Experience counts for Garrycastle

Garrycastle (Westmeath) 1-10 Athy (Kildare) 1-6:EXPERIENCE OVERCAME youthful enthusiasm at Newbridge yesterday, as Garrycastle chiselled out a victory to cement a place in the provincial decider.

As expected, Mick Foley was back from his travels to take the place of the injured Brian Kinihan for Athy, and he lined out at left corner back on former Westmeath player Patrick Mulvihill, with Dessie Dolan being tracked by 17-year-old David Hyland.

Hyland was very good in the first half but his wily opponent still had an influence and was outstanding in the second half, along with his cousin James and midfielder Seánie O’Donohue.

O’Donohue and O’Shaughnessy took over at midfield in that second half, and that had a crucial bearing on proceedings, as did goalkeeper Cathal Mullin’s four brilliant saves, two of them in one-on-one situations.

It took Gary Dolan’s 56th minute goal to give Garrycastle some breathing space and it was his brother who was involved again, his shot for a point coming back off the upright – Gary pounced to rifle to the net.

Mullin made a double-save from Liam McGovern in injury-time as Athy made a last-ditch bid for redemption but it wasn’t to be.

Athy probably had the better of the play in the opening half and Garrycastle would have been pleased to go in at the change of ends level on 0-4 apiece.

Almost 10 minutes had elapsed before McGovern got at the end of a fine three-man move to open the scoring for Athy but Dessie Dolan converted three pointed frees.

Points from Dolan, Tom McHugh, O’Donohue and Mulvihill pushed them three points clear but a goal by James Eaton, after a searing run by 18-year-old substitute Danny O’Keeffe and shot that also hit the upright, ensured it was all to play for until Dolan’s strike.

“In the last 10 minutes . . . experience, you can’t buy it,” said Garrycastle, and incoming Galway hurling boss, Anthony Cunningham. “You can’t coach it, it just comes. They maybe lost their shape, got a bit ragged in the finish but they’re some coming team, with very young players. What a future Athy have for themselves in Kildare and Leinster.

“I suppose we were fortunate to get the goal but they were fortunate maybe to get their one so it balanced out. We knew it was going to be very tough here; they’re a very fast team. We’re delighted to be in a Leinster final.”

“We knew our lads were in great form coming into this game” said Athy’s manager, Mark Brophy. “We knew they were going to leave everything on the field and they did. Just a little bit of inexperience told in the end; it finally caught up on us. But we learned so much from this and we’ll be back again, please God.”

GARRYCASTLE:C Mullin; M McCallon, J Gaffey, T McHugh (0-1); K Henson, D Harte, E Mulvihill; S O'Donohue (0-1), D O'Shaughnessy; R McGowan, D Dolan (0-4, frees), J Dolan (0-2); G Dolan (1-0), P Mulvihill (0-1), J Duignan. Subs: A Daly (0-1) for P Mulvihill (43 mins); C Cosgrove for Duignan (54 mins); J O'Shaughnessy for McHugh (57 mins); A Browne for McGowan (58 mins); J McAteer for G Dolan (60 mins).

ATHY:J Roycroft; D Hyland, J Kinihan, M Foley; R Bell, E Delahunt, E Kennedy; P Dunne (0-1), K Feely; T Gibbons, C Reynolds, L McGovern (0-1); D Mulhall (0-1, free), K Brophy, J Eaton (1-3, 0-2 frees). Subs: D O'Keeffe for Gibbons (40 mins); A Kelly for Mulhall (45 mins); D Holligan for Kennedy (58 mins).

Referee:S Doyle (Wexford).