Clarke’s Bar Junior Football Championship: Mullingar Shamrocks 2-14 Shandonagh 0-12
Mullingar Shamrocks maintained their interest in the 2018 Westmeath junior championship with this deserved victory over Shandonagh on Tuesday night. After a relatively even first-half Shamrocks trailed by a point at the interval with the concession of soft frees proving costly (0-8 to 0-7). Gary Corroon, Dillon Matthews and Matthew Maslin scored two points each in the opening period with Pádraig McKenna completing the total.
Shamrocks were much more effective on the resumption and with four minors in the forward line to support the veterans Shane Colleary and Gary Corroon, the attacks were much more threatening. There was also some great defending on resumption which allowed debutant goalkeeper Ross Corroon to enjoy a trouble-free evening. First-half substitute Jack Kelly who replaced the injured Adam McCormack, marked his debut in adult football with the opening two points of the second half to send Shamrocks into a lead that they were never subsequently to lose. Pádraig McKenna was having a significant impact on the game at this stage and added two points to the Shamrocks total - the second created by a superb Cormac Hynes pass. Shane Colleary and Gary Corroon also pointed as Shamrocks established a 0-13 to 0-10 lead with 15 minutes remaining. Dillon Matthews added two goals to secure the victory – the second a great team score began deep in defence by Eamonn Breslin and James Grogan who transferred to Brian Reidy. A quick deliver was collected first-time by Shane Colleary who offloaded to Dillon Matthews who skipped through the Shandonagh defence for his second goal. Matthew Maslin with a point completed the scoring.
Mullingar Shamrocks: Ross Corroon; Cormac Murphy, Mark Butler, Eamonn Breslin; Pearse Corroon, James Grogan, Marc Eivers; Ryan Blundell (Brian Reidy) and Dillon Matthews (2-2)[Conor McEntee]; Adam McCormack (Jack Kelly 0-2), Gary Corroon (0-3) [Seán Wylie],Kenneth O’Reilly (Cormac Hynes); Matthew Maslin (0-3) [Cian Roe], Shane Colleary (0-1), Pád
