O’Toole’s goal propels St Loman’s to surprisingly facile victory

St Loman's, Mullingar 1-20, Emmet Óg Killoe 1-10

By Gerry Buckley

Back close to the scintillating form they displayed in many of their games in the Westmeath championship, the senior footballers from St Loman’s, Mullingar were never troubled by a disappointing Killoe side (who ended the game with 13 players) in what proved to be a somewhat one-sided Leinster Club SFC quarter-final in Glennon Bros Pearse Park last Sunday afternoon.

All Star nominee Ronan O’Toole’s superb 12th-minute goal was the key score as the Mullingar blues ended up winners by a far-from-flattering ten-point margin against the home team, who were utterly outclassed in the first moiety before commendably battling to keep the scoreboard respectable on the change of ends.

With John Heslin delightfully pulling the strings throughout in and around the midfield area, Paddy Dowdall’s men looked a formidable outfit all through, albeit a home semi-final against Naas next Sunday week is certain to prove to be an altogether more difficult assignment.

Even the vastly experienced Luke Dempsey wearing the Emmet Óg bainisteoir bib against his former protégés had no answer to the Lake County standard-bearers who seem on a mission to win a title cruelly taken from their grasp – when Dempsey was manager – six years ago by Moorefield.

The heavy pre-match showers in Longford had disappeared and conditions were pretty much ideal for football. It was the Westmeath champions who were straight out of the traps and, after Longford native Peter Foy was wide from an early goal chance, Danny McCartan (a mark) and Denis McGoldrick (open play) traded points before St Loman’s took complete control of the game in virtually very sector of the pitch.

Points ensued from Sam McCartan and John Heslin (a free), either side of Mark Hughes spurning a scoreable chance from a free for the losers. The white flags continued via Danny McCartan and Ronan O’Toole, before a wonderful individual goal from the latter in the 12th minute, after he had received a pin-point pass from Heslin.

Further points followed from the boots of Sam McCartan, Shane Dempsey (whose red card in the first-round win against Shelmaliers was reduced on appeal to a black), Heslin (another free, shortly after a Jason Daly fumble at the other end caused some travelling fans anxiety), Sam McCartan (a ‘45’, after his brother Danny had been denied a goal), and Dempsey again (following great play from O’Toole). Remarkably, St Loman’s led by 1-10 to 0-1 with 20 minutes on the clock.

Fine points from Paddy Moran and Mickey Quinn briefly stemmed the tide a little for the men in green and white. The otherwise-excellent Danny McCartan then missed a potential 1-1 (a mark and a goalbound shot saved by Micheál Hughes), but St Loman’s increased their lead before the break when Dempsey completed his hat-trick of points, leaving them very firmly in control (1-11 to 0-3) at the break.

Another Dempsey point at the end of a counterattack some 50 seconds after play resumed put St Loman’s a dozen points clear. Killoe replied with a converted ‘45’ from Danny Mimnagh and a very good free by Hughes. Heslin kicked a great left-footed point from play in the 37th minute and O’Toole followed up with another point (after poor play by the Longford champions).

Mark Hughes soon pointed from play before Heslin was bravely denied what looked a certain goal (when teed up by Enda Gaffney) by Micheál Hughes. Sub Ronan McGoldrick pointed (after rare sloppiness in the winners’ rearguard), leaving St Loman’s ahead by 1-14 to 0-7 at the end of the third quarter.

Sean Flanagan did very well to dissect the posts in the 47th minute despite being pressurised, before Emmet Óg’s woes were compounded by the dismissal of sub Cian Dooner (a black card to follow his earlier yellow). Another Heslin free, a Dempsey mark (moved closer to the target for dissent), and a neat finish from Sam McCartan put St Loman’s a whopping 14 points clear (1-18 to 0-7) but, to their credit, Killoe continued to plug away and were rewarded with a tidy point from sub Colm Coyle and a fine goal from Danny Mimnagh in the 55th minute.

The sides equally shared four late points. St Loman’s brace came courtesy of Danny McCartan (a free, before sub Fola Ayorinde almost raised a green flag) and Heslin (also a free, after Coyle had been red-carded for a heavy challenge on the always-threatening O’Toole). Paddy Kiernan and Mark Hughes were on target for a well-beaten Emmet Óg outfit.

Scorers – St Loman’s: R O’Toole 1-2, J Heslin (4f), S Dempsey (1m) 0-5 each, S McCartan 0-4 (1‘45’), D McCartan 0-3 (1f, 1m), S Flanagan 0-1.

Emmet Óg: D Mimnagh 1-1 (0-1 ‘45’), M Hughes 0-3 (1f), P Kiernan, D McGoldrick, M Quinn, P Moran, C Coyle, R McGoldrick 0-1 each.

St Loman’s, Mullingar: Jason Daly; Eoghan Hogan, Darragh O’Keeffe, Oisín Hogan; Jack Geoghegan, David Whelan, Enda Gaffney; Sean Flanagan, John Heslin; Peter Foy, Sam McCartan, Kevin Regan; Danny McCartan, Ronan O’Toole, Shane Dempsey. Subs used: Kelvin Reilly for Foy (41), Fola Ayorinde for Flanagan (50), Tristan Graham for Regan (50), Ryan Jones for Gaffney (58), Gerry Grehan for O Hogan (58).

Emmet Óg, Killoe: Micheál Hughes; Niall Farrelly, Liam Hughes, Evan Farrelly; Gavin Farrelly, Ryan Moffett, Cian Farrelly; Paddy Kiernan, Ronan Keogh; Denis McGoldrick, Mickey Quinn, Eamon Keogh; Danny Mimnagh, Mark Hughes, Paddy Moran. Subs used: Colm Coyle for McGoldrick (19), Ronan McGoldrick for N Farrelly (h-t), Cian Dooner for E Keogh (33), Shane Clarke for R Keogh (41), Ciaran Donohoe for C Farrelly (54).

Ref: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).

Examiner's Eye on the game

Man of the match

Ronan O’Toole (St Loman’s). Any spectators present who had been unaware of the mercurial forward’s All Star nomination qualifications were left in doubt after a terrific all-round performance by the roving full forward.

Key moment

O’Toole’s goal came as early as the 12th minute, but it already opened up a seven-point lead.

Talking point

The Mullingar men were back to their exhilarating best after two below-par displays in their last two matches, and it was surprising that Luke Dempsey – of all people – allowed the winners’ marquee players so much time and space.

Match officials

No controversy here, but the distance the ball was moved forward for both dissent and opposing players not retreating seemed a lot more than the specified 13 metres. It could be a real talking point in a closer game.

Stats watch

Wides - St Loman’s 7 (first half, 5); Killoe 6 (3)

‘45’s - St Loman’s 1 (1); Killoe 1 (0)

Yellow cards - St Loman’s 3 – P Foy, K Regan, T Graham; Killoe 2 – P Moran, C Dooner

Black cards - St Loman’s 0; Killoe 1 – C Dooner

Red cards - St Loman’s 0; Killoe 2 – C Dooner, C Coyle

Next up

St Loman’s Mullingar will take on Naas in the Leinster Club SFC semi-final in TEG Cusack Park on Sunday, November 19.