A deserved victory for Mullingar Shamrocks in Lakepoint Park which brings ACL Div.2 safety a little closer. Shamrocks led from start to finish and with the assistance of a significant wind held an interval lead of 1-7 to 0-4. Brian Farrell opened the scoring with a fisted point; a great run by Dylan Franzoni created an opening for Trevor Keena who hit a fine two-pointer. Dónal Lane added another hand-passed point before St Loman’s pointed in the fifteenth minute. Alan Cashman, with the purest of strikes, and Dylan Franzoni pointed to extend the lead to 0-6 to 0-1. Loman’s added a brace of points before a Nathan Smith shot dropped under the bar for a goal. A Ross Corroon point after a big break by Brian Farrell completed the first half scoring. 

Dónal Lane repeated his first-half hand-passing scoring act to extend the lead, followed by a Ross Corroon pointed free that resulted from a powerful run by Donnacha Maguire (one of many by  Donnacha on the night). Shane Mulderry pointed for St Loman’s as did their full-forward. A Gavin Pierce point kept the Shamrocks scoreboard ticking over as St Loman’s added a brace of points. Gavin’s point began deep in defence when a great block by Efe denied St Loman’s a goal; it was a hand block that sounded like a foot block but the referee was on the spot to adjudicate.  A Niall Hannigan goal following great work by Donnacha established a winning position for Shamrocks but in the modern game no lead is secure (2-10 to 0-7). St Loman’s enjoyed their best spell at this stage and a couple of two pointers and a single point sliced five points from the lead. Ageless Paddy Dowdall added a point that was neutralised by a Trevor Keena pointed free; Paddy Dowdall pointed again (from a mark) in the final minutes. Shamrocks engaged in a bout of possession football that ended when Conn O’Hanlon spotted a gap and raced through for the final point that secured 2-12 to 0-14 victory. 

Mullingar Shamrocks: Liam English; Donal Lane (0-2)[Davy Coyne], Efe Siode, Ben McNamee; Dylan Franzoni (0-1), Conn O’ Hanlon, Matthew Shaw; Nathan Smith (1-0)[Ciaran Kiernan], Donnacha Maguire; Brian Farrell (0-1), Trevor Keena (0-4), Alan Cashman (0-1); Gavin Pierce (0-1), Ross Corroon (0-2) [Niall Hannigan 1-0], Conor Heffernan (Pearse Corroon). 

Fógra: And if you’re not sure who the player in the right on the front row is, it’s Philly Shaw, the man who made his senior debut in 2005 against Coralstown-Kinnegad. He hasn’t gone away you know – all goalkeepers take note.