Late Alan Aughey goal edges Turin into intermediate final

A goal in the second last minute of normal time from full forward Alan Aughey proved to be the clinching score as a determined Turin side sprung a surprise by advancing to the final of this year's Westmeath intermediate hurling championship with a four-points win over Crookedwood, in glorious sunshine at Kinnegad last Saturday afternoon.Such are the vagaries of the Irish weather that conditions could hardly have been more different from the first semi-final at the same venue only six days earlier. An enthusiastic crowd was treated to a very lively and competitive hour's hurling, well refereed throughout by John Weir. There were never more than four points between two evenly-matched sides and it looked like a goal would be the decisive score. And so it proved, with Aughey's late strike more than compensating for his miss from a much simpler chance, less than four minutes into the second moiety. Turin now face St. Brigid's in the decider and their never-say-die spirit and no little skill in some quarters seem sure to make them competitive come final day.Turin showed their intent right from the off and a well-taken point from Frank Aughey had them ahead after only 30 seconds. The hurling was competitive, but ultimately scrappy, in the next seven minutes before the 'Wood levelled when this year's Westmeath minor star, Barry O'Meara pointed a 55-metre free, after a foul on Kevin Tormey. In the 12th minute, a free from the halfway line from Antoin Savage was just off target. Ray Aughey caught the sliotar from the ensuing puck-out and, following a short solo run, he put the men in red and white ahead. Within a matter of seconds, it was 0-3 to 0-1 for the winners, Derek Hourihane slotting over a routine free, after the losers' goalie Kevin Orme was deemed to have overcarried the ball. At the other end, a great lay-off by Noel Yourell set up Noel Kiernan for a simple point opportunity. Derek Hourihane then took centre stage when he followed up a converted 50-metre free with a delightful point, after very skilfully making space to shoot.The tit-for-tat scoring sequence continued with Barry O'Meara rifling over a 60-metre free and Shane Orme adding another point from play, leaving the men in the tricoloured jerseys a point in arrears. Ray Aughey responded with a fine point from 40 metres. However, Crookedwood went ahead for the first time with three unanswered points between the 25th and 28th minutes. Barry O'Meara was in the thick of all three, scoring the first two himself (the second from a very difficult free near the sideline) and deftly setting up Noel Yourell for the third. With a minute of normal time remaining, Nigel Cully equalised with a terrific sore from 50 metres. Turin missed two chances to go ahead (the second a gilt-edged chance for Ray Aughey) before the sides swapped points in injury-time. Kevin Tormey scored one of the points of the contest for the 'Wood but Derek Hourihane tied the scores up again in the 32nd minute, with a goal briefly looking a possibility. A draw was an appropriate scoreline at the break, with both sides having scored eight points.Turin took a lead they would never relinquish within two minutes of the restart, Derek Hourihane converting a '65', after a huge free by goalkeeper John Gorman had been deflected over the endline. It should have got better for the winners in the fourth minute, Ray Aughey and Derek Hourihane combining to free Alan Aughey for what seemed a certain goal. However, this year's Westmeath senior panellist hesitated and was bundled up, and the chance was lost. The men in red and white soon stretched their advantage with two successful frees from Derek Hourihane (from 60 and 50 metres respectively). The gap was four points by the 12th minute, Nigel Cully rifling over his second point, the ball just squeezing inside the upright. Noel Yourell reduced the deficit with a neat point for the 'Wood but Derek Hourihane restored Turin's four-points advantage with another lovely strike from a free.The pre-match favourites were now in real trouble and they made three quick substitutions in an attempt to stem the Turin tide.Their endeavour was rewarded when Barry O'Meara slotted over a 60-metre free in the 16th minute, but the same player went on to miss from two further placed balls, the second a particularly disappointing strike from a generally accomplished freetaker. Turin were not guilt-free in this regard either and Frank Aughey's bad miss in the 22nd minute was indicative of the mounting tension. This seemed even more costly when substitute Gerard Brennan fielded the ensuing puck-out and slotted over a fine point.With five minutes of normal time remaining, Barry O'Meara converted a '65' and Turin led by just the bare minimum.Then came the match-winning score, Alan Aughey poking the sliotar into the Crookedwood net, following John Gorman's massive free. The losers went all out in search of a goal but efforts from Karl Foran, Noel Yourell and Kevin Tormey all failed to trouble the umpires, leaving Turin fans, mentors and players in ecstatic form as they started to contemplate their upcoming county final appearance.Turin: John Gorman; Neil McDermott, Joe Matthews, Bob Nea; Brian Foley, Barry Nea, Kevin Gilroy; Nigel Cully (0-2), Christy Doyle; Dicky Geoghegan, Gerry Rogerson, Frank Aughey (0-1); Derek Hourihane (0-8, 0-5 from frees, 0-1 from a '65'), Alan Aughey (1-0), Ray Aughey (0-2). Subs: John Scally (for Barry Nea, 41 mins), Sean Scally (for Geoghegan, 60 mins).Crookedwood: Kevin Orme; Alan O'Meara, Damien Grifferty, Enda Murray; Shane Collins, Antoin Savage, Stephen Nulty; Kevin Tormey (0-1), Seamus Savage; Karl Foran, Shane Orme (0-1), Noel Kiernan (0-1); Johnny Orme, Noel Yourell (0-2), Barry O'Meara (0-6, 0-4 from frees, 0-1 from a '65'). Subs: David Newman (for Collins, 39 mins), Darren Fulham (for A. O'Meara, 44 mins), Gerard Brennan (0-1) (for S. Orme, 44 mins), Andrew Boyhan (for Kiernan, 47 mins).Referee: John Weir (Raharney).Footnote. Prior to the game, a minute's silence was observed in memory of the late Mary Nea from Killucan.