An easy victory for Mullingar Shamrocks in this Div.1 Minor Football League match against an understrength team who had several players hurling tied and a few more injured. It was very different last year and no doubt will be different later in the season in the championship. Shamrocks with Ryan Kelly in scoring form held a 2-7 to 0-2 interval lead with Ryan contributing 2-3 to the total. Alex Sheerin added the third goal in the second half as Shamrocks continued to dominate and finished with 3-16 on the scoreboard. 

Mullingar Shamrocks: Adam Buckley; Ben Sheerin (John Shaw), Peter Finch (Jack Toal), John Shaw (Adam Glynn); Andrew Gavigan (Charlie Foy), Ty Masterson, James Flynn (Matthew Shaw); Criostóir Ormsby (Ryan Kelly), Donnacha Maguire; Charlie Foy (Paul Keating), Ryan Kelly (Conor Heffernan), Callum Rigney Clyne (Ronan Byrne); Tom Daly (Alex Sheerin), Gavin Pearse (Tom Daly), Jack Toal (Alex Donoghue). 

Scorers: Ryan Kelly (2-4), Alex Sheerin (1-3) Gavin Pearse (0-3), Charlie Foy (0-1), Conor Heffernan (0-2), Callum Rigney Clyne (0-1), Paul Keating (0-1), Matthew Shaw (0—1). 

 

MJS Building and Development Minor Football League: Mullingar Shamrocks 2-14 Tubberclair 2-8 

The latest round in the great Minor football rivalry between Mullingar Shamrocks and Tubberclair was played out on Sunday evening at the latter’s venue. The rivalry has lost nothing in its intensity since the 2023 county final as the two sides served up a superb game of football that was physically demanding with impressive skill levels on display. It was very much old school football with none of the paraphernalia of the modern game on show.  

Tubberclair probably shaded the first half in general play (17 shots on goal to Shamrocks 13) but Shamrocks had the upper hand where it mattered as the interval scoreboard read 2-6 to 1-4 in our favour. Tubberclair made the early running and Tom Bourke, Paul Keegan and Seanie Whittaker pointed; pointed frees from Gavin Pearse and Ryan Kelly reduced the deficit. It took a great Adam Buckley save to prevent Tubberclair extending their lead.  This was matched at the other end by a great save by Louis Clayburn from Alex Sheerin. Ryan Kelly pointed the resultant 45 and from the restart Adam Glynn gained a  superb possession and released Paul Keating for a run on goal. Paul set up Ryan Kelly who crashed the ball to the net for the game’s opening goal.  A second goal followed almost immediately. The excellent Ty Masterson collected a Tubberclair scoring effort that rebounded from the post,  the ball was moved quickly downfield and the move finished with a Ryan Kelly smashing the ball to the net for the second time. Gavin Pierce and Daire O’Connor exchanged points before Tiernan MItchell crashed home Tubberclair’s opening goal.  Conor Heffernan and Pearse added two more points before the interval (2-6 to 1-4). 

Shamrocks extended their lead from the restart when Donnacha Maguire won possession from the throw in and set up Conor Heffernan for the opening point.  Tubberclair roared back and Tom Bourke finished a great run by crashing an unstoppable shot past Adam Buckley. Daire O’Connor added a point to reduce the deficit to two points (2-7 to 2-5). Paul Keating and Conor Heffernan pointed and O’Connor responded with a point for Tubberclair. From the restart, Callum Rigney fielded one of Adam Buckley’s monster restarts and released to Donnacha Maguire who in turn found Gavin Pearse who pointed in style. One of the scores of the evening (2-10 to 2-6).  Daire O’Connor and Ryan Kelly exchanged pointed frees and from the restart Alex Sheerin intercepted and extended the Shamrocks lead with a fine opportunist point (2-12 to 2-7). Ryan Kelly pointed another free from long range as did Daire O’Connor from close range. A black card ended Ryan’s contribution to the evening but 4-8 scored over the weekend represented a nice body of work for the team over 90 minutes of football. Daire’s point proved to be Tubberclair’s final score as a brilliant Adam Buckley save from Keelan O’Connell secured the league points for Shamrocks. A Conor Heffernan point closed the scoring and brought the Shamrocks total to a very respectable 2-14 given the quality of football and defending on display. 

No doubt, there will be several more episodes of this series before the season concludes.  

Mullingar Shamrocks: Adam Buckley; Ben Sheerin (Matt Shaw), Peter Finch (James Flynn), Adam Glynn; Ben McNamee, Ty Masterson, Luke Raeside; Criostóir Ormsby, Donnacha Maguire; Paul Keating (0-1) [Andrew Gavigan], Conor Heffernan (0-4), Callum Rigney Clyne; Alex Sheerin (0-1) [Tom Daly], Ryan Kelly (2-4), Gavin Pearse (0-4) [Ronan Byrne].