Boden win emotional clash

IN THE run-up to last night’s game, Clonkill manager Kevin O’Brien promised to ‘put in a performance everyone can be proud of ’. He was speaking in the context of the tragic passing of Annabel Loughlin, daughter of club man and former Westmeath hurler Enda Loughlin, and on an emotional occasion his players duly delivered. They didn’t win but they gave it everything and forced extra-time with a remarkable display of character. Brendan Murtagh’s point for Clonkill four minutes into stoppage time forced the extra period but favourites ’Boden ultimately held out with Paul Ryan’s 0-15 haul decisive. Free-taker Ryan hit 0-4 in extratime while sub Paul Doherty was also on the mark with 1-2. It was tough on Clonkill for whom Brendan Murtagh hit 0-11 and they started strong in normal time, to run up a 0-6 to 0-2 lead in the first quarter. Boden responded with five unanswered points, before Eoin Price levelled it again with a point from way out on the wing. The sides were level at 0-9 apiece in first-half injury-time when Niall Ryan struck for Boden’s opening goal. In a tight second half, Boden’s Niall McMorrow thought he’d hit the winning point in injurytime but Murtagh’s eighth point of the evening levelled it at 1-17 to 1-17 and forced extra-time, only for Boden to pull away. SCORERS — Ballyboden: P Ryan 0-15 (0-12f, 0-3 65), P Doherty 1-2, N Ryan 1-1, C Keaney, A Mellett 0-2 each, N McMorrow, J Roche, S O’Connor 0-1 each. Clonkill: B Murtagh 0-11 (0-7f), L Loughlin 1-2, E Price 0-4, N Mitchell 1-0, M Keegan, A Price 0-1 each. Referee: D Hughes (Carlow).