Late Shamrocks bloom as Rosemount wilt

Played in very underfoot conditions this was always going to be a slug fest as opposed to a footballing spectacle but in fairness to both teams they tried valiantly to overcome the conditions and give the large attendance something to warm themselves with on a bitterly cold evening.An opening salvo from Shamrocks in which they led by 7 points seemed to have settled the game eve as early as the 19th minute but they retreated somewhat into a shell and the black and ambers came rattling back at them and held them scoreless until the 49th minute.In the interim Rosemount had levelled matters with 7 unanswered points and in truth is they had believed in themselves it could have been more but when the chips were down Shamrocks star players came to the fore and Kieran Gavin, Denis Corroon, Lorcan Smyth and particularly Daragh Daly hauled them back into the game and they ran out comfortable, if slightly flattering 7 point winners in the end.Shamrocks started much the brighter and had the opening score on the board inside a minute when Conor Moore and Simon Quinn combined for the latter to open proceedings with a fine point.Rosemount hit back immediately but they could not find the post with David McCormack bringing a good save from Shamrocks custodian Ronan Tyrrell. Shamrocks came back down the field with Ciaran Curley adding a lovely point to double their advantage.Rosemount then hit 4 wides in a row, all from very scorable chances and indeed the game became scrappy and disjointed before Lorcan Smyth added a third point for Shamrocks from a free and then Quinn added another free after two glaring misses from the Shamrocks forwards. It was a sea of green at this stage as Rosemount really found themselves under the cosh from a rampant Shamrocks attack and that pressure told when Moore set Smyth through, his pile driver was superbly saved by Eoin Carberry in the Rosemount goal but Curley was on hand to tap the ricochet into an empty net to put the Mullingar side 7 points up and cruising.At this stage the game looked a formality for Shamrocks and that Rosemount were just on a damage limitation exercise but they were not going to simply lie down and roll over and when David Malynn opened their account with a free; James Geoghegan lifted spirits superbly with a marvellous score from a very acute angle. Rosemount were now completely in the ascendency and after Shamrocks had wasted good possession, Malynn added another from close range. The first half scoring was completed by Thomas Duffy from a well worked Rosemount move that could have been even more but at the break 3 points separated the sides with Shamrocks leading 1-4 to 0-4.Rosemount had stifled the Shamrocks attack but they needed a good start to the second half and they got it when Duffy finished a flowing move with David Tone for a well take point. When Malynn pointed a free moments later there was just a single point between the sides and the black and ambers had scored the last 6 points without reply.That was to become 7 when Geoghegan levelled the game with a marvellous score that visibly lifted not just his team but the huge Rosemount support as well. This was now the important time for both teams but neither could get a foothold in the game at all and in truth the game descended into mediocrity completely as chances were created and wasted on both sides. Shamrocks midfielder Daragh Daly rallied his troops with a marvellous score after great work by Denis Corroon, Quinn and Smyth and indeed Corroon was now really coming into the game along with county star Kieran Gavin and they were renewing Shamrocks challenge.Quinn pointed a free to double the advantage but David Tone restored Rosemount spirits when he pounced on some poor Shamrocks defending. Gavin and Corroon then combined superbly to set Curley free and the full forward pointed again for a fine team score and seconds later Quinn struck with the outside of the boot for possibly the best score of the game to put daylight between the sides. Smyth finished off another field long move for Shamrocks with a well taken score and Curley put the gloss on the victory when he pointed almost from the kick out to put the game beyond any doubt and see Shamrocks through to the final.Daragh Daly was without doubt Shamrocks best player over the 60 minutes and his fielding and distribution was excellent throughout and when he was needed most he stood tallest, literally. The Gavin brothers, Kieran and David were excellent and when older brother Kieran came out centre back young David took up the mantle of his sibling superbly slotting in at full back with consummate ease. Denis Corroon, Quinn, Smyth and Curley were others to shine but Shamrocks will know that they were slightly fortunate at times and that they will need to improve significantly if they are to lift the title but at times they were excellent. Malynn and Mullen led Rosemount superbly from midfield while Duffy, Geoghegan and David Tone kept the Shamrocks rearguard busy while Liam McCormack, Paddy Boland and Shane Tone were tigerish in their defending but they simply ran out of steam toward the end and it cost them dearly. Still both teams treated us to an entertaining game in difficult conditions and well refereed by Mick Gordon who tried to let the game flow in the circumstances, it must be said.Scorers: Mullingar Shamrocks - Ciaran Curley 1-3, Simon Quinn 0-4 2 frees, Lorcan Smyth 0-2 1 free, Daragh Daly 0-1. Rosemount: David Malynn 0-3 2 frees, Thomas Duffy and James Geoghegan 0-2 each, David Tone 0-1.Mullingar Shamrocks: Ronan Tyrrell, Calvin Kirwan, Kieran Gavin, Conor McEntee, Darren Masterson, Denis Corroon, Davy Gavin, Mark Collentine, Daragh Daly, Simon Quinn, Lorcan Smyth, Alan Cashman, Conor Moore, Ciaran Curley, Adam Corroon. Subs: Mark Irwin for Kirwan 38 mins, Niall Hardiman for Collentine 47 mins, Stephen Noonan for Moore 57 mins.Rosemount: Eoin Carberry, Enda Boland, Liam McCormack, Luke Kelly, Eamonn Boland, Paddy Boland, Shane Tone, Declan Mullen, David Malynn, Thomas Duffy, Cyril Elliffe, Brian Clarke, David Tone, David McCormack, James Geoghegan. Sub: Emmet Heavin for Eamonn Boland 47 mins.Referee: Mick Gordon (Shandonagh).