Doyle and Cunneen steer Raharney to opening win

Raharney 1-18, Clonkill 1-9

By Paul Hughes

Raharney emerged comfortable winners against old rivals Clonkill in TEG Cusack Park on Sunday last in what was, on paper, the weekend’s showcase senior hurling fixture.

Instead, a flat and generally disappointing game transpired, the only major talking point of which was a 21st-minute red card for Clonkill’s Peadar Scally, after which a widely expected rout by Raharney never materialised.

Clonkill, though heavily reliant on frees from debutant Kian Loughlin, burst out of the trap with an early goal from John Kenny but the deserved red card for Scally left them exposed and Ciaran Doyle netted for the Deelsiders, who led 1-9 to 1-4 at the break.

The second half, as a contest, proved disappointing fare for the neutral observer, with Clonkill rarely endeavouring to take the game to their opponents and perhaps grab a second goal. Raharney, meanwhile, never really pushed on, tacking on only another nine scores to Clonkill’s five, most of them frees courtesy of either Doyle or Eamon Cunneen.

The Blues, though missing key players like Jamie Mulkearns and Killian Doyle from the spine of their team, were physically more imposing than the Loughegar men but when coming up against the likes of Castletown Geoghegan and Lough Lene Gaels in the coming weeks, they will have to show a bit more ruthlessness to lay down a marker in this year’s competition.

Clonkill started the brighter of the two sides, with Kian Loughlin converting a free from the terrace side of the park and putting together a couple of promising attacks.

Then, in the fifth minute, the Loughegar men found the net when Loughlin lobbed an inviting ball across the face of goal. It bounced kindly for John Kenny, who struck a sublime shot on the half-volley to give his side a handsome lead.

Within another seven minutes, however, Raharney reversed this situation with five points on the trot, the first three coming from the stick of Eamon Cunneen – three consecutive frees, the second being the pick of the bunch.

Eoin Keyes restored parity in the 10th minute before Darren Finn, moving forward out of his starting position at the back, divided the posts impressively to give the Deelsiders their first lead.

Clonkill regained the advantage thanks to Loughlin (a free) and Andrew Shaw, the latter showing great tenacity to brush off a couple of Raharney challenges before driving the sliotar over the bar.

By the 20th minute, the pendulum swung in Raharney’s favour again, with Ciaran Doyle dispatching his first point before Devin Hill found his range from the right flank to make it 0-7 to 1-3.

Within seconds of that score came the game’s key moment. Raharney stitched together a promising attack and with Hill speedily looking for a gap in the Clonkill rearguard, he was unceremoniously floored with a high challenge from Peadar Scally’s elbow. Referee Caymon Flynn produced a red card and although Scally protested, he had no grounds for complaint. Ciaran Doyle tapped over the resultant free for the Blues.

Scally’s dismissal effectively ended Clonkill’s challenge and although Darragh Egerton gave them some cause for optimism with an outrageous free from his own 45-metre line, there was only going to be one outcome.

At the other end, Raharney’s best player on the day, Eamon Cunneen, landed his first score from play from a considerable distance and, to compound Clonkill’s misery, there was still time for the Blues to net before the break.

With 28 minutes gone, Raharney worked the ball down the pitch, finally through Eoghan Ahearn and Rory Keyes, who teed up Darren Finn for a shot at goal. The ball went astray for Finn but was gathered by Ciaran Doyle, who still had a bit of work to do before he drove a low, angled shot past Clonkill netminder Scott Murray. Raharney led by five at the short whistle.

With their side a man down, Clonkill supporters feared the worst and Raharney began in determined fashion, with Cormac McKeogh firing a terrific score from the left flank to extend their lead to six.

However, pedestrian hurling followed and over the next quarter-hour, there were only two scores from play, both of them coming from Raharney players (Eamon Cunneen and a second for McKeogh). The rest came from tit-for-tat frees (three for Clonkill’s Loughlin and two from Raharney’s Ciaran Doyle).

When sub Robbie Cleary pointed powerfully on the turn for Clonkill with 50 minutes gone, there were still only six points between the sides (1-14 to 1-8). Raharney seemed to be happy with their lot and their opponents rarely troubled them, certainly never coming anywhere near the second goal that might redeemed the game as a contest.

By the 60th minute, Raharney tacked on three more scores courtesy of frees from Doyle and Cunneen, with the latter – after Kian Loughlin’s sixth free for Clonkill – closing out the game with the sort of score that made him the stand-out player on Sunday evening.

Scorers - Raharney: C Doyle 1-5 (0-4f), E Cunneen 0-7 (4f), E Keyes and Cormac McKeogh 0-2 each, D Finn and D Hill 0-1 each. Clonkill: K Loughlin 0-6f, J Kenny 1-0, A Shaw, D Egerton (free) and R Cleary 0-1 each.

Raharney: Aaron McHugh; Gary Greville, Rory Keyes, Darren Finn; Seán Quinn, Robbie Greville, Eoin Keyes; Joey Boyle, Eoghan Ahearn; Michael Doherty, Ciaran Doyle, Eamon Cunneen; Robbie Coyne, Devin Hill, Cormac McKeogh. Subs used: Cormac Boyle for J Boyle (45), Conor McKeogh for Quinn (48), Caolan Ready for Coyne (52), Darragh Core for Hill (54).

Clonkill: Scott Murray; Ciaran Nooney, Darragh Egerton, Ciaran Nolan; Josh Murtagh, Darragh Kenny, Andrew Shaw; Matthew Glynn, Jordy Smyth; Oisín Murray, Peadar Scally, Niall Mitchell; Kian Loughlin, John Kenny, Paul Poynton.

Subs used: Robbie Cleary for O Murray (h-t), Brian Gaffey for Nooney (42), Oisín Loughlin for Smyth (46), O Murray for Gaffney (inj., 57).

Referee: Caymon Flynn (St Brigid’s).

Examiner's Eye on the game

Man of the match

Eamon Cunneen (Raharney). Along with Ciaran Doyle, Cunneen was Raharney’s primary attacking threat on Sunday and finished the game with 0-7, including three exquisite points from play.

The key moment

Clonkill competed well up until the 21st-minute dismissal of Peadar Scally which, although fully justified, completely changed the complexion of the game. There was only ever going to be one winner from then on.

Next up

Raharney play last year’s Senior ‘B’ winners, Delvin, while Clonkill meet reigning champions Castletown Geoghegan. Like Clonkill, Delvin lost their first round game (vs Lough Lene Gaels) and will be aiming to bounce back.  

Entertainment value - 6/10