Mullahoran edge exciting local derby minor final

Minor League Division 1 final

Mullahoran 1-13

Southern Gaels 0-12

Mullahoran picked up their second Division 1 underage title this year after beating their neighbours from two sides in the Southern Gaels amalgamation of Lacken and Gowna. A massive crowd came to Ballinagh in expectation of a titanic battle after the sides ended their meeting earlier in the year with honours even.

Mullahoran came into the final after an epic semi-final when they got the better of Cavan Gaels having been brought to extra time. Southern Gaels, who finished top of the table on score difference ahead of Mullahoran, beat Kingscourt with five points to spare in their semi.

With conditions dry and warm, the wind which blew to the scoreboard corner of the field was the only adverse weather element for the teams to deal with. Mullahoran played with the wind in the first half and quickly set about their business as midfielder Tadhg Sheils burst through the middle and split the posts after 12 seconds of play.

Ultan O’Reilly doubled the Dreadnoughts’ lead on the third minute with a free after corner-forward Conor Sharpe was fouled. Southern Gaels opened their account a minute later when Shane Donohoe made a tricky free look easy from 35 metres.

With the pace of the game frantic, neither side looked to take a step back for fear of being toppled. Southern Gaels drew level a minute later when towering midfielder Ciaran McConnon raised a white flag. Cormac McEntee gave the Gaels the lead for the first and only time on the eighth minute with a well-taken point on his left foot but Mullahoran reacted to ensure that they wouldn’t get three scores in a row again in the game.

The impressive midfielder Tadgh Sheils galloped through once again to level the sides before Mullahoran’s freetaker Ultan O’Reilly restored their lead from 23 metres with 11 minutes on the clock. After scoring a free on his right foot, Southern Gaels full-forward Shane Donohoe sent one over on his left foot to level the sides for the third time.

The Mullahoran full-forward line were showing really well for early long ball and some of the kick passing to them left Southern Gaels defenders in trouble. Dylan Brady took advantage of the early ball twice before the water break as he sent over two points to leave the score 0-6 to 0-4 in Mullahoran’s favour.

The second quarter saw the scores dry up a little without a drop in the temp. Donohoe sent over a second free on his left foot and two minutes before the break he levelled the match with a fisted point from an acute angle. Mullahoran battled hard to win the next kick-out and worked it to Conor Plunkett who became the fourth Mullahoran scorer of the first half, leaving them with the slenderest of advantages at the break.

Southern Gaels wasted no time at the start of the second half in trying to claw back the lead as they sent in a high ball to Donohoe in front of goal. With half a goal chance on, the imposing full-forward gathered the ball but his shot went over the bar to level the sides at seven each.

Mullahoran, throughout the game, showed a great ability to respond to a Southern Gaels score with one of their own. With Senan Briody finding a team mate with the kick-out, Millahoran went on the attack and after a piercing run from Sharpe, Francis Comaskey finished the move with a fisted point.

In a game of fine margins the accuracy of the freetakers proved vital and once again Ultan O’Reilly sent over a dead ball to leave it 0-7 to 0-9 to Mullahoran with eight second-half minutes played. When Southern Gaels needed a shot in the arm, corner-back David Simpson injected pace to their attack and sent the ball over the bar.

Mullahoran’s workrate began to become more noticeable as Southern Gaels got turned over, resulting in a point for Francis Comaskey. Southern Gaels management introduced Joseph Crowe who closed the gap to a single point with his first touch as the game sat in the balance.

The game’s decisive score came just before the second water break with Mullahoran on the attack. A shot dropping short to the edge of the small box after a block by a defender caused confusion in the Southern Gaels goalmouth and somehow the ball ended up in the back of the net, handing Mullahoran a four-point lead.

Southern Gaels came out after the second water break determined to get back on top and quickly closed the gap to three thanks to a Cormac McEntee mark. Mullahoran’s defence was under pressure as they struggled to get the ball into the attacking half of the field. With five minutes remaining, the game could have been levelled up when Dylan McKeever broke through on the Mullahoran goal but his shot was well saved by Senan Briody.

A minute later Shane Donohoe sent over his sixth point of the day, from a free this time, as Mullahoran ran the bench to try swing momentum back their way. The move had the desired effect as John Donohoe ended a 15-minute spell without a score for Mullahoran with a point.

With bodies dropping from exhaustion all over the field, the game entered injury time and Shane Donohoe’s final score of the match left just two between the sides with three minutes of play to go. Mullahoran found a final surge of energy with the finish line in sight and added a point from Conor Sharpe after a great run by Dylan Brady. The final score of the game came on the 35th minute of the second half when Ultan O’Reilly completed an excellent display of freetaking with an insurance point to extend the Mullahoran lead to four.

Mullahoran: Senan Briody, Emmett O’Reilly, Oisin Maguire, Matthew Brennan, Aaron Plunkett, Luke Maguire, Cameron Sheridan, Patrick Harten, Tadhg Sheils(0-2), Francis Comaskey(0-2), Conor Plunkett(0-1), Shane Sullivan, Dylan Brady(0-2), Ultan O’Reilly (0-4f), Conor Sharpe (0-1)

Subs: Kian Lynch, John Donohoe(0-1)

Southern Gaels: Eoin Kane, Devin Morris, Caolán Madden, David Simpson (0-1), Cian Coyle, Dylan McKeever, Dylan Corr, Ciaran McConnon, Sean Galligan, James Price, Caolan Fitzpatrick, Odhran Madden, Cormac McEntee (0-3, 1m), Shane Donohoe (0-7, 4f), Fiachra Brady

Subs: Joseph Crowe (0-1)