Shamrocks triumph against disappointing Shandonagh

Mullingar Shamrocks 1-13 Shandonagh 1-7

By Shane King

Following a most entertaining All-Ireland hurling final in Croke Park on Sunday afternoon, it was quite the contrary on display in TEG Cusack Park later that evening for the opening round of the senior football championship.

Poor weather provided the backdrop for what was a one-sided affair as Mullingar Shamrocks got their campaign off to a flying start with a six-point win over Shandonagh.

Shamrocks were first off the mark when a shot by Patrick Fagan fell short into the hands of goalkeeper Conor Craig. The wet ball slipped out of Craig’s hands and was then gathered by Jordan Warde, who finished with a goal in the second minute.

Shandonagh replied minutes later, scoring their only point of the half, through a fine converted free by full forward Brian Kavanagh inside the 45-metre line.

It was one way traffic for the remainder of the first half with the men in green and white dominating in all sectors of the field, punishing any mistakes made by their opponents in the difficult conditions. The Mullingar men worked some impressive scores over the next fifteen minutes, with John O’Reilly (0-1), Dean Moore (0-1), Patrick Fagan (0-1) and Denis Corroon (0-2) keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

Despite Shandonagh’s best defensive efforts, Shamrocks were in sixth gear and went on to score another three points through good passages of play. Jordan Warde punched the ball over the bar when Patrick Fagan’s shot fell short to push his side eight points clear. Dean Moore added another score when he pointed in the 24th minute. A superb block by Brian Guerin in front of the stand set up an opportunity which ended with Patrick Fagan converting a lovely point.

Shandonagh managed to gain possession at the other end of the field but a strong defensive set-up led by full back David Gavin ensured the blue and navy side were denied the chance of scoring. Mullingar Shamrocks continued to show their potential as championship title contenders, when an excellent play led to Dean Moore finishing a nice point to give his side an 11-point lead heading into half-time on a scoreline of 1-9 to 0-1. Moments before the break, wing-back Conn O’Hanlon suffered a nasty injury and was forced to be substituted.

The second half got off to a slow start with only a single point in the opening 15 minutes. Denis Corroon converted a free to extend the lead once again and was the start of a much more relaxed approach by the Mullingar men.

A resurgence in energy from Shandonagh came in the 14th minute when Simon Carr’s shot lobbed goalkeeper Eoin Doran and fell to the top corner of the net. The goal gave the team the platform to bounce back and put some scores on the board. From here, Shandonagh had three points on the trot through Brian Kavanagh 0-2 (1f) and Gareth Carr 0-1, each finishing points from more lively passages of play.

Mullingar Shamrocks replied with three points from play through Dean Moore (0-2) and John O’Reilly (0-1) to extend their lead to nine points.

Shandonagh’s free taker Brian Kavanagh worked a flurry of scores to reduce the deficit to six points in the end, converting two excellently struck 45’s and a free. However, following a lacklustre encounter, it was Mullingar Shamrocks who had the upper hand and came away with an emphatic six-point victory.

Scorers - Mullingar Shamrocks: Dean Moore 0-5, Jordan Warde 1-1, Denis Corroon 0-3 (1f), Patrick Fagan 0-2, John O’Reilly 0-2.

Shandonagh: Brian Kavanagh 0-6 (3f and 2 ‘45s), Simon Carr 1-0 and Garreth Carr 0-1.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Eoin Doran, Mark Eivers, David Gavin, Dillon Matthews, Conn O’Hanlon, Matt O’Shea, Brendan O’Reilly, Conor O’Brien, Patrick Fagan, Brian Guerin, Shane Ormsbay, John O’Reilly, Dean Moore, Denis Corroon and Jordan Warde. Subs: Efe Siode for O’Hanlon (inj,. 28) and David Coyne for Warde (42).

Shandonagh: Conor Craig, Ben Treanor, Jack O’Brien, Darren Bitu, Cathal Craig, Aaron Craig, Garreth Carr, Cormac Coyne, Brendan Killian, Adam Treanor, Aaron Flanagan, Zane Carroll, Kevin Boyle, Brian Kavanagh and Luke Tynan. Subs: Simon Carr for Carroll (25), Cormac Gordan for Killian (34), Daire Conway for Flanagan (37), Maitu Scully for Tynan (44) and Jake Costello for S. Carr (inj., 47).

Ref: Enda Kenny (Ballinagore).