ACL Div.6: Mullingar Shamrocks 1-13 Ballynacargy 3-10

Mullingar Shamrocks ended on the wrong side of this high-scoring ACL Div. 6 match played in Springfield on Thursday evening. Mid-way through the second half Shamrocks looked likely to collect the two league points but the Bal side and Wayne Kelly in particular had different ideas.

Declan McGuinness opened the scoring with a superb point from close to the sideline (“Share the ball, Deccie, the Ballynacargy supporter observed. “No need to when he can score points like that” her friend correctly noted). Deccie scored another point as did Jack Doran (another great effort from a distance) and Thomas Nally. In between Matthew Ryan and Luke McCabe pointed for Shamrocks to leave the score 0-4 to 0-2 after 15 minutes. Shamrocks began to dominate (“They can’t mark, Donoghue”, the Ballynacargy woman declared and she was correct) and controlled the next 30 minutes or so. Paddy Joyce scored a superb point with the outside of the right boot that was straight from Denis Corroon’s box of tricks. A great move ended with a Luke McCabe goal scored at the second attempt after the Ballynacargy goalkeeper save well from Luke’s first attempt. Almost immediately Ballynacargy responded in like manner. A Troy Maher shot was well saved by Nathan Smyth but Troy collected the rebound and with the neatest of unselfish passes found Thomas Nally who finished to the net to restore the Ballynacargy lead. Gary Corroon equalised from a free, Paddy Joyce scored a replica of his earlier point, Mark Murphy and Declan McGuinness pointed before Luke McCabe scored a superb point from a free close to the sideline to level the scores at the interval (1-6 each).

Wayne Kelly set down a marker immediately on the restart with a good point that was balanced by a Gary Corroon point after good work by Dylan Franzoni. Wayne Kelly pointed again before Paddy Joyce completed his hat-trick of well struck points. This was followed by points from Luke McCabe, Andrew Shaw and a spectacular Trevor Keena effort to send Shamrocks into a three point lead (1-11 to 1-8). Memories of the 2004 Leinster Final were recalled when Shane Colleary and Dónal O’Donoghue combined to create a goal scoring opportunity but the move ended with a free for over-carrying. It looked good from the Shamrocks perspective but Wayne Kelly had other ideas and the centre forward delivered two knock-out blows in the form of crucial goals to secure the league points for Ballynacargy. Thomas Nally also pointed twice as did Trevor Keena (again Dylan Franzoni did the hard work) and Gary Corroon with a pointed free in what transpired to be the last kick of the evening. Wayne Kelly wasn’t the only Kelly to impress as his namesake Conor at full-back for Shamrocks looked like a young man who could play at a few grades higher.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Nathan Smyth; Dylan Carey, Conor Kelly, Conor McEntee (Conor Fitzpatrick); Dylan Franzoni, Jack Kelly (William O’Reilly), Aaron Russell (Ben Egan); Donal O’Donoghue, Paddy Joyce (0-3); Nathan Cornally (Trevor Keena, 0-2), Gary Corroon (0-3), Matthew Ryan (0-1); Andrew Shaw (0-1), Luke McCabe (1-3), David Culkin (Shane Colleary)