Na Piarsaigh......................1.19

Castletown Geoghegan.....1.17

 

Na Piarsaigh and Castletown Geoghegan, the teams that superbly contested the 2023 U19 Division 1 Hurling Championship final, served up an equally magnificently contested encore in the guise of a semi final of this year's U20 Division 1 Hurling Championship, played at Collinstown's Decotek Park on Sunday December 8th. Playing with the aid of a stiff breeze in the first half, the onus was on Na Piarsaigh to attempt to dominant first half scoring, as regards the theory of having the match lead at half time, if the Lough Lene Gaels/Turin XV were to entertain realistic ambitions of defeating a CTG team, which had a nice sprinkling of 2024 Slevins Coaches SHAC medal winners available to play. 

Na Piarsaigh led by a margin of seven points at half time, a lead extended to eight points by the opening score of the second half. Castletown Geoghegan, minus the availability of their talisman attacker, the injured David O'Reilly, and with encouragement from their magnificent support, made inroads to their deficit as the second half progressed, the accurate freetaking of Sean Jackson of vital importance to the Black and Ambers. 

Na Piarsaigh also had a top class freetaker in the guise of David Williams to keep his team in front, with encouragement from their own supporters.

The defining moment in this high skill, high paced contest came with a little under five minutes of playing time remaining, when CTG were awarded a penalty. That penalty was superbly taken by Peter Clarke, bringing a top class save from Kylan Heffernan, at the cost of conceding a subsequently pointed a 65m award. Na Piarsaigh, clearly inspired by that magnificent feat of goalkeeping by their No1 went on to win this semi final by a margin of two points. Such though was the nature of this well contested match, victory could have just as easily belonged to Castletown Geoghegan.

Na Piarsaigh opened match scoring via a second minute David Williams taken pointed free, CTG levelling matters three minutes later with Sean Jackson pointing a free. Na Piarsaigh then moved two points clear as a consequence of a point each from Ryan Williams and David Williams (free), with CTG replying via another Sean Jackson pointed free. Na Piarsaigh closed out match scoring for the opening quarter of play with Alex Little (free) hitting over a point. 

Two pointed frees from Sean Jackson brought CTG to parity, Na Piarsaigh in turn then regaining the match lead with a Conor Heffernan point, followed by David Williams firing over a Na Piarsaigh point from open play. Moments later Na Piarsaigh scored a goal, Daniel Buckley rifling the ball to the roof of the CTG net, having come on to the end of a number of good quality passes in an attacking situation. Within a minute though, CTG responded when Adam Clarke scored a goal with a splendid crisp angled drive to the Na Piarsaigh net. 

David Williams (65m award) and Calum Burns then responded in turn with a point each in quick succession for Na Piarsaigh. Conor Heffernan then added a further point to the Na Piarsaigh total before CTG responded when Dylan Corrigan, finding himself in possession of the ball, with time to his advantage, fired over his team's fifth point. As scores continued to come, the Na Piarsaigh duo of Conor Heffernan and David Williams (free) both pointed. The team attired in a mostly Black outfit then hit two wides, before closing out first half scoring when David Williams pointed a free.

 

Na Piarsaigh....................1.12

Castletown Geoghegan..1.05

 

Castletown Geoghegan introduced Peter Clarke on to their XV at half time in order to instigate a comeback as regards the then prevailing match scoreline. It was though Na Piarsaigh, with a super Ryan Williams point, that opened match scoring for the second half. CTG quickly replied with a brace of points, one each from Sean Jackson (free) and Dylan Corrigan. David Williams then pointed another Na Piarsaigh free, with a highly charged CTG team then proceeding to fired over three points in rapid fire succession. Those points came courtesy of Dylan Corrigan (2), which in turn were sandwiched by a Sean Jackson point from another placed ball. The freetaking theme continued as Na Piarsaigh's David Williams pointed from another placed ball. CTG's Peter Clarke then pointed, leaving the Black and Ambers now in arrears on a 1.15 to 1.11 scoreline as the midway point of the second half approached.

 

Na Piarsaigh then extended their match lead as a consequence of David Williams pointing a 65m award. The teams then swapped wides, which were in fact far and few between throughout this semi final match, CTG then subsequently going on to reduce their arrears again to a margin of four points when Dylan Corrigan pointed. Sean Jackson then followed up with a pointed free, and now just three points, 1.16 to 1.13, separated the teams. Na Piarsaigh's David Williams (free) hit over point No17 for the predominantly Black attired team, which then had a major let off in defence when David O'Malley fired wide for CTG from close range, when an on target scoring attempt in fact looked more of an obvious certainty. Immediately thereafter David Williams, yet again from another placed ball, fired over point No18 for his side, leaving the match scoreline at 1.18 to 1.13 in favour of Na Piarsaigh.

As this sometimes frantic Division 1 U20 Hurling Championship semi final moved within its closing five minutes, it's pivotal moment arrived when CTG were awarded a penalty. With five points separating the teams, CTG penalty taker Peter Clarke, in a hushed Decotek Park, had no other option but to attempt to score a goal. The CTG No17 aimed the ball towards the left corner of the Na Piarsaigh net with a searing drive. Na Piarsaigh No1 Kylan Heffernan though diving sharply to his left, pulled off a super save, diverting the ball out of play to concede a 65m award. The jubilant reaction of Na Piarsaigh players, officials and supporters summed up a collective emotion, their reaction to Kylan Heffernan's save. CTG though did have the consolation of Sean Jackson pointing the 65m award as aforementioned. Na Piarsaigh's David Williams pointed his eighth pointed free of this semi final prior to CTG then finishing match scoring with a brace of pointed frees from Sean Jackson, Na Piarsaigh though the

 match winners by a margin of two points.

 

Na Piarsaigh Scorers:

David Williams 0.12 (eight frees, one 65m award)

Conor Heffernan 0.03

Daniel Buckley 1.00, Ryan Williams 0.02, Calum Burns 0.01, Alex Little 0.01 (free).

 

Castletown Geoghegan Scorers:

Sean Jackson 0.11 (Ten frees, one 65m award), Dylan Corrigan 0.05, Adam Clarke 1.00, Peter Clarke 0.01

 

Key Moment 

 

The save of a penalty by Na Piarsaigh goalkeeper Kylan Heffernan from Castletown Geoghegan's Peter Clarke with five minutes of normal playing time remaining, with a margin of five points then separating the teams.

 

Next to come

 

Na Piarsaigh, 2023 Division 1 U19 Hurling Champions, will play St Oliver Plunketts, 2023 Division 2 U19 Hurling Champions, in the final of the 2024 Division 1 U20 Hurling Championship. 

 

Westmeath's capital town club defeated a previously undefeated, and a very highly regarded Clann na Gael team on a 2.08 to 0.13 scoreline in the other semi final fixture of the Division 1 U20 Hurling Championship.

 

 

Na Piarsaigh:

Kylan Heffernan, Cathal Og Fagan, Alex Mills, Kevin Hogan, Declan McGrath Darragh Smith, Oisin L'Strange, Craig Neville, Alex Little Ryan Williams, David Williams, Ciaran Kiernan, Conor Heffernan, Daniel Buckley, Calum Burns.

Substitute:

Matthew Thornton for Alex Little.

 

Castletown Geoghegan:

Sean Clarke, Alan Conlon, David Maloney, Jack Mulligan, Odhran Gavigan, Peter Murphy, Killian Jackson, Niall Pierson, Philip Reynolds, Aaron Jackson, Sean Clarke, Sean Jackson, Adam Cassidy, Dylan Corrigan, Adam Clarke.

Substitutes:

Eanna Maxwell for Jack Mulligan.

Peter Clarke for Aaron Jackson.

David O'Malley for Philip Reynolds.

 

Referee:

Alfie Devine - Castlepollard Hurling Club.

Tweet

Most Read Stories