Ramor's big half-time lead ensures comfortable win over Mullahoran

SFC round 2

Ramor United 2-14

Mullahoran 1-11

When the teams were announced before the game on Sunday evening, Mullahoran supporters would have had elevated expectations as Ramor lined out without their leader Jack Brady and mid-fielder Gareth Mannion. The opposite was the case, though, as Mullahoran produced a toothless first half performance and John Brady’s Ramor cut through them at their ease.

Ramor still without the services of forwards Matthew Smith and Conor Bradley through injury had found it hard to get scores recently but with eight different scorers on this occasion there maybe some green shoots. Mullahoran who changed managers mid-season improved dramatically in the second half scoring 1-8, have their backs to the wall now having lost their opening two games, with Crosserlough to come in round three.

Ramor got off to the perfect start when James Bradley and Ado Cole combined to set up Anthony Monaghan for a tap in goal after just 20 seconds. Gavin Brady replied with a point on the third minute from Mullahoran but a fisted point from Bradley on the sixth minute saw Ramor restore their three point lead.

Bradley point was the first in a run of five unanswered Ramor scores with a long-range Liam Brady free the second. In an attack similar to a rugby-style move, Ramor passed the ball along the line from Ado Cole to James Bradley to Oliver McCrystal who kicked low to the net for their second major.

In the 17th minute McCrystal was on hand to receive a pass from Anthony Monaghan and split the posts with his left foot. Three minutes later Brían O’Connell ran straight through the middle of the Mullahoran defense before curling the ball over the bar from inside the D giving the Virginia based side a nine point lead.

A foul on Cormac O’Reilly allowed Enda O’Reilly the opportunity to end an 18th minute wait for a score, which he duly took. Mullahoran made it two in a row with seven minutes remaining in the half through a second Enda O’Reilly free but Ramor regained control from that until the break.

Youngster McCrystal timed his run off Mark Magee perfectly to hook over his third score of the half on his right foot before being fouled to allow James Bradley convert the free. With four minutes remaining in the half Eoin Somerville stepped to the outside of the Mullahoran defence and sent the ball over the bar with his left foot. A minute into injury-time Ado Cole laid on a pass for Cathal Maguire to cut in on his left foot and extend the Ramor lead to 11 points after a one-sided first half.

With surgery needed, Ciaran O’Reilly introduced three subs around the half-time break to try to spark Mullahoran into life. Enda O’Reilly won and converted a free for the opening score of the second half after two minutes.

Mullahoran, playing with a lot more energy, dropped a shot short into the Ramor square after three minutes of play. The ball was spilled by the Ramor defence into Raymond Lynch’s hand and his shot for goal was stopped by a diving Eoin Somerville block but Somerville unavoidably handled the ball on the ground resulting in a penalty. Gavin Brady stepped up and placed the ball with pace perfectly into the corner of the net just before Liam Brady’s hand arrived.

A point from Cathal Maguire restarted Ramor’s scoring but another Enda O’Reilly free meant Mullahoran had scored more in the opening nine minutes of the second half than the entry first half. Enda Maguire and Ado Cole combined to set up Cathal Maguire for his third point of the evening but a well taken point from Gavin Brady after a Cormac O’Reilly run closed the gap to seven again.

Mullahoran forward Tom Harten made great work to turn over Matthew Magee and place the ball over the bar. James Bradley replied with his third point but Mullahoran had momentum.

Harten booted the ball over the bar with the outside of his right foot to leave six in it with 16 minutes to go.

Four minutes later Gavin Brady treated us to the score of the game as he gathered the ball where the sideline meets the 20 meter line. Given a couple of yards of space by his man, Brady dropped the ball onto the outside of his left boot and arrowed the ball over the bar leaving just five between the sides.

From the resulting kick-out James Bradley passed a well measure kick to Ado Cole who declined the mark to put Anthony Monaghan through on goal but his shot drift over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

A long-range point by Cormac O’Reilly got Mullahoran back within five but that was as close as Ramor were willing to let them get.

A brilliant point from Cathal Maguire from 45 metres and a first for Ado Cole on his left foot saw Ramor close the gate on Mullahoran in the final minutes. As the game entered injury-time Enda O’Reilly sent over a free which served as little consolation as Ramor left with a six-point win.

Ramor United: Liam Brady(0-1f), Lorcan Lynch, Damien Barkey, Adam O’Connell, Mark Magee, Matthew Magee, Eoin Somerville(0-1), Enda Maguire, Anthony Monaghan(1-1), Cathal Maguire(0-4), Shane Keenan, James Bradley(0-3,1f), Brían O’Connell(0-1), Ado Cole(0-1), Oliver McCrystal(1-2)

Subs: Simon Cadden for E Somerville, Nathan Levy-Valensi, Aaron Tynan for O McCrystal, Liam Maguire for A Monaghan

Mullahoran: Dominic Crudden, Cian O’Reilly, Colm O’Reilly, James Coyle, Edward Dalton, Cormac McKeog, Senan Shiels, Caolann O’Reilly, Cormac O’Reilly(0-1), Tom Harten(0-2), Gavin Brady(1-3), Matthew Hynes, Daithí Sheils, Enda O’Reilly(0-5f), Darren Sheils

Subs: Ryan O’Reilly for D Sheils, Raymond Lynch for D Sheils, Cormac Galligan for E Dalton, Liam Wilson for Caolann O’Reilly, Sean McKeogh for C McKeogh.