ACL Div.1: Shandonagh 2-9 Mullingar Shamrocks 1-9

Mullingar Shamrocks suffered defeat away to Shandonagh, in their opening game of the 2019 season, with the home side full value for their three point victory. This game, in which Trevor Keena made his first senior appearance for Mullingar Shamrocks, could claim to be the Westmeath equivalent of the UEFA Super Cup, as it brought together the county senior and intermediate champions in competition. Shandonagh looked like a strong senior side throughout the match. Mullingar Shamrocks were off the pace and never performed to the standards that saw then capture the senior title in 2018. The side was dealt a major blow when centre-forward Dónal O’Donoghue was shown a black card after 15 minutes and suffered a further set back when Jordan Warde was dismissed on straight red card on the stroke of half time. Shandonagh made full use of their numerical advantage. An injury to Billy Flynn in the first few minutes was also a disruption.

Shamrocks were very wasteful in the first half; of the eleven chances created only three were converted and it was Shandonagh who opened the scoring, courtesy of a free from Tom Molloy in the 2nd minute. Shamrocks found the net for the games opening goal 1n the 7th minute, when Jordan Warde reacted quickest to Tye Adamson’s “45” which hit the post and Warde made to mistake with the finish to give his side a two point lead. Shandonagh added the next two scores, before Kevin Hickey’s side found the net from the penalty spot, after Ciaran Shanley was fouled. A further score from Tom Molloy gave Shandonagh a four point lead, but two points from Dean Moore settled Shamrocks. Shandonagh responded with a point to stretch their lead to three before Warde was sent off after the referee consulted with his umpires. Shandonagh held a 1-5 to 1-2 lead at the interval, but Shamrocks opened the second half scoring when Dean Moore put the ball between the posts. Two scores from Moore and Darren Keena reduced the deficit to a single point but that was as close as Shamrocks got and a 51st minute goal from Luke Tynan from a great Alan Hickey pass gave his side a four point cushion due in no small measure to the superb free taking of Brian Kavanagh. Dean Moore and Tom Molloy traded points after the goal and a late free from Moore was deflected over the bar. This turned out to be the final score of the match as Shandonagh held on for a merited three point win.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Phillip Shaw; Eddie Moore, Kieran Gavin, Aaron Purcell; Billy Flynn, (Marc Eivers), Micheál Curley, Brendan O’Reilly; Daragh Daly, Efe Siode (Ryan Blundell); Alan Cashman (Pearse Corroon), Donal O’Donoghue (Ross Corroon), Tye Adamson (Trevor Keena); Jordan Warde (1-0), Dean Moore (0-8, 5f), Darren Keena (0-1).