St Loman’s U16s overpower Mullingar Shamrocks side

In a one-sided Westmeath U16 Division 2 football final, St Loman’s proved far too strong for Mullingar Shamrocks, dominating from start to finish to secure a comprehensive 13-point victory at Shandonagh on Saturday morning.

St Loman’s laid down their intent from the opening whistle, with wing-back Seán Byrne launching their scoring in the first minute. Mullingar Shamrocks’ Ruairí Kilmartin responded soon after with a fine point, following a clever fisted pass from Ruairí McCaul, but it was to be one of the few bright moments for the Shamrocks in the first half.

MJ Long added a second point for Loman’s before Jamie McDonnell blasted over another, the product of a swift move orchestrated by Conor Maleady and Cormac Murphy. A Shane Windsor point followed immediately after, with St Loman’s seizing control at the kickout and displaying a hunger and sharpness that Mullingar Shamrocks couldn’t match.

Eight minutes in, Loman’s surged further ahead as Maleady’s speculative effort from 45 metres found its way into the Shamrocks’ net, with Murphy causing disruption in the square. Mullingar goalkeeper Szymon Kasprzak will rue his handling of the aerial ball in what was a crucial blow to his side. This goal came moments after McDonnell missed a golden opportunity to score, underscoring St Loman’s dominance in attack.

St Loman’s continued to pile on the pressure, with points from Darragh O'Riordan, Cian Matthews (three, including one free), and another from Byrne. Their relentless offensive play paid off again on 18 minutes when a high ball from Matthews was parried by Kasprzak, only for Murphy to react quickest and fist the ball into the net. With two goals and eight unanswered points on the board, Loman’s had all but sealed the contest by the midpoint of the first half.

Mullingar Shamrocks did manage a point through Ryan McNamee on 20 minutes, but Matthews quickly responded for Loman’s. Late first-half points from Ted Aherne (free) and Hugo Corroon brought Mullingar’s tally to four, while substitute Jack Connaughton closed out the half for St Loman’s with a tidy left-footed point, leaving the half-time score at 2-11 to 0-4 in Loman’s favour.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Mullingar Shamrocks struggling to break down Loman’s organised defence. Loman’s added further points through a Connaughton free in the opening minutes, swiftly countering after a weak attempt from Rory McCaul fell short. Cian Matthews (free) and Hugo Corroon exchanged scores, before Aherne and Murphy both added further points for their sides.

St Loman’s nearly added a third goal on 16 minutes, but Murphy failed to make the most of the opportunity. Mullingar Shamrocks continued to battle, with points from McCaul and a well-worked team score from Seán Hickey. However, a late chance to find the net was thwarted when substitute Gareth Sweeney’s shot was well saved by St Loman’s goalkeeper Seamus O'Brien, securing a 13-point win at the final whistle.

Ultimately, St Loman’s produced a masterclass in teamwork and efficiency, with Byrne, Conor Casey, Shane Windsor, MJ Long, Conor Maleady, and Cian Matthews all excelling. Mullingar Shamrocks had their moments but were simply outclassed by a sharper and more clinical St Loman’s side, who lifted the Division 2 title with a display of dominance from start to finish.

Scorers - St Loman's: C Matthews 0-7 (4f), C Murphy 1-1, C Maleady 1-0, S Byrne 0-2, J Connaughton 0-2 (1f), S Windsor, MJ Long, D O'Riordan, J McDonnell.

Mullingar Shamrocks: T Aherne 0-3 (2f), H Corroon 0-2, S Hickey, R McCaul, R Kilmartin and R McNamee 0-1 each.

St Loman's, Mullingar: Seamus O'Brien; Ross Tully, Tom Weir, Andy Sinnott; Seán Byrne, Cillian Walsh, Conor Casey; Shane Windsor, MJ Long; Niall Brady, Darragh O'Riordan, Conor Maleady; Jamie McDonnell, Cormac Murphy, Cian Matthews. Subs: Jack Connaughton for O'Riordan (inj., 27), Ben Smith for McDonnell and Jack Devine for Sinnott (43), Oisín Scally for Long (51), Patrick Carolan for Maleady (58).

Ref: Barry Nea (Killucan).