraig Monaghan, Conor Maleady. Subs: Adam Kenny for Greene (h-t), Adam Slevin Kiernan for Daly (50), Conor Joyce for Maleady (52), Peter Conneely for Flynn (57), Billy Dunne for Moloney (57).

Referee: Ken Gunning (St Brigid’s).