All too easy for Town against wilting Willow Park side

Mullingar Town 7 Willow Park 1

Scorers: Mullingar Town (Sam Watkins 2, Enda Morris, David Dyer, Tristan Finnane, Darragh Kiernan and Dan Beyo); Willow Park (Neil Kenny)

A damp and cold D'Alton Park was the venue on Sunday morning last as Mullingar Town kept their title aspirations alive with this thumping of Willow Park.

From start to finish Town were in control here and the result never looked in doubt from five minutes in as they led by 2-0 and indeed they were unlucky not to score a few more, such was their dominance. Solid at the back, tigerish in midfield and hungry up front, Mullingar Town went at a very makeshift Willow Park from the off and showed no mercy whatsoever throughout the 90 minutes. That, however could have been so different when Davie Sheehan fouled Willows Neil Kenny with the score at 2-0 and was happy to receive just a yellow card, but that apart, Town coped with the limited Willow superiority and when in possession they were ruthless at times, and clinical at best. But their passing and distribution throughout was a joy and they can be happy with their days work.

COMFORTABLE

From the kick off Town went on the offensive and Tristan Finnane almost netted just heading over the top after a long range Darragh Kiernan free but they didn’t have long to wait for the opener as Kiernan found Sam Watkins with another marvellous cross and he headed in superbly for the opening goal from close-range. Town were insatiable and three minutes later after David Dyer was denied by a super save, they kept pushing and Tristan Finnane tapped in a second as the Willow defence disintegrated. Dyer, Watkins and Finnane had good chances to extend the lead as Mullingar kept the intense pressure up and they were rewarded on 37 minutes when Watkins headed off the crossbar, but Darragh Kiernan was on hand to slot in number three. And 90 seconds later that became four with Watkins heading an unstoppable ball in from another pinpoint Kiernan delivery and now it just seemed how many would the home side score. It was the full handful on 44 minutes as Enda Morris let fly with a howitzer from the edge of the box that flew into the top corner for a comfortable and well deserved half-time cushion.

TOUGHER

After the break it was a lot of huff and puff but very little end product from either side as it seemed both teams had settle for their fate, but David Dyer was rewarded for a solid shift when he netted number six after Finnane had cut open a static Willow defence for a tap in. Willow then enjoyed possibly their best spell and Neil Kenny got their only goal from a breakaway that emanated from a Town corner at the opposite end, but it was no more than the winger deserved in honesty. Indeed they had other chances directly after that before sub Dan Beyo settled the affair with another super finish from a ball by Morris and despite late chances for Town, they could not add to the seven they absolutely deserved and move on now to tougher challenges in the title run in.

Teams

Mullingar Town: David Sheehan, Jamie Loran, David Mimnagh, Paul Reid, Jason Charles, Enda Morris, Shame O’Keeffe, David Dyer, Sam Watkins, Tristan Finnane, Daragh Kiernan. Subs: Dan Beyo for Mimnagh (55 mins), Enda Matthews for Finnane (59 mins), Ahmed Bilal for O’Keeffe and Feidhlim Creighton for Morris (82 mins).

Willow Park: David Kol, Paul Allen, Conor Maher, Garry McHugh, James Fortune, Shay Byrne, Neil Kenny, Tommy Hurley, James Keane, Joe Owana and Brian Nestor.

Referee: Paul Malone.