Raharney 2-11
St Mullins 0-9
Raharney’s excellent year continued at Cusack Park, Mullingar on Sunday when booking a place in the Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship semi-final.
The Westmeath team will now face Offaly outfit Kilcormac Killoughey on November 16 following a fine victory over St Mullins.
With the match delicately poised, Raharney pounced for a crucial goal 10 minutes after the restart when veteran John Shaw rattled the St Mullins net. The Carlow challengers never fully recovered as Raharney held out to earn a deserved triumph. Ciaran and Killian Doyle were effective for Raharney early on as they assembled a six-point lead.
A fortuitous long-range free from Killian Doyle gave Raharney a dream start, but St Mullins battled back, and the half-time margin was 1-5 to 0-4.
In the second period St Mullins, inspired by Marty Kavanagh, narrowed the deficit further before Shaw pounced for a goal. Raharney did enough in the closing stages to secure their passage to the next round as St Mullins’ Seamus Murphy was red carded in the last minute.
Raharney: A Doyle; T Doyle, C Jordan, D Giles; G Greville, P Greville, A Sheils; N Flanagan, C Boyle (0-1 ); J Boyle, K Doyle (1-4, frees ), R Greville (0-1 ); C Doyle (0-3 ), B Smyth, J Shaw (1-0 ). Subs: C Flanagan for J Boyle (38 mins ), B Connaughton (0-2, frees ) for N Flanagan (54 mins )
St Mullins: K Kehoe; P Doyle, J Doran, D Whelan; P Kehoe (0-1, free ), G Coady, P Fortune; M Walsh, C Kavanagh; M Kavanagh (0-8, 6 frees ), J Murphy, T Doyle; J Doyle, S Murphy, J Kavanagh. Subs: D Murphy for Fortune (h-t ), J Walsh for M Walsh (53 mins )
Referee: G McGrath (Dublin )
