Farrell’s goal decisive as Plunkett’s advance

Gerry Buckley

A 44th-minute goal from corner forward Brian Farrell proved decisive as St Oliver Plunkett’s marched on to a second consecutive Westmeath senior ‘B’ hurling final in pleasant conditions at TEG Cusack Park last Sunday afternoon with a deserved three-point victory against Brownstown.

The Mullingar men were pushed all the way by the one-time kingpins of the small ball game in the Lake County and they could afford an element of profligacy from both frees and open play – they shot twice the losers’ quota of wides (ten to five) – as they qualified to face another sleeping giant in Westmeath, Castlepollard, for the Mickey Power Cup later this month.

The local team had the aid of a useful wind blowing towards the scoreboard end of the ground in the first moiety, but they never stretched their lead to more than four points at any juncture. They went two clear by the third minute, courtesy of former county player Aaron Craig (a free seconds after the throw-in) and Eoin Meehan (a great score from play some two minutes later). Paddy Reilly put Philip Gilsenan’s men on the scoreboard at the end of a fine counterattack in the fourth minute, but the impressive Padraig Casey quickly wiped this out at the other end.

A very good free into the wind by Niall Leonard, followed by a good finish by Aaron O’Brien, tied up the scoring with nine minutes on the clock. Longford player Paddy Lynam and Brian Farrell (after great work by Casey) pointed for the men in white and green, before the respective number 11s, Jamie Fitzsimons and Casey (a free) traded points. This left Plunkett’s ahead by 0-6 to 0-4 at the end of the opening quarter.

Reilly and Leonard (another free) both doubled their tallies to level the contest with 22 minutes elapsed, but Dermot Curley’s charges went on to score four unanswered points by the half-hour mark, during which they also had a ‘goal’ from a long-range free by goalkeeper Conor Bracken disallowed for a square ball offence. The four white flags were raised by Casey (a quality score from near the terrace sideline), the same man from a free (moved forward for dissent), Davy Gavin (despite being pressurised), and Thomas Meehan. A low-trajectory free by Leonard (again the sliotar had been moved forward) rounded off the first half scoring, leaving St Oliver Plunkett’s ahead by 0-10 to 0-7 at the break.

A surging run directly from the throw-in to the second half by the hard-working Criostóir Ormsby failed to garner a score before Leonard was untypically wide from a free at the other end – his side’s first of the contest. The latter player (after a great assist from half-time sub Tiernan Purcell) and Farrell soon exchanged points. Leonard was then narrowly wide with a flicked effort for a goal, but there was no denying the men in blue and white the next three points of the game from the sticks of O’Brien and Emmett Cunneen (a quickfire brace), and a ‘65’ by Leonard in the 41st minute, to level the match at 0-11 each.

Eoin Meehan and Conor Rice swapped points before the all-important goal arrived in the 44th minute after a smart pick-up allowed Farrell to find the space to rifle a shot past James Moore. Brian Guerin, who was not as influential as many expected for Brownstown, scored a classy point, but a ‘65’ from Craig, after both Gavin and Thomas Meehan had been denied by Moore in quick succession, restored the winners’ one-goal cushion.

Point exchanges ensued for the remainder of a contest which never reached any great heights, but was absorbing nonetheless due to the closeness of the scoring. The scorers at either end were Casey (a neat finish) and Leonard (a fabulous strike from an acute angle), Craig (a 65-metre free) and Leonard (a replica of the previous effort), Eoin Meehan and Leonard (a free), and O’Brien (completing a hat-trick) and Bracken (a very good free into the wind in added-time, moments after an inspirational piece of defending by his colleague Craig). Brownstown went all-out in search of an equalising goal, but Plunkett’s deservedly hung on and are now one step away from a return to the senior ‘A’ ranks.

Scorers - St Oliver Plunkett’s: B Farrell 1-2, P Casey 0-5 (2f), E Meehan, A Craig (2f, 1‘65’) 0-3 each, C Bracken (f), P Lynam, D Gavin, T Meehan 0-1 each.

Brownstown: N Leonard 0-8 (4f, 1‘65’), A O’Brien 0-3, P Reilly 0-2, J Fitzsimons, E Cunneen, C Rice, B Guerin 0-1 each.

St Oliver Plunkett’s: Conor Bracken; John Fry, Zach Aherne, Brian Reidy; Aaron Craig, Sean Hayes, Liam Carey; Paddy Lynam, Criostóir Ormsby; Nathan Cornally, Padraig Casey, Eoin Meehan; Brian Farrell, Davy Gavin, Thomas Meehan. Subs used: Cathal Craig for Cornally (50), Matthew Cunningham for T Meehan (57), Tommy Turks for Hayes (inj., 59), Adam Buckley for Gavin (60 + 3).

Brownstown: James Moore; Oisín Kiernan, Sean Smith, Tom Flynn; Conor Rice, Conor Shaw, Anthony Mulvaney; Paddy Reilly, Jamie Reilly; Aaron O’Brien, Jamie Fitzsimons, Niall Leonard; Donal Lane, Emmett Cunneen, Brian Guerin. Subs used: Tiernan Purcell for J Reilly (h-t), Sean Mulvaney for Kiernan (48), Ryan Flynn for Lane (52).

Ref: Caymon Flynn (St Brigid’s).