WESTMEATH SHC FINAL/Clonkill 1-13 Castlet'n-Geoghegan 0-14:A WELL-TAKEN goal from half-time substitute Alan Dowdall in the 35th minute proved crucial as Clonkill regained the county title with a two-point win in Mullingar yesterday.
The new champions were made to fight all the way, having trailed by 0-8 to 0-4 at the interval to wind-assisted Castletown-Geoghegan, for whom Westmeath county minor star Niall OBrien was outstanding in the opening half-hour. However, the switching of Brendan Murtagh to midfield brought stability to Clonkill, with Eoin Price excelling in this sector also.
CLONKILL: S Nulty; S Cleary, Adam Price, J Fagan; P Dowdall, A Mitchell (0-3, two frees, one 65), S Loughlin; E Price (0-2), L Folan; Anthony Price (0-2), A McGrath (0-1), C Scally; N Dowdall, B Murtagh (0-1, free), E Loughlin (0-3). Subs: A Dowdall (1-1) for N Dowdall (h-t), K Reilly for McGrath (60 mins).
CASTLETOWN-GEOGHEGAN: P Maloney; D Garvin, E Dalton, E Óg Clarke; D Gallagher, R Whelan (0-3, two frees, one 65), D Fennell; A Clarke, D Langan; D McCormack, J Clarke, D Ruane; N O’Brien (0-6, 4 frees, 1 lineball), P Clarke (0-2), B Lahart (0-1). Subs: A Mangan (0-2) for Ruane (22 mins), N Kirby for McCormack (h-t), M Garvin for Gallagher (45 mins), P Fennell for Langan (50 mins).
