Darren Giles raises the trophy to the excitiement and joy of his Raharney team mates after Raharney defeated Castletown in the Feile Hurling Final held in Cusack Park, Mullingar, on Sunday.

Doyle-inspired Deelsiders pip Castletown in final

Published: Wed 21 Apr 2010, 5:00 PM

If anyone was in doubt as to the future of Westmeath hurling then they really should have been in Cusack Park on Sunday evening last when the Under 14 hurlers of Raharney and Castletown-Geoghegan treated the large attendance to a fabulously entertaining game of hurling. The game ebbed and flowed throughout with both teams having their period of superiority but it was five goal hero Ciaran Doyle who stole the show and his virtual one man show dragged the Blues across the winning line, just!Castletown's late burst was just not enough and Raharney held on for a one point win after an hour of honest and earnest hurling in which the biggest winner was the game itself.The game started brightly and on 40 seconds Shane Clavin for Castletown had knocked over a free. Ciaran Doyle announced his presence when he burst through several tackles to rattle the back of the net for a super goal and Raharney were back up and running. A pointed free from the same player extended that lead but then Castletown hit back with a vengeance a James Fox delivery was flicked to the net by Sean Maher and after another attack that Raharney failed to clear the same player was on hand to finish superbly to the back of the net and the Black and Ambers now held ascendency.Johnny Bermingham then pointed superbly for Castletown to extend the lead and Raharney were on the rack. Ciaran Doyle had a goal bound shock brilliantly saved by Cathal Daly in the Castletown goal but Doyle did add a point shortly afterward. Cormac Deegan nullified that with a lovely score that was simplicity personified. Raharney needed a boost and Killian Doyle high hanging free evaded everyone except brother Ciaran who caught and struck and it was another green flag.The game was end to end and when it went down to the Castletown end Raharney again struggled to clear and Johnny Bermingham was on hand again to pick up the break and struck a wonderful goal. Killian Doyle got a great lpoint for Raharney just after and then Ciaran just happened to be in the right place at the right time and finished expertly for his 3rd goal right on the stroke of half time to level matters at 3-3 a piece at the break.A Shane Clavin point was the only score for the first 18 minutes of the second half. Ciaran Doyle levelled matters with a pointed free and then almost from the puck out he was on hand again and this time his wonder strike raised a green flag and barely 30 seconds later he had added another when a high hanging ball slipped the Castletown defence but not Doyle and the Deelsiders now had a six point advantage and that became seven when Ciaran Doyle pointed a 40 metre free. The game looked all but over at this stage but these Castletown lads never know when they are beaten and after Clavin pointed a 65, Thomas Moran was on hand to score a magnificent point .The margin then came down to four when Clavin hit another point from distance and the momentum was all with the Black and Ambers now.With just a minute to go they got their reward when Cormac Deegan was on hand after a great run by Clavin and he smashed the ball to the net to leave the minimum between the sidesCiaran Doyle was the Raharney hero and he scored all but one point of their tally, the other coming from brother, Killian. At the back Jack Carroll and Jack Coyne were others to impress while Darren Giles led his team well. Up front it was all about Ciaran Doyle but James Goonery was another to impress.For Castletown-Geoghegan Conor Keane, Alan Kincaid and Andrew Corbett were impressive at the back while Clavin and Thomas Moran more than held their own at midfield. Two goal hero Sean Maher had a fine game as did Cormac Deegan and Johnny Bermingham.Scorers: Raharney: Ciaran Doyle 5-4 3 frees, Killian Doyle 0-1. Castletown-Geoghegan: Sean Maher 2-0, Shane Clavin 0-4, 2 frees, 1 65, Johnny Bermingham and Conor Deegan 1-1 each, Thomas Moran 0-1.Raharney: Dan Greville, Conor Murray, Jack Carroll, Derek Conroy, Jack Coyne, Darren Giles, Kaolan Hickey, Sean Quinn, Killian Doyle, Theo Broderick, Jack Cully, Jack Duignan, Eoin Weir, Ciaran Doyle, James Goonery. Subs: Conor Donoghue for Hickey 20 mins, Wesley Doyle for Broderick 36 mins, Darragh Murray for Cully 46 mins, Jack O'Leary for Duignan 55 mins.Castletown-Geoghegan: Cathal Daly, Paddy Doody, Conor Keane, Brendan Heeney, Stephen Fagan, Alan Kincaid, Andrew Corbett, Thomas Moran, Shane Clavin, James Fox, Conor Glennon, Johnny Bermingham, Sean Maher, Phelim Kirby, Cormac Deegan. Subs: Brandon Carey for Kirby H/T, Morgan Mealiffe for Heeney and Liam Cassidy for Bermingham 36 mins.Referee: Jimmy Cribben, Clonkill.