Castletown-Geoghegan ended a 14-year barren spell in the 2004 senior hurling championship when the black and ambers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against favourites Lough Lene Gaels in the final. Here Maroon and White takes a look at a remarkable year for the black and ambers. For the past eight years, Castletown have dominated the underage hurling scene in Westmeath along with the likes of Clonkill. It was just a matter of when and not if their senior team would end their long wait without another title. It was a case of revenge for Sean Keegan's charges as the same two sides met in the 2002 decider only for Lough Lene Gaels to break Castletown hearts with two late goals that won the title. As has been the case for the past ten years, the championship format was ran on a one group basis with all teams guaranteed seven games throughout the year. The champions elect kicked off their campaign against rivals Lough Lene Gaels and as expected the match was a close affair with both sides eager to begin with a win. It was not to be for either as a draw was the outcome in a fascinating game of hurling that saw everything from a sending off to excellent scores from both frees and play. Before the match Castletown were dealt a blow with the news that dual star Alan Mangan would not be allowed play for the club during Westmeath's campaign in the Leinster football championship. As the game entered its final ten minutes, veteran Pat Connaughton received a straight red card but Castletown showed great resolve and nerve to find that something extra and when Ronan Whelan fired over a late free from 70 metres out to level matters, it was no more than the South Westmeath side deserved. The draw for the championship saw Castletown play some of their main rivals in the early stages and Castlepollard were their next opponents at the end of May. Pollard began the campaign with an easy win over Delvin and the defending champions were eager to hold onto their title for another year. Right from the very start, Castletown lay down their intentions and once again Ronan Whelan was their scorer-in-chief from both placed balls and frees. Even though the sides were level at half time, it was the black and ambers who were always on top and even when Barry Kennedy scored a goal for Pollard in the third quarter, it was not enough as Castletown sealed the win with late points from Joe Clarke, Eamon Og Clarke and Whelan. The win over the defending champions was made all the more sweeter as Castletown achieved it without Mangan and Connaughton, two of their more experienced players. It also showed their strength in depth with many of their youngsters making the breakthrough to the senior ranks in the past few years. Confidence in the squad was high following their opening two matches but if ever a team was brought back down to earth with a bump then that's what exactly happened Castletown in their third game against a Delvin side who had been tipped for relegation at the start of the year. Despite being played towards the end of June, the weather suggested it was more like December as torrential rain and a gale force wind made conditions almost impossible to play in. The favourites knew they were in a game right from the start and even though Delvin led at half time by two points, no-one expected them to hold onto their lead. They did just that and the saying that goals win games was never more evident that evening as Delvin raised the green flag on four occasions. Castletown needed to get that surprise defeat out of their systems quickly and they did just that four days later when paired against old rivals Brownstown. This time the weather was much improved and so was the black and ambers performance. Down through the years these two sides have had many a great battle but Castletown have rebuilt a strong side, while the blues have struggled. A 13-point win over Brownstown got the South Westmeath side back on track. A comprehensive win over struggling Ringtown left Castletown with seven points from five matches. A Raharney side also looking for a place in the play-offs were next up and another titanic struggle was to ensue. It was a case of goals galore as eight were scored in total but it was Castletown who held on for a two-point victory. The win over Raharney meant that Castletown had secured a place in the play-offs with one game left to play against championship contenders Clonkill. The black and amber were edged out by a solitary point in a thrilling contest which meant that a place in the quarterfinals awaited them where Delvin would be the opposition. The weather conditions were similar to when the sides first met in the championship, but Castletown would not take Delvin for granted on this occasion and recorded a ten-point win over the Valley men to advance to the semi-final where they would meet Clonkill. Castletown-Geoghegan have a habit of being involved in nail biting finishes but no-one could have envisaged what would happen in the semi-final. With four minutes remaining on the clock, Castletown trailed by five points and looked destined to be knocked out of the championship at the penultimate stage. But, this side has shown great heart and determination throughout the last two years and midfielder John Brennan brought them back into the game with a goal and a point. Firstly, Brennan tapped over a long range free before sending the ball to the net from the edge of the square with an expertly taken overhead pull. Castletown still trailed by a point but substitute Blaire Lehart earned them a replay when firing over deep in stoppage time. The return of Alan Mangan following his victorious campaign with Westmeath was slightly overshadowed by the absence of Ronan Whelan, who was harshly dismissed in the SFC with St Malachy's. In the replay, Castletown had to rely on all their mettle to hold off a determined second half challenge from Clonkill. Trailing by 12 points five minutes into the second half, the Loughegar outfit looked to be dead and buried but fought their way back to lead by a point at the end of normal time. Castletown were shell-shocked but regrouped and a goal from Pat Connaughton was followed up by a point from Pat Clarke deep in injury time to send them through to the county final where they would meet Lough Lene Gaels. Even though the club appealed Ronan Whelan's suspension to the Leinster Council, it was unsuccessful and the talented forward was to suffer the heartbreak of missing a county final. In the first half, Castletown made full use of the strong wind on their backs and held a four point advantage at half time, 0-8 to 0-4. Many felt that the lead was not enough and that the Gaels would come storming back in the second half but Castletown showed great resilience and determination. A goal for Collinstown late on left the sides level but midfielder Keith Gorry popped up with the all important score deep in injury time to earn Castletown their first title in 14 years on a scoreline of 0-13 to 1-9. The club went on to play Portlaoise in the club championship and following a spirited display against the Laois men bowed out of the competition. But success did not end there for Castletown-Geoghegan as they added another minor title to their ever increasing collection following a comfortable win against amalgamation side Derravaragh Gaels. The Castletown minors have dominated the grade over the past few years and have proved to be a successful feeder for the senior team. Meanwhile, further down the ranks the club's Under-14 side were not to be outdone as they clinched the Premier title with a 4-8 to 3-3 win over Clonkill. The black and amber youngsters built up a comfortable lead at half time after goals from Aonghus Clarke and Mark Lynch gave them a 2-5 to 1-1 interval lead. Like their senior counterparts, the Under-14 side withstood considerable second half pressure from their opponents but held on for an excellent win on a scoreline of 4-8 to 3-3, with their other two goals coming from Owen Mark Peppard. All in all 2004 was a huge year for the Castletown-Geoghegan club and with the likes Michael Garvin, Joe Clarke, Blaire Lehart, Eamon Og Clarke and Michael Maloney to name just a few making the breakthrough to the senior ranks, it looks as if the black and amber could dominate the senior hurling championship for some time to come. Tweet

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