Raharney manager speaks of disappointment

On Sunday Lough Lene Gaels were crowned Westmeath senior hurling champions for the first time since 2002 having produced a determined second-half display to overcome Raharney at TEG Cusack Park.

A bright start by Raharney and a 0-9 to 0-7 advantage at half-time was not enough for Johnny Greville's side as they lost out to a dogged Lough Lene Gaels in the Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship A final.

A penalty in the 35th minute, and Jamie Mulkearns’ dismissal following a second yellow card, left them facing a difficult challenge. Despite being reduced to 14 players, Raharney refused to surrender, with Killian Doyle and Eamon Cunneen keeping their side in contention.

“I thought the lads put in a huge first half performance and came up with all the answers needed in the first half,” Greville said as the dust was setted in Cusack Park, “We hit a few wides in the first half but as I've said to you boys throughout the last number of years, if you don't shoot you can't score. It'd be worse if we weren't creating them.”

The resolve of the blue and white on Sunday saw them fight right up to the 60th minute: “Even going down to 14 I thought the lads showed huge fight and huge heart to come back. Then the shot for the goal, a save, a couple of wides and balls dropping short. There was all sorts going on.

“I couldn't be any prouder of the lads,” the Raharney supremo said, “you couldn't come from a more genuine place than that really disappointed dressing room in there. We've only lost two competitive matches this year and the two of them were against Lough Lene Gaels and unfortunately both in Championship.”

Captain David Williams was outstanding for the Gaels, scoring twice before converting a penalty in the 35th minute. Raharney had their own heroes: “Ciarán Doyle coming off injured was a huge blow for us,” Johnny stated, “then Owen Keyes at the start of the year. When you're coming into the 40th minute of the county final it's tough. Young Cormack McKeogh; he's just a warrior, an absolute warrior. His first county final at senior level and I'm sure there will be many more for him in the future as well.”

The game turned decisively in the opening stages of the second half. The aforementioned goal from the spot, coupled with Jamie Mulkearns’ dismissal following a second yellow card, left Raharney facing a difficult challenge. The intensity of Lough Lene Gaels' restart was a turning point: “It was one of those things they seemed to attack all year.

“That first five or six minutes at the start of the game, we made sure we got after it. We went after it the same in the second half but they just got that break inside. Unfortunately Jamie, as I said to him, hasn't put a foot wrong all year, it was just one of those things that happened in the game and it wasn't his fault.

“We still could have won it with 14 players going down the home straight, so if we had 15 on the pitch we might have just been a little bit better.”

The defeated manager did not hold back on his assessment of the officiating: “I'd probably get done, but I might as well get done for a dog as done for a divil. But the refereeing over the course of the weekend has been extremely poor.

“Yesterday the same thing happened with the intermediate, there were 16 frees scored by Turin. We only had four frees I think in the whole game. I think today again they got an awful lot of calls wrong, especially coming down the home straight, young Cormack McKeogh was getting turned upside down and inside out and they were getting the frees at the opposite end for very similar fouls.”

“I'd have to question the officiating. It's not a bitter pill, it's not sour grapes, it's just we're scrutinised on the line for everything we do and say and these guys need to be held accountable as well because on the biggest day of the year, minute decisions like that could cost a team a county final.”

Greville was at pains to point out the worthiness of the victors: “The Gaels won it on merit, not saying anything about their win,” the Raharney manager said, “I have to pay real respect to Lough Lene Gaels, I have great time for them as a club and as a people. Especially Mattie Conaty. I travelled around in a bus when I was four or five years of age with my father up and down the country going to Antrim, going to Down with the Westmeath senior hurlers.

“He's driving the club down throughout the years, laying foundations. There's people like that in every club and for those people ending a 24 year famine, you really think of those people on days like today.”