Mullahoran grind out important win over Laragh

Senior Football Championship round 3

Mullahoran 0-10

Laragh United 0-8

Paul Fitzpatrick

Mullahoran gave their Senior Championship hopes a huge boost this evening at Kingspan Breffni as they overcame a poor start to grind out a win against a fancied Laragh.

Both teams came into this game off the back of losses against two of the leading contenders but defeats come in all shapes and sizes. Mullahoran’s, against Cavan Gaels, was a trouncing; Laragh, meanwhile, were a point shy of Gowna and should have got something from that game.

The big question was whether the Dreadnoughts could bounce back and pick up a second win and they managed it with a resilient second-half display. Despite losing Cormac O’Reilly to injury with 20 minutes left, they got the job done, with Killian Brady impressive when the game was in the melting pot.

Laragh will be extremely disappointed to have sustained two losses in the last two games – and particularly with the manner of this defeat, when they were in control but completely lost their way. As a spectacle, this match wasn't up to much but that won't matter to the winners, who have now righted the ship after it came close to capsizing against the Gaels.

Laragh were the better team in a low-scoring first half which belatedly warmed up. The first 25 minutes produced just five points, three of them scored by Laragh; the last five saw four fired over to leave the Stradone-based side 0-6 to 0-3 ahead at the interval.

Defences were on top early on, with plenty of mistakes at both ends, as seven minutes elapsed before the first white flag was raised, Pauric Reilly splitting the posts off the outside of the boot,

Laragh doubled their lead on 12 minutes when Jack McKenna, operating at full-forward, laid off for Jason Walsh to kick a well-taken point. Mullahoran replied with a good score from Niall McGahern, assisted by Enda O’Reilly, who then turned finisher when he won and converted a free just after Eoin Donohoe had blasted over for Laragh when he could have gone for goal.

After a patient build-up, Evan Kelly knocked over a fine score and although Daithi Sheils kicked a good point in reply, Evan Brady hit back for Laragh after a slick hand-passing move and, from the kick-out, Jack McKenna won a free and Paul Smith did the honours.

Mullahoran needed a fast start to the second half - and they got it. Half-time sub Caoláin O’Reilly pointed in the first minute, Sheils fisted over after Niall McGahern forced a turnover and when Cormac O’Reilly was taken down and namesake Enda stuck over the free, it was a draw game with 35 minutes on the clock.

Laragh’s verve had disappeared – they managed just two points in the second half – and without setting the world alight, Mullahoran kept the scoreboard ticking over and worked extremely hard.

The key moment was a late block from Eddie Dalton on Jack McKenna which denied a certain goal and typified Mullahoran’s defiance on the night.

A Gavin Brady point gave them the lead for the first time at 0-7 to 0-6 and although Lee Reilly replied, Enda O’Reilly and sub Liam Wilson (with a super point from a tight angle), stretched the Dreadnoughts’ advantage to two.

Ciaran Cooney replied for Laragh but O’Reilly had another free to make it 0-10 to 0-8. Laragh pressed hard, forcing two 45s and launching an aerial bombardment, but Mullahoran withstood it and ran out two-point winners to move to four points on the table.

Laragh, interestingly, had eight different scorers for their 0-8 total; Mullahoran had six for 0-10.

Laragh United: Fergal O’Rourke, Stephen Cooney, Fergal McKenna, Ciaran Cooney (0-1), Jason Walsh (0-1), Eoin Donohoe (0-1), Ian Leddy, Evan Kelly (0-1), Shane O’Rourke, Jack McKenna, Paul Smith (0-1f), Evan Brady (0-1), Sean Tierney, Pauric Reilly (0-1), Lee Reilly (0-1)

Subs: Paddy Rudden for E Brady (44)

Mullahoran: Dominic Crudden, Sean Cadden, Killian Brady, James Reilly, James Coyle, Cormac McKeogh, Colm O’Reilly, Dominic Cadden, Matthew Hynes, Daithi Sheils (0-2), Gavin Brady (0-1), Niall McGahern (0-1), Edward Dalton, Cormac O’Reilly, Enda O’Reilly (0-4f)

Subs: Caoláin O’Reilly (0-1) for D Cadden (ht), Sean McKeogh for Cormac O’Reilly (43), Tom Harten for D Sheils (46), Liam Wilson (0-1) for McGahern (53), Darren Sheils for Hynes (70)

Ref: Mickey Lee