Senior Football Championship: Mullingar Shamrocks 1-9 Garrycastle 1-8

There was a darkness on the edge of Ballymore town as the referee began this vital senior football championship match between the two former heavyweight giants of Westmeath football. Mercifully the threatened downpour waited until the final whistle but the Ballymore lights were activated for the first time for a championship match.

Garrycastle gained the initial advantage when Davy Coyne under pressure from Cathal Mannion deflected a difficult diagonal ball past Philly Shaw for the opening score of the match. Denis Corroon had Shamrocks opening point from a free; Sean Brennan’s resultant short kick restart was intercepted by Killian Daly who was immediately dragged to the ground, Denis Corroon converted the free and reduced the deficit to the minimum. Two points from a single attack is always welcome, especially on a night when scores were hard earned.

The Garrycastle response was immediate and a bout of combined play initiated by Eóin Monaghan was finished by Tom O’ Halloran for a point in the eleventh minute (1-1 to 0-2). Alex Gardiner then evaded Kieran Gavin and kicked a great point from close to the sideline and following a foul on Gardiner, Conor Cosgrove added a third Garrycastle point. The loss of Kieran Gavin through injury at this stage further dented Shamrocks chances. This was followed by one of the major turning points of the match when Philly Shaw brilliantly saved an Alex Gardiner shot after the Shamrocks defence had been carved open. A second goal at this stage would have pushed Garrycastle into a seven-point lead that might well have been insurmountable.   Later in the half, Philly also moved smartly from his line to prevent another possible Garrycastle goal.

An interception by Denis Corroon released Micheál Curley who burst up the field scattering Garrycastle men along the way to score a great point (1-3 to 0-3). Curley has been a long-time warrior for Shamrocks and this quality was on full display in Ballymore especially in the second-half as several Garrycastle attacks were halted by Curley’s intervention.  Billy Flynn too in his first senior start in twelve months was superb in his sweeper role. A Denis Corroon pointed free completed Shamrocks scoring before Cathal Mannion (the most influential player on the field in the opening half) landed a spectacular beauty to restore Garrycastle’s 0-3 advantage.

Trailing by 1-4 to 0-4 at the interval Shamrocks looked to be in trouble as Garrycastle were more systematic and direct in their play and moved the ball to much greater purpose as Shamrocks attempt at creative play was more deliberate and lateral. Garrycastle introduced Dessie Dolan at the interval but on this occasion Dessie was not responsible for any Shamrocks heartbreak as he was well marshalled by Eddie Moore. Garrycastle extended their lead to four points when Tom O’Halloran pointed after a great run by James Dolan. Shamrocks were defending superbly at this stage and in the tenth minute Tye Adamson pointed from long-range and almost immediately Seanie Daly followed with another fine point. A Conor Cosgrove pointed free in the fifteenth minute re-established Garrycastle’s 0-3 lead. The advantage was short-lived. Almost immediately Denis Corroon now playing at full-forward and combining superbly with Patrick Fagan, out-fielded the Garrycastle full-back, and remained composed to shoot to the Garrycastle net. After forty-six minutes, the sides were level and in the mini-match that followed Shamrocks defended brilliantly and outscored Garrycastle 0-3 to 0-2 to secure the championship points on the night that a former Garrycastle footballer, Jennifer Byrne, was selected as the Rose of Tralee. Denis Corroon scored twice, the first from a free which was balanced by a similar effort by Conor Cosgrove and the second a fine effort from play; Seanie Daly displayed great patience to create his own scoring opportunity and landed Shamrocks final point of the evening and although Garrycastle had chances, a pointed free in the last minute was their only score in the final 14 minutes.

Mullingar Shamrocks now face Tyrrellspass on Sunday evening with a great morale boosting win to build-on and depending on the results of the Tyrrellspass-Athlone and St Loman’s-Killucan matches a place in the semi-final may even be at stake at Cusack Park. Although it is too early to say that rumors of Shamrocks demise were greatly exaggerated, we live in hope!

Mullingar Shamrocks: Philly Shaw; Efi Siode, Kieran Gavin (Brendan O’Reilly), Davy Coyne; Micheál Curley (0-1), Killian Daly; Eddie Moore; Daragh Daly and Denis Corroon (1-5); Tye Adamson (0-1) [Darren Keena], Dónal O’Donoghue (Ciarán Curley), Patrick Fagan; Billy Flynn, Dean Moore (Paddy Joyce), Seanie Daly (0-2).