Under-16 Football Championship, Div. 1: Mullingar Shamrocks 3-7 St Loman’s 4-15.
A much improved performance by Mullingar Shamrocks in this championship encounter played in Springfield on Monday evening but the performance wasn’t enough to shake a physically stronger St Loman’s outfit.
Wind assisted Shamrocks produced their best work in the first half and scored in their opening attack with a Colm Clinton pointed free. Jessie powered through for the opening goal and Darragh Daly pointed. Darragh and Jesse then combined to split the St Loman’s defence and Jesse finished for his second goal. Colm Clinton collected the restart and raced through for Shamrocks’ third goal. In between Sean O’Connell (0-2), Billy Lambden, Senan Brody and Harry Brennan had points for St Loman’s and after 20 minutes Shamrocks held a lead of 3-2 to 0-5. Manus Kelly and Colm Clinton added points before the break with Shamrocks leading by 3-4 to 0-6.
Darragh Daly extended the lead with a point on resumption and only a brilliant save by St Loman’s goalkeeper Aidan Price from a sharp Darragh volley prevented a fourth Shamrocks goal. That was as good as it got for Shamrocks. Shane Canning pointed and the game was effectively decided over the next five minutes. Killian Raleigh goaled, Michael Brennan collected the restart and returned the ball to the Shamrocks net. Within a minute Harry Brennan scored St Loman’s third goal to secure the lead for our neighbours for the first time (3-7 to 3-5). Minutes later Kalvin Flynn scored a spectacular goal as St Loman’s added a series of points ( a big two pointer by Shane Canning, the highlight) to secure the championship points. Shamrocks responded with a couple of pointed frees by Com Clinton and at the end the final score read 4-14 to 3-7.
Mullingar Shamrocks: Conor Matthews; Conan Kelly, MJ Burke, Cian Traynor; Seán Dooley, Tom McCaul, Conor Glynn; Manus Kelly, Oliver Keane; Manus Kelly, Colm Clinton, Eoin Reddan; Sam Phillips, Darragh Daly, Jesse Mblachare. Replacements: Pau Dooley, Dylan Hanly, Cian Heffernan, Divine Majada, Kian Newcombe, RuairíThornton, Cian McNamee.
