Leinster SHC round-up: Castletown Geoghegan shock Thomastown with 11-point win in Mullingar

There was a sensational outcome in the Leinster club hurling quarter-final in Mullingar where Castletown-Geoghegan defeated Thomastown by 11 points.
The Westmeath champions were worthy winners, turning in a tremendous performance all through, particularly in the second half which they won by 1-13 to 0-4. The Kilkenny champions were forced to play almost all of the second half with 14 men after midfielder Jonjo Farrell was red-carded just 80 seconds after play resumed.
Colm Treacy opened the scoring with a point after 75 seconds for Thomastown, who had the wind in the first half, but the outstanding Niall O’Brien edged the home team ahead by the fourth minute with a brace of points, the second a classy score from play. Thomastown responded in the best possible fashion from the resultant puck-out when John Donnelly set up Luke Connellan who flashed the ball to the net.
Castletown-Geoghegan had a golden period before the 22nd and 27th minutes during which they outscored their opponents by five points (Liam Varley, David O’Reilly, Aonghus Clarke, O’Brien and Peter Clarke – all from play) to one (a Robbie Donnelly free). The sides were level at the half-hour mark, with a Connellan point in injury-time edging Thomastown ahead by 1-10 to 0-12 at the interval.
Farrell’s sending off came just a minute after the resumption of play and it gave Castletown-Geoghegan an added boost and they deservedly led by 0-19 to 1-12 at the end of the third quarter.
All the momentum was now with the Westmeath men who continued to pop over great points from a variety of angles, while their defence stood tall when called upon. To compound the visitors’ misery, Castletown-Geoghegan pounced for a goal deep into added-time, O’Brien availing of confusion in the losers’ defence to whip the ball past Paul Barron to round off an astonishing afternoon.
CASTLETOWN-GEOGHEGAN: C O’Brien; P Murphy (0-1), A Glennon, D Maloney; J Bermingham, J Murphy, M Gavigan; P Clarke (0-3), S Clavin; C Murphy (0-1), A Clarke (0-1), L Varley (0-3); D O’Reilly (0-3), N O’Brien (1-13, 10f), J Gallagher.
Subs: D Fennell for C Murphy (56 mins), M Heeney for J Murphy (60+4), P Kane for P Murphy (60+5).
THOMASTOWN: P Barron; P Connellan, J Burke, N Kirwan; B Staunton (0-2), E Donnelly (0-1), Z Bay Hammond; P McDonald, JJ Farrell; R Donnelly (0-8, 8f), J Donnelly (0-1), L Connellan (1-1); J Holden, S Donnelly, C Treacy (0-1).
Subs: T O’Hanrahan for Holden (h-t), A Cass for Treacy (43 mins), D Prendergast for P Connellan (56), D Caulfield for McDonald (58).
Referee: C Daly (Kildare).
A sharper, more finely tuned St Martin’s overcame Naas to clinch a place in the last four in Leinster after a hard-fought battle in Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge.
The Wexford champions, benefiting perhaps from a higher quality local championship, always looked the likelier winners. But they found it hard to shake off the six-in-a-row Kildare champions, semi-finalists in the province in each of the last two years, until a penalty two minutes from time from Jack O’Connor finally gave them breathing space.
The flawless freetaking of Jack’s brother Rory had helped St Martin’s to a four-point half-time advantage, the corner forward contributing eight points to their 0-10 to 0-6 lead at that stage, with Cian Boran’s two points from play providing the most resistance for Naas.
Naas found leading scorer Jack Sheridan and their forward line tightly marked, but did rally after the interval and with Sheridan accurate from place balls they were within two points by the 42nd minute.
Shortly after that Rory O’Connor missed his first free of the afternoon, and with the exchange become increasingly feisty hopes of an upset grew among the locals.
Although Darren Codd swung one over from near the sideline and Rory O’Connor got back in the groove with a free, Naas hit back with points from Ferran O’Sullivan and Sheridan to leave just two between them with eight minutes remaining.
Another Rory O’Connor free, bringing his tally to 11, stretched the lead to three though, and when Jack O’Connor was tripped en route to goal by Richie Hogan, he took the penalty himself and buried it past Cormac Gallagher in the Naas goal.
Corner back Harry Carroll replied and Sheridan added another free but Joe Coleman had the last word with an injury-time free as St Martin’s deservedly advanced to a semi-final meeting with Na Fianna.
NAAS: C Gallagher; H Carroll (0-1), R Hogan, P O’Donoghue; R Boran, R Kelly, K Whelan; D Guerin, J Burke; C Dowling, C Boran (0-2), S Leacy (0-1); B Byrne, J Sheridan (0-8, 8f), F O’Sullivan (0-1).
Subs: K Harrington for O’Sullivan (temp, 28 mins-h/t), Harrington for Dowling (58).
ST MARTIN’S: D Byrne; E O’Leary, P O’Connor, P Dempsey; D Waters, C Firman, Joe O’Connor; D Codd, C Firman; B O’Connor, Jack O’Connor (1-0, pen), D Codd (0-2); J Devereux (0-1), K Firman, R O’Connor (0-11, 11f).
Subs: L Kavanagh for Joe O’Connor (47 mins), B Stafford for Devereux (54), J Coleman (0-1, f) for K Firman (57), S Audsley for P O’Connor (58), M Codd for Dempsey (60+1).
Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin).
Offaly champions Kilcormac Killoughey advanced to the semi-finals of the Leinster senior hurling championship with a hard-fought victory over St Mullins at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.
Playing against the breeze in the first half, the visitors were quickly into their stride with points from Adam Screeney, Conor Mahon and Brecon Kavanagh. Ger Coady scored St Mullins’ solitary point in the opening eight minutes where the eventual winners secured their only goal of the game through Daniel Hand.
Having played their county final 13 weeks ago, the Carlow side’s first touch was disappointing. On the other hand, Kilcormac Killoughey swooped with intent and while they registered a number of wides, they still kept the scoreboard ticking over.
The Carlow side struggled. Marty Kavanagh scored a point from play but it was mainly one-way traffic in favour of the visitors. St Mullins eventually got into the game and were rewarded with points from their intercounty players Conor Kehoe, Kavanagh and James Doyle. At the break, Kilcormac-Killoughey led 1-8 to 0-5.
A wonderfully executed 38th-minute goal from Doyle gave St Mullins renewed hope when he caught a high ball and knifed through the Kilcormac Killoughey defence. His strength gave him space and he found the net off the crossbar.
Kilcormac Killoughey forced a succession of frees with their goalkeeper Conor Slevin raising two white flags from inside his own half. Adam Screeney also converted two dead balls but St Mullins continued to resist. James Doyle pointed as did centre back Michael Walsh. Kilcormac Killoughey substitute James Gorman hit back with a great point which put five between them as the game headed towards five minutes of extra-time.
St Mullins came up against a visiting defence who never allowed their opponents the space or time to engineer another three-pointer. Colin Spain’s point closed the door on the St Mullins challenge and they will rue that opening quarter where the visitors laid the foundation for their victory.
ST MULLINS: K Kehoe; P O’Shea, P Doyle, P Kehoe; G Coady (0-1), M Walsh (0-1), C Harris; C Kehoe (0-1), E O’Shea; J Kavanagh (0-1), James Doyle (1-4), P Boland (0-1); M Kavanagh (0-3, 2f), John Doyle, J O’Neill.
Subs: J Doran for J Kavanagh (blood, 18 mins), O Ryan for J Kavanagh (51), J Doran for Harris (54).
KILCORMAC KILOUGHEY: C Slevin (0-2, 2f); T Spain, O Mahon, J Mahon; J Quinn, E Grogan (0-1), B Kavanagh (0-1); C Spain (0-1), D Kilmartin (0-1); L Kavanagh, C Mahon (0-2), J Screeney (0-3); D Hand (1-0), C Mitchell (0-1), A Screeney (0-4, 4f).
Subs: P Geraghty for Hand (41), J Gorman (0-1) for J Screeney (54), C Kiely for Kilmartin (54), A Kavanagh for A Screeney (57).
Referee: Pádraig Dunne (Laois).