ACL Div. 5 Final: Mullingar Shamrocks 0-10 Moate All-Whites 3-17
Our Division 5 League campaign ended in disappointment in Cusack Park on Saturday when we were well beaten by a fitter, faster and younger Moate All-Whites team whose recent engagement in the intermediate grade was evident. However, the journey to the final was a worthwhile one and provided lots of regular football for players who might otherwise have been lost to the game with a bonus of the opportunity to play in Cusack Park. The County Board are to be complimented on providing an organised programme of league football played on a regular basis. A big improvement on previous years and let’s hope the practice continues.
Wind assisted Moate held a 1-10 to 0-7 interval lead which was satisfactory from a Mullingar Shamrocks perspective as Moate had dominated the half and Aaron O’Neill’s fifteenth minute goal had stretched the Moate lead to seven points (1-6 to 0-2). Gary Corroon’s two pointed frees represented the best Shamrocks early response. O’Neill’s goal provoked the most productive period of Shamrocks play and points from Gary Corroon (free), Billy Flynn (0-2) and Robbie Ryland reduced the deficit to a goal. The effort was not maintained and points from Robert Forde (0-2), Dylan Ennis and Ronan Conway stretched the Moate lead and only a good save by Dj Fedronas prevented a second goal. A fine Jordan Warde point completed the Shamrocks first half total.
Eoghan Kelly goaled for Moate immediately from the restart and effectively ended the game as a contest and after 55 minutes the scoreboard read 3-17 to 0-8 before Jordan Warde and the veteran Shane Colleary (one of the best performers for Shamrocks) added points prior to the final whistle.
Mullingar Shamrocks: Dj Fedronas (Killian White); Conor McEntee (Cormac Murphy), Paul Christie, Eamonn Breslin; Pearse Corroon, James Grogan, Ryan Blundell; Nathan Smyth (Franklin Nwokeiwu) and Brendan O’Reilly; Billy Flynn (0-2), Gary Corroon [0-3] (Cian Roe), Robert Ryland (0-1) (Michael McKnight); Kenneth O’Reilly (Seán Wylie), Shane Colleary (0-1), Jordan Warde (0-3).
