St Lomans Mullingar Club Notes 08/07/2024:
Ladies Division 1 League Final:
St Lomans Mullingar 5-06 Milltown 2-13
Last Sunday evening TEG Cusack Park’s attendees were treated to an incredible game of football between St Lomans Mullingar and Milltown. Milltown, the defending league and three in a row county champions came into the game as favourites, despite the Blues winning the league fixture in Milltown. The Mullingar side came into the contest unbeaten thus far and it proved to be a monumental occasion.
The seasoned Milltown side settled quickest, and they hit the first four points with Leanne Slevin instrumental for the county champions. Ciaran Kilmurray’s team took a while to settle with nerves perhaps a factor, but a sweeping team move culminated in Shannon Breslin finding the net which gave Lomans a foothold. Caoimhe Kilmurray opened her account with a well-taken score after fifteen minutes to level the match. Milltown responded well and regained the lead with points from Slevin and Grainne Byrne before Katie Kilmurray halved the deficit on the twenty-five-minute mark.
Milltown were awarded a penalty three minutes before the break, when Katie Dunne was judged to have brought down Clodagh Dillon, to compound this, Dunne was shown an incredibly harsh yellow card and sin binned for ten minutes. The Lomans skipper could feel very hard done by as replays show she did win the ball. Leanne Slevin then stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty. Milltown scored a second goal on the half-time whistle to leave the blues with a mountain to climb in the second half.
Once again Milltown got the first score of the half and with twenty-five minutes remaining the blues were eight points down. However, Lucy McCartan was introduced at half-time and immediately ignited a spark in the Lomans forwards. Firstly, she found Katie Kilmurray, who took off on one of her trademarks runs and she cut in along the end line and fired a precise effort in off the near post, to score a stunning goal.
From the resulting kickout, McCartan won possession and found Caoimhe Kilmurray who was awarded a penalty after being fouled by Milltown goalkeeper Karen Walsh. Once again, this decision was highly debatable like the other penalty but similarly it was converted, this time by Ciara Blundell and suddenly there was only two points between the sides. Afterwards the sides traded scores with Slevin and Katie Kilmurray on target from placed balls.
Milltown responded well to their set back and points from Slevin and Rachel Dillon saw the Rathconrath outfit lead by four with ten minutes remaining. Milltown were reduced to 14 after another yellow card was brandished, once again very harshly and this was more energy to an exceptionally fit Lomans side who were on top in the closing stages. Caoimhe and Katie Kilmurray hit two super points either side of a Slevin score to leave the gap at three points with two minutes of normal time to play.
Vicky Carr, fresh back from county duty took off on a mazy run and managed to find herself an angle at goal. Carr’s finish was as good as the run, as she hung the ball right in the stanchion to level the affair with just one minute to play. Caoimhe Kilmurray then stood up to kick an outrageous point on the spin to put her team in front for the first time heading into stoppage time. Huge credit to Milltown who didn’t panic and responded almost instantly to level the tie. Grainne Byrne’s point in the 64th minute looked to have won it for her side at the death, but the referee allowed one more play.
Jane McKenna found Vicky Carr from the resulting kickout who managed to find the veteran Aileen Martin after a stunning catch, she found Julie McLaughlin who fired a pin-point pass into Shannon Breslin. Breslin gathered and laid the ball off to Katie Kilmurray who found substitute Grainne Cleary (three under 16’s involved in the build-up). The pitch opened up for Cleary who could have been forgiven for settling for a point, but she found Ciara Blundell who finished superbly into the bottom right-corner to send the Lomans support into raptures and seal a victory with the very last kick of the game.
An enthralling match, charged with emotion from first to last ended up with Katie Dunne lifting the division 1 trophy. A brilliant personal moment for Dunne after spending all of 2023 on the sidelines with injury. A special mention also to Lucy McCartan who has been through injury hell in the last twenty-four months and she managed to change the game in her first outing for the blues since October 2021. This achievement caps a wonderful eighteen months for Ciaran Kilmurray’s charge who win the division 1 league, a year after the division two league. It’s also been an unbelievable week for the club, winning three league titles in eight days.
The game was helter-skelter throughout and every time the blues looked defeated they came back again which is a testament to the character in the group, not to mention fighting back from eight points down after a nightmare start and finish to the first half. The saints outscored their opponents 4-04 to 0-07 in the second half. The victory sets up an interesting championship with Lomans looking to improve on a good 2023. However, Milltown are still favourites with several players still to return.
Nevertheless, a brilliant display from the Mullingar side with many individuals shining throughout in a super team performance. The returning Vicky Carr and Caoimhe Kilmurray were outstanding and worked tirelessly, particularly in the second half. Katie Kilmurray and Shannon Breslin performed admirably up front, along with substitute Lucy McCartan. The outstanding forward, had to be the match winner Ciara Blundell who worked incredibly hard as well as scoring two goals.
Special mention must also go to Ellen Kilmurray who defended tigerishly, particularly when Lomans were struggling. Player of the match goes to Julie McLaughlin, who was the most consistent Lomans player over the sixty minutes, covering every blade of grass and she had a hand in the winning goal. However, the whole team were instrumental in securing a first league win since 2017 (same as our senior men last weekend). Well done also the management team of Ciaran Kilmurray, Gary Devine, Brian Tyrrell, Andrea Martin, Timmy Murphy, Alan Bracken and Niall Scally.
Another brilliant weekend provided for our supporters who are lucky enough to have two adult teams fighting for honours in their respective competition. So, with championship around the corner, we urge all our supporters to get behind our teams in the coming weeks and months as well as all our underage sides.
Team; Jane McKenna, Ellen Kilmurray, Keelie Mulderry, Megan Ennis, Julie McLaughlin, Katie Dunne, Lara McCartan, Vicky Carr (1.00), Annie Kilmurray, Laura Murphy, Caoimhe Kilmurray (0.03), Ciara Blundell (2.00, 1.00 pen), Aileen Martin, Shannon Breslin (1.00) Katie Kilmurray (1.03, 0.01f). Subs used; Lucy McCartan, Grainne Cleary, Sandra McGrath.
Under 11 Boys:
Well done to our U11 boys who won the Navan O’Mahony’s Festival of Football last Sunday.
Over 400 players from 16 clubs across the country travel to Paddy O’Brien Park and we have been placed in the same group as Castlebar Mitchels from Mayo, Salthill Knocknacarra from Galway and local side Seneschalstown. Thanks to Navan O’Mahoney’s for the invitation.
Underage boys Fixtures:
Wednesday, July 10th at 7pm
U14 Div 1 v Mullingar Shamrocks (Springfield)
U14 Div 4 v St Joseph's (Streamstown)
Thursday, July 11th at 7pm
Minor Div 1 v Lilliput Gaels (Ballinagore)
Friday, July 12th at 6.30pm
U12 Div 1 v Garrycastle (Garrycastle)
U12 Div 6 v Athlone (Home)
Best wishes to all the teams
Club Lotto:
Draw Date: Monday 1st July
This week’s jackpot: €3,500.00
Numbers drawn: 15,21,25,27
No Jackpot winner
Lucky dip winders (€50 each): Liam Davitt and Michael Tyrrell
Next week’s jackpot: €3,600.00
Next Week’s Draw Date: Monday 8th July
Remember it could be you!
