Mullingar Shamrocks

Founded 1953

Co. Westmeath

Garrycastle collect the championship points

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Senior Football Championship: Garrycastle 1-14 Mullingar Shamrocks 0-9

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown was a popular phrase used by GAA scribes in less imaginative times but it's worth another spin to describe Mullingar Shamrocks standing after this opening championship match in Moate on Saturday night. The county champions crown is probably a little bit less secure after this outing but it's early days yet there are four more matches in the group stages and qualification for the play off stages is the name of the game. The sides were level at 0-2 each after ten minutes with Denis Corroon and Dean Moore on target for Shamrocks and Conor Cosgrove and Jason Nugent responding for Garrycastle. Two great Kieran Gavin points both following magnificent fielding by Denis Corroon who was at his magnificent best at midfield on the night. Alex Gardiner and Jason Nugent pointed to level matters after twenty minutes. At this stage a great Philly Shaw save kept Garrycastle at bay and goalkeeper Seán Brennan was wide from the resultant 45. At this stage Garrycastle landed a few vital blows as Alex Gardiner and John Gaffey hit two points in quick succession; Shamrocks lost Alan Cashman to a shoulder injury and John Gaffey trundled up-field to score his second point before the referee blew for the interval break with Garrycastle leading on a scoreline of 0-7 to 0-4. Garrycastle began the second half with a pointed free from Conor Cosgrove before Dónal O'Donoghue and Micheál Curley pointed for Shamrocks to reduce the deficit to two points (0-8 to 0-6). These were neutralised by two more great Conor Cosgrove frees from long range that extended Garrycastle's lead to four points. Dean Moore responded with a point from a free and one from play, Shamrocks lost Eddie Moore to a second yellow card; Eoin Monaghan pointed from the resultant free and added another almost immediately from the resultant kick-out (0-12 to 0-8). Dean Moore pointed but in the final minutes Conor Cosgrove pointed from play, Alex Gardiner scored point number fourteen and rounded off his evening by converting an injury time penalty to score the game's only goal. At this stage Shamrocks were reduced to thirteen as Mark Butler dislocated a finger in his first piece of action after replacing the injured Aaron Purcell. On a night that we lined out without Paddy Joyce, Paddy Fagan, Tye Adamson and Jordan Warde of our county champion team (but as Brian Cody might say we were missing no players, we had fifteen out there on the field) we never matched Garrycastle's intensity or work-rate. There will be other days and nights. It's always a special day when you make your senior championship debut for your club. Tonight two more players joined the ranks of those who have represented Mullingar Shamrocks in senior championship football. Congrats to Marc Eivers and Trevor Keena.

Memo to John Horan, President of the GAA for Dublin: there was no back pass to either goalkeeper in this match.

Mullingar Shamrocks: Philly Shaw; Eddie Moore, Efe Siode, Killian Daly; Aaron Purcell (Mark Butler), Micheál Curley (0-1), Brendan O'Reilly (Pearse Corroon); Daragh Daly and Denis Corroon (0-1); Alan Cashman (Trevor Keena), Dónal O'Donoghue (0-1), Kieran Gavin (0-2) [Dillon Matthews]; Darren Keena (Marc Eivers) Dean Moore (0-4), Simon Quinn (Davy Gavin).

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