Under-19 Division 1 Football Final: Mullingar Shamrocks 5-13 Cill Óige 2-12.

County title Number 90 was landed on Sunday morning in Ballinagore. Despite the rough conditions, Mullingar Shamrocks and Cill Óige served up a superb game of football in Ballinagore on Sunday morning. A combined score of 7-25 is to the credit of both teams and there was a nice collection of bad misses as might be expected. If we add in the 9-23 scored between the teams in the opening round we get an idea of the spectacular football played by both teams in their two encounters. Well done to our management of Ritchie Daly, Gary Corroon and Seamus Wallace who worked hard with the panel during what was a long season.

It was football of the old style, played on the front foot as both teams pushed forward at every opportunity. Or to quote Westmeathgaaofficial County Committee Chairperson Frank Mescall ‘It was football as we love to see it played, and delights an old codger like me’. Frank of course managed Mullingar Shamrocks to win the 2000 County Final played in the worst conditions in the history of Westmeath GAA. The score that day was 1-5 to 0-2 as Shamrocks beat Tyrrellspass.

Shamrocks broke from the throw in and Shame Ormsby surged forward and pointed; quick thinking by John Ryan from a free created a chance for Gavin Pierce who pointed and Ryan Kelly followed with a pointed free in the seventh minute. An incisive run and shot by Gavin Pierce produced a great save from Jack Nally which began a Cill Óige attack that was halted by a brilliant William O’Reilly block down. George Kearney pointed a free and Sean Conlon added a second Cill Óige point with a great left footed effort from long range that reduced the gap to the minimum. From the restart, Shane Ormsby gained possession and released Callum Rigney Clyne who cut through the Cill Óige defence before finding Gavin Pierce who blasted to the net in typical fashion. The Cill Oige response was immediate and from the restart a move began that ended with David O’Reilly shooting to the net. Ryan Kelly pointed a free before George Cunningham and Sean Conlon added points to bring the sides level (1-4 each). Conor Heffernan and George Cunningham exchanged points. The Shamrocks defence was unhinged but Evan Daly with a goal at his mercy smashed his shot off the crossbar. Shamrocks availed off the let-off; John Ryan who finished in the Top-40 in the All-Ireland Under-0 Cross Country championships last Sunday, pointed Luke McCabe pointed successive frees before George Cunningham reduced the gap one more time. The next eight minutes were central to the result as Shamrocks outscored Cill Óige 2-1 to 0-1. Gavin Pierce was the man with the Golden Boot and two brilliant strikes from the corner forward helped seal the deal for Shamrocks. Both goals were models of good teamwork: Shane Ormsby won the initial crucial possession on both occasions. Callum Rigney Clyne produced another of his brilliant defence splitting runs before parting to Pierce who finished brilliantly for the first goal. John Ryan delivered the final pass for the second goal and Gavin completed his hat trick with an outrageous finish. A point from Adam Keane completed the first half scoring and the teams went to the dressing room with Shamrocks leading by 3-8 to 1-7.

Sean Conlon and John Ryan exchanged points following the restart followed by a wonderful long-range point by David O’Reilly as Cill Óige enjoyed their best spell of the game. Shamrocks were unable to gain possession from their restarts but unfortunately from the Cill Oige perspective they were unable to turn their possession into scores and O’Reilly’s great score was followed by a series of wides and bad misses. Sean Kerrigan pointed and Mikey Curley and William O’Reilly combined to prevent a certain goal before Shamrocks exited their moments of crisis and hit the crucial score as Calvin Rigney again turned provided and this time Ryan Kelly finished to the net to extend the Shamrocks lead to eight points (4-9 to 1-10). Dylan Franzoni pointed after 17 minutes and David O’Reilly kicked another spectacular point. Conor Heffernan curled a beauty between the posts before Gavin Pierce smashed home his fourth goal (Was Gavin the first Shamrocks player to score 4 goals in a county final?). This goal extend the Shamrocks lead to twelve points (5-11 to 1-11).Gavin has the rare gift of being able to shoot with power while running at speed and this skill was of full display in Ballinagore with a series of incredible finishes.

Despite the lead, there was still time for a few minutes of nervousness amongst the Shamrocks management. Sean Conlon pointed a free and a half-blocked down shot came viciously spinning towards Mikey Curley in the Shamrocks goal. It squirmed free and was finished to the net by Andrew Geoghegan. However, this proved to be Cill Oige’s last score thanks mainly to a great Nathan Cornally save as Cill Óige pushed for a third goal. Shamrocks finished with points by Ryan Kelly from a Conor Heffernan pass and appropriately a great individual effort by Callum Rigney Clyne that was the product of one of Callum’s speedy solo runs and a finish from long range close to the sideline. A nice reward for a player who was centrally involved in providing crucial passes for several of the five goals scored.

This was a great team victory with the foundation made by some fine defending with the full back line of William O’Reilly, Ben Egan and Adam Glynn getting in some great tackles; wing backs Dylan Franzoni and Callum Rigney Clyne were two of the best players on the field with Dylan Carey, who has had a great year, rock solid in the centre. Shane Ormsby and Ciaran Kiernan dominated midfield whilst all six forwards contributed to a victory that what will be remembered as the day Gavin Pierce scored four goals and earned a special place in the history of Mullingar Shamrocks.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Mikey Curley; William O’Reilly, Ben Egan (Ruairí Hickey), Adam Glynn; Dylan Franzoni (0-1), Dylan Carey, Callum Rigney Clyne (0-1); Shane Ormsby (0-1), Ciaran Kiernan (Tom Hickey); Adam Boyle(Donnacha Maguire), Ryan Kelly (1-3), Conor Heffernan (0-2); Gavin Pierce (4-1), Luke McCabe (0-2) [Nathan Cornally], John Ryan (0-2) [Caoilín Walshe).
Other Panellists: Aaron Russell, Alex Sheerin, Conor Kelly, Conor Fagan, Darragh Hughes, Edro Siode, Enda Keating, Eoin Doran, Gary Brannigan, Jordan Awunah, Tadhg Sheridan.