Junior Football Championship: Mullingar Shamrocks 0-10 St Loman’s 0-12.

Shamrocks interest in the 2016 junior football championship was terminated on Friday night at Springfield after St Loman’s gained a hard-earned and deserved 0-2 victory in a match that was played in typical local derby intensity. Billy O’Loughlin and John Ganly exchanged points in the opening minutes; Davy Morgan added another point to the Loman’s tally which was neutralised by a beauty of a point from a free taken from the hands by Ross Corroon. Another point from the Laois-native O’Loughlin edged Lomans ahead but this score proved to be their last score of the half as Shamrocks inspired by the high fielding of Anthony Clinton at mid-field and the fierce commitment of Keith Moore at centre-half back dominated the remainder of the half. Pearse Corroon pointed twice, Fiachra Spellman did the same (swinging the left foot in manner that reminded supporters of days past) and Ross Corroon added another to send Shamrocks to the half-time dressing room leading by 0-7 to 0-3. St Loman’s via two points from Billy O’Loughlin cut the deficit immediately after the interval but a pointed free from Ross Corroon steadied the Shamrock’s ship but not for long. The loss of John Ganly through injury at this stage was severe.  Another Loman’s point reduced the deficit to the minimum but a battling Pearse Corroon point (our only second half point from play) again extended Shamrocks lead to two points. St Loman’s dominated the final quarter as the Shamrocks team with its liberal quota of veterans began to run out of steam and four unanswered points (three from the boot of James Cox) established an 0-2 point lead for St Loman’s; Ross Corroon again reduced the deficit to the minimum but Kyle McGurrin kicked an insurance point and secured a play-off place v Garrycastle for St Loman’s which based on their second-half dominance was deserved.

The various refereeing interpretations as to what constitutes a red, yellow or black card has been one of the main topics of conversation in the world of GAA punditry this season and featured strongly in the post-match conversations in Springfield on Friday night amongst both sets of supporters. Fortunately, Tommy Carr wasn’t delegated to do a co-commentary job for this game; had he been required to do so there is no doubt that he would have abandoned all hope of ever understanding what constitutes a black/yellow card infraction. He might well have been dragged kicking and screaming from the studio demented with confusion. Had poor Robbie Kiely, the Tipperary footballer who was black-carded early in Croke Park v Mayo last Sunday wandered into  Springfield he might well have concluded that this was a different sport with different rules  to the one that he was playing in Croke Park, especially if he saw the pull-down foul on John Ganly. On this occasion Ganly was the one departing the scene of battle with an accidental ankle injury.

Shamrocks: Daragh Ryan; Ryan Blundell, Paul Christie, Dylan Ledwith; Dermot Curley, Keith Moore, Nathan Smith; Pearse Corroon (0-3) and Anthony Clinton; Darren Keena (Eric Smith), John Ganly (0-1)[David Culkin], Ross Corroon (0-4); Fiachra Spellman (0-2), Shane Colleary and Gary Corroon.