Longford senior hurling champions Clonguish Gaels lose out to stronger Ringtown side

Alan Sorohan pictured in action for Clonguish Gaels in the Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship Round 1 game at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday Photo: Syl Healy

placeholder image — Alan Sorohan pictured in action for Clonguish Gaels in the Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship Round 1 game at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday Photo: Syl Healy

AIB Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship First Round

Ringtown (Westmeath) . . . 1-16 Clonguish Gaels . . . 1-12

The visitors were leading by 0-5 to 0-2 when their wing forward Paul Nangle was sent-off in the 19th minute after receiving a straight red card and this allowed the Longford senior hurling champions to take control for a period.

Four points in a row saw Clonguish hit the front with time running out in the first half with three of the scores coming from Bart Hanley while Dan Crossan was also on target.

But a defining moment in the eventual outcome materialised in stoppage time when Ryan McCauley scored a cracking goal for Ringtown who ended up leading by 1-6 to 0-6 at the break.

The physically stronger Westmeath outfit kept the scoreboard ticking over nicely in the second half and had established a comfortable six points lead (1-13 to 0-10) before Clonguish were given a glimmer of hope with a goal from a penalty converted by Joe O’Brien in the 51st minute after he was fouled.

The superior Ringtown side were in no mood to let the victory slip from their grasp and the introduction of a couple of influential substitutes at half-time made sure they remained ahead in earning a crack at the Kilkenny junior champions in the quarter-final.

CLONGUISH GAELS: Eanna Daly; Oisin Flanagan, Gerry Moore, Michael Devlin; David Gregg, Joe O’Brien (1-2, goal from penalty, 1 point from free), Padraic McGuinness; Declan Lee, Paul Barden; Francis Molloy, Stephen Gregg, Bart Hanley (0-8, 7 frees); Matthew Flynn, Alan Sorohan, Dan Crossan (0-2).

Subs:- Ray O’Brien for D Gregg (20 mins); Shane O’Brien for S Gregg (43 mins); Eamon Nertney for P McGuinness (48 mins); Cathal McGlynn for M Devlin (54 mins).

RINGTOWN: Pat Burke; Niall Moran, Ryan Moore, Thomas Daniels; Charles Flynn, Ciaran Moran (0-1), Feidhlim Burke; Mark Cunningham (0-5, 4 frees), James Boylan; Paul Nangle, Emmet Corrigan (0-1), Ryan McCauley (1-2); Sean Boylan, Johnny Hardiman, Jason Moran (0-3, 2f, 1 ‘65).

Subs:- Luke Moore (0-2) for J Moran (half-time); Darren Kilcoyne (0-1) for J Boylan (half-time); Jack McMahon for F Burke (46 mins); Conor O’Grady for J Hardiman (48 mins); Jack Lee (0-1) for S Boylan (52 mins).

Referee: Sean Michael Maher (Offaly).