Leinster club SHC semi-final: Kilcormac-Killoughey 2-13 Castletown-Geoghegan 1-13
Last week’s headline-makers Castletown-Geoghegan were attempting to become the first Westmeath club to reach a Leinster club SHC final, but a late Adam Screeney goal for Kilcormac-Killoughey prevented history being made in a pulsating penultimate round game in Mullingar.
The Offaly corner forward ended up with a tally of 1-8, but Kilcormac-Killoughey were generally well marked by dogged defending by the Westmeath men , who proved their astonishing 11-point win against Thomastown in the quarter-final was no fluke.
With a useful wind behind them, Castletown-Geoghegan deservedly led by 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval, including three late unanswered points from Shane Clavin, Morgan Gavigan and Peter Clarke, who scored from a superb lineball in the last puck of the half. Before Gavigan’s point, both sides had goal chances with Screeney denied by Ciaran O’Brien, and the outstanding Niall O’Brien was thwarted by Conor Slevin.
The Offaly men were on level terms less than nine minutes after the break, courtesy of a monster free by goalkeeper Conor Slevin and two points from Screeney.
In the 54th minute, another shock looked on the cards when sub David Fennell teed up Aonghus Clarke who found the net in style to put the home team ahead 1-11 to 0-12. Kilcormac-Killoughey scored their first goal some four minute later, sub James Gorman firing from point-blank range. A marvellous point from Niall O’Brien tied things up at 1-13 apiece just after the hour mark.
However, Screeney showed great skill to score the all-important second goal for Kilcormac-Killoughey some 30 seconds later. Castletown-Geoghegan had no option but to go for a goal from a last-gasp free, but O’Brien’s shot was saved and cleared.
KILCORMAC-KILLOUGHEY: C Slevin (0-1, f); T Spain, O Mahon, J Mahon; J Quinn, E Grogan, B Kavanagh; C Spain (0-1, lb), D Kilmartin; L Kavanagh, C Mahon (0-1), J Screeney (0-1); D Hand (0-1), C Mitchell, A Screeney (1-8; 6f, 1′65). Subs: Cillian Kiely for Grogan (37 mins), P Geraghty for L Kavanagh (46), J Gorman (1-0) for Mitchell (50), Cathal Kiely for Kilmartin (55), A Kavanagh for Hand (60).
CASTLETOWN-GEOGHEGAN: C O’Brien; P Murphy, A Glennon, D Maloney; J Bermingham, J Murphy, M Gavigan (0-1); P Clarke (0-3, 1lb), S Clavin (0-1); C Murphy (0-2), A Clarke (1-0), L Varley; D O’Reilly, N O’Brien (0-6; 2f, 1′65), J Gallagher. Subs: D Fennell for O’Reilly (17).
Referee: E Furlong (Wexford).
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