O'Reilly shoots Mullahoran to win

ACFL

Mullahoran 1-12

Knockbride 0-10

Mulahoran maintained their 100% record in Division 2B with their third win from three against Knockbride on Friday evening last. The main difference between the teams was that Mullahoran took their chances while the visitors didn’t as in general play little separated the teams.

A heavy shower just before throw-in left conditions slippery but the teams overcame this to provide an entertaining contest. Knockbride will rue the loss through injury of Brendan Carolan and Mark Magee, both of whom had to be replaced in the first 12 minutes.

Enda O’Reilly, who was very impressive and the hosts’ scorer-in-chief, opened the scoring in the third minute with a pointed free but a similar score from Patrick Smith had the sides level after seven minutes.

Points from Shane Shields (play) and another from Smith kept the sides level

And the only other score before the first water break put the visitors ahead, Ciaran Smith finishing a good move with a point.

The second quarter, though, was the period in which Mullahoran were most on top. Another Smith free put Knockbride ahead by two but this was as good as it got for them.

In this spell, Enda O’Reilly raised three more white flags (two frees), Ryan O’Reilly pointed from play and he also got the game’s only goal when Callum Mussi played the ball into him and he shot to the net. The half-time score was Mullahoran 1-6, Knockbride 0-4.

Knockbride opened the second half with points from play by Niall McCabe and Ciaran Smith but the home team got three of the next four, Gavin Brady and Shane Shields from play and an O’Reilly free.

Ciaran Smith’s fine point-scoring form continued with his third while McCabe took a mark and pointed.

O’Reilly pointed to leave the men in blue and yellow five ahead at the end of the third quarter.

The game had barely resumed when Gavin Brady pointed and Mullahoran had their goalie William O’Reilly to thank when he got down to a good Liam Fay goalbound effort to deflect the ball out for a 45.

Seanie Burns and Philip Brady exchanged frees while a largely uneventful passage of play ended with Fergal Smith pointing from play just before the long whistle to cut the deficit to five.

Knockbride’s biggest problem is their mounting injury list at this early stage of the season.

Mullahoran are the only undefeated team in this section and look strong contenders to make it back to the top table at the end of the league.

Mullahoran: William O’Reilly, Cian O’Reilly, Darren Shiels, Sean Cadden, Colm O’Reilly, Callum Mussi, Daithi Shiels, Dominic Cadden, Caoláin O’Reilly, Shen Sheils, Gavin Brady, Adrian Rabbitte, Enda O’Reilly, Ryan O’Reilly, Niall McGahern

Subs: Paul Brady, James Reilly, Philip Brady, Sean McKeogh

Knockbride: James Lynch, Sean Rogers, Mark Magee, Daniel McGuinnness, DJ Cassidy, Conor Smith, Micheál Clarke, Kevin Traynor, Ben Mulvey, Roy Donohoe, Liam Fay, Ciaran Smith, Patrick Smith, Brendan Carolan, Seanie Burns

Subs: Niall McCabe, Declan Nulty, Adrian Carroll, Fergal Smith, Larry Maguire