Kilmurray’s hat-trick seals win for St. Loman's

Gerry Buckley reportsA brilliant hat-trick from Ben Kilmurray in the third quarter of a generally disappointing game was the key to St. Loman’s, Mullingar winning the Westmeath minor football Division One final in wintry conditions at Lakepoint Park last Friday night, with the home side defeating Coralstown/Kinnegad by eight points.Despite its higher status than the curtain-raiser, this Division One showdown failed to replicate the drama and good quality football of the Division Two equivalent. Indeed, Kilmurray’s excellent hat-trick - he could easily have scored a fourth goal late in the contest - was the only real highlight of a low-key and often ragged encounter.A converted free in the second minute by John Heslin (who had another quiet game by his exalted standards in the blue and white colours) and a fine solo score from play by David Whelan had the winners two points to the good after five minutes. Shane Murtagh soon got wind-assisted Coralstown/Kinnegad on the scoreboard when he pointed a free and the same player was unlucky to see a fine effort come back off the upright. Gary Caffrey spurned a great goal chance for the red and whites before David Whelan doubled his tally with a well-taken point.Shane Murtagh also doubled his account with a great solo point before St. Loman’s wasted two good scoring opportunities, from a hastily-taken ‘45’ by Kelvin Reilly and a goal chance which Shane Dempsey blasted wide of the target. Coralstown/Kinnegad made the most of these let-offs when Jason Cully kicked a great individual point and the latter player turned provider on the stroke of 30 minutes, teeing up Ger Leech for a terrific point from a tight angle. This left the scoreboard at half-time reading: Coralstown/Kinnegad 0-4 St. Loman’s, Mullingar 0-3.Within 30 seconds of the resumption of play, Ben Kilmurray struck for his first goal, availing of indecision in the Coralstown/Kinnegad defence to blast the ball to the net. John Cheevers smothered another Kilmurray attempt, but the losers’ goalkeeper was soon powerless to keep out a great Kilmurray shot at the end of a flowing St. Loman’s move. The losers’ woes were then compounded when Kaymann Power received a straight red card. Ben Kilmurray added a neat point and, with less than 12 minutes elapsed, he completed an amazing hat-trick when he fired the ball low to the net after a handling error in the Coralstown/Kinnegad rearguard. Now three goals in arrears, Coralstown/Kinnegad could ill afford to waste a couple of good chances, particularly when Shane Murtagh shot straight at Corey Doherty when a goal looked odds on. A brace of points from Gary Caffrey - the first when Corey Doherty did very well to get a hand to a goalbound effort and the second a great score from an acute angle - gave Coralstown/Kinnegad some hope of a comeback. However, Kelvin Reilly stretched the winners’ advantage with a glorious left-footed point. Ben Kilmurray was narrowly wide with a powerful shot for what would have been his fourth goal, and a lacklustre game petered out with Adam Boardman and Shane Dempsey trading points in injury-time.After the game, the chairman of the Westmeath GAA Minor Board, John Weir presented Darren Price Memorial Cup to St. Loman’s, Mullingar captain John Heslin.St. Loman’s, Mullingar: Corey Doherty; Cian Burke, Cathal McKinley, Diarmuid Hyland; Darragh O’Keeffe, Kelvin Reilly (0-1), Paddy Layde; Adam Gaffney, Stephen Gilmore; David Whelan (0-2), John Heslin (0-1, from a free), Ben Kilmurray (3-1); Aaron McLoughlin, Shane Dempsey (0-1), Andy Austin. Subs: Jason O’Toole (for Gaffney, 23 mins), Darragh Keena (for Burke, half-time), Mark Browne (for Austin, 44 mins), John Wallace (for O’Keeffe, 59 mins), Shane Lally (for McLoughlin, 60 mins).Coralstown/Kinnegad: John Cheevers; Cathal Reilly, David Reilly, Kaymann Power; Mark Giles, Paul Maxwell, Fergus Murtagh; Adam Boardman (0-1), Shane Murtagh (0-2, 0-1 from a free); Maurice Kiernan, Darrgh Rock, Ger Leech (0-1); Mark Kiernan, Gary Caffrey (0-2), Jason Cully (0-1). Subs: Luke Corless (for Mark Kiernan, 19 mins), Barry Murtagh (for Maurice Kiernan, 37 mins), Michael Cole (for Rock, 57 mins), Ryan Caffrey (for F.Murtagh, 60 + 1 mins).Referee: Brendan Keena (Ballynacargy).