Wasteful Mullinahone progress to semi-final
Mullinahone 2-8 Knockmealdown Gaels 0-10
Mullinahone advanced to the semi final of the Hall Alarms South U21B football championship when they eventually overcame a determined challenge from Knockmealdown Gaels in a very entertaining game in Davin park last Saturday afternoon.
A Niall O'Brien goal six minutes from time turned this tie in Mullinahone's favour but in truth, quite how it took so long to put clear daylight between themselves and the Gaels is a question that will concern Mullinahone's management.
Having started the game in whirlwind fashion, Mullinahone dominated possession but thanks to dogged defending and wayward shooting could not put the ball between the posts. In the first ten minutes alone they hit five wides, two from frees and three from play as well as lobbing three balls into Shane Fox's hands in the Gaels goal.
Indeed for all their dominance it took twelve minutes to register their first score when Thomas Collins pounced on a mistake in the Gaels defence to drive the ball to the roof of the net. By this time Knockmealdown had a point on the board courtesy of Andrew Fitzpatrick from their only attack.
One would have expected the goal to settle Mullinahone but it didn't, as their wayward shooting continued with three more wides in quick succession while the more efficient Gaels were gradually working their way into the game. By the 25th minute the teams were level 0-3 to 1-0 thanks to points from Andrew Fitzpatrick and Robert O'Brien.
Mullinahone took the lead through a Richie Morrissey point but Luke Murphy responded for the Gaels with an excellent score just before the half time break to leave the scores level at 0-4 to 1-1. But the more telling statistic of the half was the 11 to 2 wide count in Mullinahones "favour"
The second half was a much more even affair as Knockmealdown Gaels stepped up their intensity and work rate and one wondered if Mullinahone would rue their first half profligacy.
Gaels regained the lead through a Micael Murphy point but three minutes later Richie Morrissey equalised before Niall O'Brien set up Thomas Collins for a point and Richie Morrissey added another to open a two point lead for Mullinahone.
At this stage Mullinahone changed tactic with the introduction of Cathal Horan and Owen Fennelly and went for a more direct approach in an attempt to open the Knockmealdown defence.
Niall O'Brien stretched the lead with a point after being put into space by the impressive Richie Morrissey. But the Gaels responded well with points from Robert O’Brien and Andrew Fitzpatrick as the game entered the final fifteen minutes with no quarter being asked or given.
Thomas Collins gave Mullinahone a two point lead after good work by Owen Fennelly but Knockmealdown responded again with points from Sean Flynn and Ciaran Maher to level the scores.
Then came the turning point, Sean Curran put Niall O’Brien in behind the Gaels defence to drive the ball to the net and Richie Morrissey added two points in as many minutes to eventually kill off the Knockmealdown challenge. Micael Murphy did round off the scoring with a typically determined run and point in the final minute but it wasn’t enough to stop Mullinahone deservedly progressing to the semi final.
Mullinahone now move on to the semi final where they will be a match for anyone if they can correct their wayward shooting and build on the performances of Ciaran O’Shea, Brian Tracy and Joseph O’Meara, Sean Curran, Thomas Collins, Niall O’Brien and of course the excellent Richie Morrissey.
For Knockmealdown Gaels, they will wonder what might have been if they had played the first half with the same determination as the second but their campaign is over for this year in spite of the best efforts on the day of Ciaran Murphy, Luke Murphy, Robert O’Brien, Micael Murphy and Andrew Fitzpatrick.
Mullinahone; Michael Lonergan, Keith Mullally, Ciaran O’Shea, Brian Tracy, Chris Horan, Joseph O’Meara, Alan Walsh, Sean Curran, Eddie Phelan, Thomas Collins (1-2), Kevin Walzer, Niall O’Brien (1-1), Gary Cronin, Richie Morrissey (0-5), Nigel O’Brien; Subs Used, Cathal Horan, Owen Fennelly.
Knockmealdown Gaels; Shane Fox, Robert Sweeney, Ciaran Murphy, Brendan Walsh, John Cooney, Luke Murphy (0-1), Dan Morgan, Miceal Murphy (0-2), Robert O’Brien (0-2), Andrew Fitzpatrick (0-3 2F), Caoimhin McGrath, Ciaran Maher (0-1), Sean Flynn (0-1), Cian O’Brien, Darragh Costelloe. Sub Used, Ray O’Hanlon.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Clonmel
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 2 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
