CFCW edge out St Loman's to reach Junior football final

CFCW 2-12 St Loman's 2-8

Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall (CFCW) produced a powerful second half display to overturn a half-time deficit and claim a place in the Westmeath Junior 1 Football Championship final, defeating St Loman's, Mullingar by four points.

Played in dry, ideal conditions at Joristown Park, Raharney, on Saturday, the match had a lively tempo throughout, with both sides enjoying periods of dominance before the CFCW men took a clear grip in the second half.

CFCW, aided by a slight breeze in the first half, were slow to get going as St Loman's capitalised early on and at the break, the Mullingar side were three points clear. However, a resilient second-half performance, marked by superior physicality and hunger, saw them grind out a deserved victory.

CFCW had to come from five points adrift after 20 minutes, but they won the remainder of the game quite convincingly (by 2-7 to 0-4) to seal their place in the decider. They could even afford to be quite profligate in the second half, missing oodles of scoring chances including John McCarthy’s thundering shot which struck the crossbar in the 45th minute.

ATTACKING THRUSTS

CFCW made an explosive start, with Mark Cunningham opening the scoring within 30 seconds, but St Loman's quickly responded through Cillian Plunkett after just 90 seconds. Daniel McCann then nudged St Loman's in front with a well-taken point following a sharp pass from Tadgh Kenny.

McCann wasn’t finished there. In the 4th minute, he slotted home a goal with a low, driven effort to the bottom corner after a neat setup from Mark Tunney. This put St Loman's in control early on, leading 1-1 to 0-1.

CFCW kept in touch thanks to a point from Cunningham on five minutes, following great build-up play by Darren Kilcoyne and Joe Rabbitt. The duo of Darragh McCormack and Conor Gaffney provided crucial attacking thrusts, with McCormack landing two points by the 10th minute, reducing the gap.

A quick response came from St Loman's in the 12th minute, when McCann turned provider, setting up Shane Mulderry to extend their lead. CFCW continued to battle, and a point from Allan Devine after 14 minutes kept them in the hunt, trailing 1-3 to 0-5.

St Loman's then landed a decisive blow midway through the first half when Mark Tunney netted their second goal. It followed a move that began with Ryan Jones and Tom Door combining effectively. Tunney’s shot then clipped the inside of the post before going over, capping off a prolific period. The Mullingar men found themselves 2-4 to 0-5 ahead after 19 minutes.

CFCW needed a response, and goalkeeper Gary Sullivan kept them in the game with a crucial save to deny Plunkett after a smart flick from Tadgh Kenny. That moment proved pivotal, as CFCW rallied with a fine point from Ryan Plunkett after Emmet Corrigan’s intelligent play.

Further points from McCann and Corrigan, including a well-struck '45', saw the half-time score stand at 2-5 to 0-8 in favour of St Loman's. The scoreline didn’t overly flatter the Mullingar side as they had shown clinical finishing in front of goal, but there were little signs that CFCW were creeping back into it as the half ticked on and those couple of late scores injected renewed belief into the north Westmeath side.

CFCW IMPRESS

The second half was a different story. CFCW roared out of the blocks, and Cunningham’s early point, after excellent work by John McCarthy and Devine, set the tone for what was to come. The breakthrough arrived in the 34th minute, as McCormack rose highest to fist home a goal after Cunningham’s superb effort to create the chance.

That goal handed CFCW the lead for the first time, 1-9 to 2-5, and they never relinquished control. St Loman's struggled to regain their composure, and CFCW, buoyed by their momentum, kept the scoreboard ticking over with some excellent points. Joe Rabbitt’s effort on 45 minutes, despite being off-balance, was a standout, as was McCormack’s point just four minutes later after a surging run through the heart of the St Loman's defence.

Darragh O'Reilly’s assist to Cunningham for a point on 54 minutes encapsulated CFCW’s second half dominance. Cunningham used his strength to fend off several defenders and fisted over a point under intense pressure, further extending the lead.

St Loman’s struggled to respond, with their first point of the half not arriving until the 58th minute, courtesy of a Daniel McCann free. By that stage, the game was slipping away from them, and CFCW’s Rabbitt sealed the win with a dramatic late goal. After McCormack was initially denied, Rabbitt’s persistence paid off, slotting home the rebound to make it 2-12 to 2-6.

Late frees from Chris Gilbert brought some consolation for St Loman’s, but by then, the outcome was beyond doubt.

One of the defining aspects of the match was CFCW’s control of the middle sector in the second half. Luke Moore, Darren Kilcoyne, and McCormack all secured crucial marks at different stages, allowing them to dictate the tempo and limit St Loman’s attacking opportunities. However, their finishing left something to be desired, as they spurned numerous scoring chances and struggled with frees, something manager Michael Tynan will need to address ahead of the final.

Despite those lapses, CFCW’s physical superiority and hunger saw them through, as St Loman's visibly tired in the latter stages. The Mullingar side, after a promising first half, faded and lacked the energy to stay with their opponents.

With the final now beckoning, CFCW will take great heart from their second-half display but will know there’s room for improvement, particularly in front of goal. Manager Tynan will also be hoping to iron out any issues with indecision over frees. As for St Loman's, their impressive first half will provide some solace, but their inability to sustain that level will surely frustrate them.

CFCW march on, and based on this performance, they’ll take some stopping in the final.

Scorers - CFCW: D McCormack 1-3, M Cunningham 0-5, J Rabbitt 1-1, A Devine, R Plunkett and E Corrigan ('45') 0-1 each.

St Loman's: D McCann 1-3 (0-1f), M Tunney 1-1, C Gilbert 0-2 (2f), C Plunkett and S Mulderry 0-1 each.

CFCW: Gary Sullivan; Shane McGarry, Darragh O'Reilly, Conor O'Grady; Emmet Corrigan, Ryan Moore, Conor Gaffney; Luke Moore, Darren Kilcoyne; Darragh McCormack, John McCarthy, Mark Cunningham; Ryan Plunkett, Joe Rabbitt, Allan Devine. Sub: Glen Plunkett for R Plunkett (46).

St Loman's Mullingar: Rory Matthews; Riley Sheahan Seán Kelly, Tom Dorr; Shane Mulderry, Conor Regan, Tristan Graham; Ryan Jones, Cillian Plunkett; Chris Gilbert, Eoghan O'Keeffe, Seanai Bracken; Mark Tunney, Tadgh Kenny, Daniel McCann. Subs: Dave Morgan for Jones and Thomas Meehan for T Kenny (50), Eoghan Kenny for Mulderry (56).

Ref: Barry Kelly (Mullingar Shamrocks).