Westmeath champions Castletown Geoghegan cause Leinster hurling shock against Kilkenny's Thomastown

Castletown Geoghegan 1-25 Thomastown 1-14

There was a sensational outcome in the Leinster club senior hurling quarter-final in Mullingar where Castletown Geoghegan defeated Thomastown by an unflattering 11-point margin.

The Westmeath champions were worthy winners, turning in a tremendous performance all through, particularly in the second half which they won by 1-13 to 0-04.

The overwhelming favourites were forced to play almost all of the second half with 14 men after midfielder Jonjo Farrell was red-carded some 80 seconds after play resumed. However, such was the spirit and skill shown by the Lake County representatives that they may well have won regardless.

Colm Treacy opened the scoring with a point after 75 seconds for the wind-assisted Kilkenny champions, but the outstanding Niall O'Brien edged the home team ahead by the fourth minute with a brace of points; the second a classy score from play.

However, Thomastown responded in the best possible fashion from the resultant puckout when John Donnelly set up Luke Connellan who flashed the ball to the net. The underdogs were not overawed and they continued to stay well in touch, trailing by four points at the end of the opening quarter (1-06 to 0-05), with O'Brien and Robbie Donnelly both on song from placed balls.

Castletown Geoghegan had a golden period between the 22nd and 27th minutes during which they outscored their opponents by five points - Liam Varley, David O’Reilly, Aonghus Clarke, O’Brien and Peter Clarke all chipping in from play - to solitary a Donnelly free.

The sides were level at the end of the stipulated half-hour, with a Connellan point in injury-time edging Thomastown ahead by 1-10 to 0-12 at the interval.

Farrell’s sending off came just a minute after