Sharper Shamrocks easily dispose of limited Bun

Mullingar Shamrocks kept up their winning ways in the Senior Championship with a comfortable 9 point win over Bunbrosna in Cusack Park Mullingar on Sunday evening last. This was poor fare from both sides in front of a very sparse crowd at headquarters and but for the scoring power of the Shamrocks forward line then a major upset was on the cards. As it was the Mullingar side hit 13 wides, some of them particularly poor and still were very comfortable against a mediocre Bunbrosna side whose cause wasn't helped when possibly their best player, Aidan Finnan was sent off for a second yellow after 42 minutes. Whatever challenge Bunbrosna had put up at that stage totally disintegrated and by the end they were possibly praying for the final whistle every bit as much as the very disappointed attendance. Shamrocks were always the better side but their challenge for teh Flanagan Cup will have to be much better than what was on view last Sunday night. For a time even it looked as if Bunbrosna might cause an upset as they stayed with their more vaunted opponents well into the second half and had plenty of chances but when Shamrocks began to pull away they gave up the ghost very tamely indeed and by the end they were simply plugging a very big dyke .This loss sees Bun in serious relegation trouble and they must now win their last game to have any chance of survival in the Senior ranks and on Sunday night's performance that may well be a struggle. For Shamrocks it's another 2 points in the bag and they are now guaranteed a playoff place of some sorts but they will know that this type of display will simply not be good enough against stronger opposition. Fielding without county player Denis Corroon and the very influential Cian O'Leary Shamrocks look a pale shadow of the side that has been storing through the Championship so far but that will matter little to the Mullingar side as the bottom line was a win and that was achieved. For Bun it's back to the walls time and they really need a spark from somewhere if they want to remain in the county elite grade.The game was poor to start with neither side gaining any sort of foothold as we waited for something to happen but as the minute ticked by it kept on chugging along in the same fashion with poor basic skills and even poorer football. Peter Tormey got Bun on the board when he pounced on a Shamrocks defensive mistake for a well taken score but that was nullified when Michael Curley found Fiachra Spellman on the 21 yard line and the Shamrocks full forward levelled. Bun again took the lead when impressive wing back Conor Lyons stormed forward for a lovely score but poor defending let Shamrocks back in from the boot of Darren Moore to equalise after Spellman's shot had rebounded off the upright. Eight full minutes of instantly forgettable dross followed as the game descended into a poor training session and in that time Shamrocks hit 4 terrible wides while in the ascendancy but a good move involving David Miller and Shane Colleary ended with Anthony Clinton slotting over a lovely point. Peter Tormey replied in kind for Bun from a very easily conceded free and then Aidan Finnan put the blues ahead with a super score which involved Tormey and Kevin Mitchell. At this stage Bun were giving as good as they got and in fact were the better side but their distribution was poor and another defensive lapse let Darren Moore in for another point, this time off his left foot. The game was now turning in the Mullingar sides favour and their pressure was rewarded when Colleary burst through a couple of tackles and his pass found Spellman who wasted no time in rattling the back of the net for a well taken goal that was the highlight of a dreary half of football and Shamrocks went in at the break 1-4 to 0-4 to the goodKenny Conroy replaced Jamie Shaw at half time and his first act was to intercept a Shamrocks' defensive clearance which led to a well taken score by Peter Tormey and Bun could have had a goal moments later when Finian Newman, on as a sub almost got his toe to another Shamrocks defensive lapse. Conor Moore restored Shamrocks 3 point cushion when he profited from some good approach play from Brian Melody and they had numerous chances to increase that lead but again the posts seemed foreign to their finishing skills. Finian Newman brought it back to 2 when he scored from a superb Simon Maher pass but the game then turned when Aidan Finnan was shown a second yellow and then a red for a high challenge on Lorcan Smyth and that seemed to be the catalyst for Shamrocks charge and an equivalent Bun surrender.Gareth Doyle got the ball rolling for Mullingar when he burst through a paper thin Bun Defence and settled for a point when a goal seemed on the cards and then Darren Moore converted a needlessly conceded free for a foul on Lorcan Smyth. Michael Curley then found Moore again with a marvellous ball and the nippy forward made no mistake from close range to add to his tally.Smyth got in on the act himself when Ciaran Curleys pass left him all on his own to strike a lovely point and the rout was almost completed when Darren Moore kicked the best point of the game from distance after a mazy solo run. It was damage limitation time for Bun but Shamrocks had the bit between their teeth at this stage and they finished strongly with points by Anthony Clinton first from a fisted effort and then Moore rounded off his man of teh match display with another sublime kick that marked his return to Senior action and shortly afterward referee Sean Sheridan blew the final whistle to a mere ripple of applause from what was by then an almost deserted Cusack ParkDarren Moore was undoubtedly the best forward on display and despite early misses he kept plugging away and his haul of 6 points was a major factor In Shamrocks success. Michael Curley was the pick of the defence while Purcell and Donal O'Donoghue came into their own in the latter stages. Anthony Clinton and Gareth Doyle battled well at midfield while Shane Colleary rolled back the years and rolled up his sleeves with a fine display and Spellman too looked dangerous when on the ball but Shamrocks know they need more fluidity and cohesivenees for the stiffer battles ahead and they must now work on that. For Bun Fintan Finnan was the pick and his sending off seemed to tear the guts out of his team but Conor Newman and Conor Lyons played well at the back but up front it was a one man show in Peter Tormey and but for brief cameos by Kevin Mitchell and sub Finian Newman, this is where Bun struggled enormously.They now face the spectre of relegation for the second year running and need something special to happen to keep their senior status but at times they more than matched their more vaunted opponents and if Finnan had stayed on the field who knows what might have happened. In the end though Shamrocks now power on in their quest for the elusive dream while Bun will struggle to keep their aliveScorers: Shamrocks: Darren Moore 0-6 2 frees, Fiachra Spellman 1-1, Anthony Clinton 0-2, Gareth Doyle, Conor Moore and Lorcan Smyth 0-1 each. Bunbrosna: Peter Tormey 0-3 1 free, Conor Lyons, Aidan Finnan and Finian Newman 0-1 each.Mullingar Shamrocks: Philip Shaw, David Miller, Kieran Gavin, Aaron Purcell, Michael Curley, Donal O'Donoghue, Conor Twomey, Anthony Clinton, Gareth Doyle, Brian Melody, Shane Colleary, Ciaran Curley, Darren Moore, Fiachra Spellman, Conor Moore. Subs: Lorcan Smyth for Miller (inj)32 mins, Cian O'Leary for Conor Moore 55 mins.Bunbrosna: Damian McCormack, Conor Newman, Noel Kiernan, Sean Walsh, Conor Lyons, Simon Moorehead, Liam Mitchell, Niall Harte, Aidan Finnan, Kevin Mitchell, Peter Tormey, Fintan Finnan, Jamie Shaw, Ciaran Murphy, Simon Maher. Subs: Finian Newman for Walsh (inj) 32 mins, Kenny Conroy for Shaw H/T, Brian Maguire for Liam Mitchell 52 mins, David Newman for Maher 54 mins.Referee: Sean Sheridan, Tyrrellspass.