‘The lads died with their boots on’ – Alan Mangan

As his charges reached the end of their championship road for 2024, Castletown Geoghegan manager Alan Mangan said that he was “privileged” to be involved with such a “serious bunch of young men”, after they pushed Offaly’s Kilcormac-Killoughey all the way in last Sunday’s Leinster semi-final.

Castletown led by two with just three minutes go in Sunday’s tie, but two late quickfire goals from James Gorman and top scorer Adam Screeney ensured that Kilcormac-Killoughey reached next weekend’s decider.

“It was down to two incidents and two goals, and two quick puckouts. Nobody knew the second puckout had gone until the ball was in the net,” Mangan said, giving his initial thoughts on Sunday’s game. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get going for the first 15 to 20 minutes of the game and if we did, the result may have been different, but that’s sport.”

In the middle of that slow start, talented Castletown forward David O’Reilly picked up a nasty shoulder injury, a massive blow for the Westmeath champions at such an early stage.

“David was a big loss. He would be like one of our Adam Screeneys. He’s the one we can rely on, especially coming towards the end of a game where he can get on the ball while other lads are getting tired,” the bainisteoir remarked.

“I don’t know how he is at the minute, and I haven’t heard about him since but he has obviously gone to hospital. At the end of the day, the well-being of the player is what matters, and sport is only sport.”

Despite this setback, Castletown responded well to lead by three at half-time, and with only minutes to go, they were firmly in with a shout at reaching Croker next weekend.

“With 28 minutes gone [in the second half], we were two points up and then they got the goal. We got it back to a draw then and they got another goal,” Mangan reflected.

“Kilcormac are a really good outfit and they’re going to go into next weekend thinking they’re going to win the Leinster final. That’s what we’re striving to do – to get up to that sort of level.

“We know that coming back next year, no matter who’s with Castletown, that the club is going to be in with a chance of winning the championship [in Westmeath]. You have to win a championship before you ever get a go at the Leinster championship.

“As the old saying goes, ‘They died with their boots on’, and these lads really did today. We were down to the bare bones at times with injuries throughout the year, and no matter what job you asked the lads to do, they would go and try and do it to the best of their ability.

“They’re a serious bunch of young men, and let’s hope they can bottle this, come back next year and start strong. Maybe they can go on and achieve bigger and better things, because they deserve it.”

Offaly goalkeeper Conor Slevin was in fine form for the winners, keeping out a late free from Niall O’Brien and stopping a shot from the Castletown forward in the dying embers of the first half. Mangan agreed that the netminder’s interventions were crucial.

“He’s a top-class goalie,” ‘Buddha’ continued. “He’s not in goal for Offaly for nothing, and most inter-county goalies are going to be hard to beat, as he was today. He made two great saves, and unfortunately for Niall [O’Brien], they didn’t go in.

“Look, the lads are disappointed, but life goes on, and in two or three days’ time this will be forgotten about, and lads will carry on with their own lives and whatever they are doing. Some lads will be going in with Westmeath, and others will be back training with Castletown, St Malachy’s or Rosemount in a few months’ time. This is only for enjoyment purposes, nothing else.

“It takes a monumental effort to win a championship first and foremost, and then to produce what these lads produced [against Thomastown] last weekend.

“We didn’t get up to that sort of level today but maybe that’s because Kilcormac-Killoughey didn’t let us get up to those levels. That’s what it’s all about. We were trying to stop them, and they were trying to stop us.

“At the end of the day, it’s an amateur sport and lads just have to battle on. They’re an unbelievable group of young men and I’m only privileged to be involved with them,” the Castletown manager added.