Hegarty goal decisive as Shamrocks win Mullingar derby

Mullingar Shamrocks 1-8 St Loman’s, Mullingar 0-8

Gerry Buckley

A well-taken goal early in the second half by the outstanding player on view, Shamrocks’ Karen Hegarty, proved to be the crucial score of a very entertaining Mullingar ladies derby in perfect conditions for football in Springfield last evening.

Apart from some disappointing shooting from good positions at both ends, this was a terrific contest all through, at the end of which it was the green side of Westmeath’s capital town which emerged with the local bragging rights by a three-point margin.

Despite no shortage of hard graft and eye-catching approach work from both teams, scores were at a premium during the opening quarter. The home side scored two points during that period courtesy of a quickfire Hegarty brace (a shot in the tenth minute which hopped over the St Loman’s crossbar and a terrific score within a minute, following fine work by Clara Thornton). The losers had opened the scoring via their most consistent player, corner forward Caoimhe Kilmurray, in the fourth minute.

In the 18th minute, the outstretched leg of Fiona Keating denied Chloe Smullen a goal at the expense of an unconverted ‘45’. Both sides added a point to their tallies in the second quarter – Vicky Carr’s great solo point for Ryan Jones’ charges being cancelled out by a fine 29th-minute point under pressure from Smullen. Shamrocks led by 0-3 to 0-2 at the interval.

What proved to be the all-important score of the game came less than three minutes after the resumption of play when Thornton fed Hegarty, and she gave Keating no chance. Carr doubled her tally some three minutes later. Hegarty did very well to point despite stumbling, but a wonderful rapid-fire brace from Kilmurray had the girls in blue within two points of the winners (1-4 to 0-5) at the end of the third quarter.

Carr halved the deficit in the 52nd minute, but Hegarty immediately responded for Ned Moore’s troops. After Keating had saved well from Smullen, centre half back Mairéad Newman pointed neatly. Hegarty and Carr traded points (both from frees), as did Honor MacNamara (from play, after a Hegarty shot had come back off the woodwork) and Kilmurray (with the last kick of the game from a close-range free, when many of the good-sized crowd present had expected her to try and blast a low shot to the net).

Scorers

Mullingar Shamrocks: K Hegarty 1-5 (0-1f), H MacNamara, C Smullen and M Newman 0-1 each.

St Loman’s, Mullingar: C Kilmurray (1f) and V Carr (1f) 0-4 each.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Lauren McCormack; Sophie Hegarty, Niamh Spellman, Annemarie O’Reilly; Melek Fagan, Mairéad Newman, Susanna Buckley; Caoimhe Gaffney, Tara Fagan; Clara Thornton, Michaela O’Connor, Emma Morris; Karen Hegarty, Honor MacNamara, Chloe Smullen. Subs used: Laura Whitelaw for O’Connor (h-t), Cliodhna Spellman for S Hegarty (37).

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Fiona Keating; Emma Keenan, Muireann Scally, Sandra McGrath; Lara McCartan, Keelie Mulderry, Ellen Kilmurray; Annie Kilmurray, Vicky Carr; Paige Matthews, Shauna Traynor, Rachel McKenna; Julie McLoughlin, Laura Newman, Caoimhe Kilmurray. Subs used: Bridgie Heslin for Newman (h-t), Phoebe Harte for Keenan (40), Amy Newman for Matthews (40), Evie Daly for McKenna (48).

Ref: Paul McCaughey (Milltown).

MATCH AT A GLANCE

Player of the match

Karen Hegarty (Mullingar Shamrocks). The Westmeath star top-scored with 1-5 – all bar a point of which came from play – and she was a constant threat to the St Loman’s defence.

Key moment

Hegarty’s 33rd-minute goal ultimately separated the sides.