Under-20 Football Championship: St Loman’s 2-9 Mullingar Shamrocks 1-9 

A trap to line victory for St Loman’s in this opening round of the Under-20 football championship as a rusty Mullingar Shamrocks struggled for most of the game. One of the defining moments of the game happened in the first minute as Alex Sheerin sped through the St Loman’s defence but his shot for goal rocketed off the crossbar to safety. St Loman’s cashed in on the let off with two superb points from Daniel McCann. Ryan Kelly responded with a pointed free before Michael Weir and Eoin Meehan added points for St Loman’s. Donnacha Maguire battled hard to point but Ross Clinton and McCann responded with St Loman’s points. Ryan Kelly added a third point to Shamrocks total before the interval with the scoreboard reading 0-6 to 0-3 in favour of the home side.
 

Twenty minutes into the second half St Loman’s had extended the lead to six points (1-8 to 0-5). Tadgh Kelly scored the crucial goal. The impeccable free-taking of Ryan Kelly kept Mullingar Shamrocks in touch and Ryan’s five successful pointed free kicks reduced the deficit (1-9 to 0-7) by the twenty-fifth minute.  A long delivery from Gavin Pierce provided an opportunity for Alex Sheerin who blasted to the net. Ryan Kelly with a point from play equalized.  Up to this point of Alex Sheerin’s goal, Mullingar Shamrocks had only scored a point from play but when Ryan brought his tally to 0-8 for the evening the sides were level. As Shamrocks chased the winning score, a poor turnover close to the St Loman’s goal, ended with what referee Barry Nea judged to have been a foot block.  Not every foot-block is a foul and this one was on the very doubtful edge of the spectrum. Cillian Plunkett took on the challenge and smashed the ball past Eoin Doran to secure the two championship points. 

On the night that Ryan Kelly gave an exhibition of free taking and Shane Ormsby showed that there is still some high fielding going on in Gaelic football, the better team won.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Eoin Doran; William O’Reilly (Rory Hickey), Adam Glynn, Ben Sheerin; Matthew Ryan (Ben McNamee), Dylan Carey, Ty Masterson; Donnacha Maguire (0-1), Shane Ormsby; Callum Rigney Clyne, Conor Heffernan (Luke McCabe), Alex Sheerin (1-0); Conor Fagan (Adam Boyle), Gavin Pierce, Ryan Kelly (0-8).