St Lomans Mullingar Club Notes 05/08/2024:
Village Barn Ladies Senior Championship:
St Lomans Mullingar 2-19 St Mary’s Rochfortbridge 4-10
Last Thursday evening saw our senior ladies begin their senior championship. After a successful league campaign hopes were high for the blues but they were fully aware of the danger St Mary’s Rohcofortbridge posed. The teams drew in the league and only three years ago St Mary’s beat Lomans by over forty points, even if the Mullingar side did win the reverse fixture last season. So this was anybody’s game coming into it and a thrilling encounter it turned out to be. The weather was perfect in Home instead Lakepoint Park for a fantastic game of football.
The home side started with intent with Caoimhe and Katie Kilmurray opening their account after just two minutes. The hosts could have been further ahead and missed three goal chances, courtesy of some excellent goalkeeping and some wasteful finishing. The goal eventually did come however when Ciara Blundell fired a low shot for the first of six goals that evening. The visitors fired back with a quick-fire 1-01 to leave just the minimum between the sides, Katie Kilmurray hit back with her second point and Lucy McCartan also pointed on her return to the starting line-up to increase the gap to three.
The away side then hit a purple patch in the second quarter hitting two goals and a point, to Lomans single point in the space of five minutes to put the bridge two points in front. The league champions didn’t panic however and hit back with three excellent points to regain the lead, via Katie Kilmurray, Shannon Breslin and Vicky Carr. Another lovely move before half time culminated in Lucy McCartan cleverly finding Katie Kilmurray with a subtle pass and the latter assuredly fired the ball into the net to give the blues a slight cushion. St Mary’s hit back though with the last two scores of the half to halve the deficit at the interval.
The third quarter saw the game slightly tighten up and the all-out attack nature of the game was slightly stemmed. This suited Ciaran Kilmurray’s side who controlled the third quarter and outscored their opponents by eight points to two. The points coming courtesy of a treble from Katie Kilmurray, doubles from Ciara Blundell and Aileen Martin respectively and another Lucy McCartan score. Just as the hosts looked to be cruising with an eight point margin, we were treated to a truly chaotic last ten minutes.
The visitors to their credit never went away and came on strong with a goal and three points out of nowhere to leave just two between the teams with four minutes of normal time left on the clock. At this stage St Mary’s looked destined to snatch victory and had all the momentum but the blues defence did hold firm at the death. Vicky Carr steadied the ship with the score of the match, a truly outrageous point from an acute angle. A free at the other end cancelled it out but Caoimhe Kilmurray after having the first word had the last word with an excellent point to get her side over the line with a three point victory.
A truly mad game with both sides tearing their defensive counter parts to shred at times and it sets the tone for what should be a very interesting championship. There’s an argument to say that the home side should have won by a much greater margin after all the scores they left behind. There’s also an argument to say Rochfortbridge should have won this game in the dying stages, when an element of panic set in for the home side. All in all though, it’s great to begin with a victory against a team who will be there at the latter stages of the championship. There’s also plenty for Ciaran Kilmurray’s side to work on over the next couple of weeks but ultimately a good performance.
In terms of individual performers, Fiona Coyle and Aoife Brady were excellent for the visitors. For the hosts, Aileen Martin’s experience was key and she kicked two points at the other end also. Julie McLaughlin covered every blade of grass at wing-half back. Caoimhe Kilmurray and Vicky Carr were both solid and got on the scoreboard. Up front the trio of Ciara Blundell, Lucy McCartan and Katie Kilmurray caused havoc up front constantly. Player of the match could easily be Katie Kilmurray who finished with an impressive tally of 1-06 but ultimately Lucy McCartan was creator in chief and got three points herself. A truly phenomenal performance considering it’s her first start after two years of injury hell.
The big games keeping coming for the Blues, who face The Downs away on Saturday the 10th of August, with time to be confirmed. The Downs knocked the saints out at the semi-final stages last season so this promises to be another tough encounter. On a final note, it was great to see such a big crowd in Lakepoint Park last Thursday.
Team: Jane McKenna, Ellen Kilmurray, Muireann Scally, Aileen Martin (0.02), Lara McCartan, Katie Dunne, Julie McLaughlin, Vicky Carr (0.02), Annie Kilmurray, Laura Murphy, Caoimhe Kilmurray (0.02), Ciara Blundell (1.03), Lucy McCartan (0.03), Shannon Breslin (0.01), Katie Kilmurray (1.06, 0.03f). Subs used; Megan Ennis, Meabh O’Hara, Sandra McGrath.
Fixtures:
Tuesday 6th August
Under 20 Boys Championship:
St Lomans Mullingar vs Moate All Whites at 7pm in Hogan Park
Friday 9th August
Shay Murtagh Senior Championship:
St Lomans Mullingar vs Caulry at 7.30pm in TEG Cusack Park
Saturday 10th August
Village Barn Ladies Senior Championship:
St Lomans Mullingar vs The Downs at 5pm in Kevin Molloy Park
Sunday 11th August
Clarke’s Bar Junior Championship:
St Lomans Mullingar vs Killucan at 11:30 am in Killucan
Club Lotto:
Draw Date: Monday 29th July
This week’s jackpot: €3,900.00
Numbers drawn: 2,7,15,23
No Jackpot winner
Lucky dip winders (€50 each): Mary Lynch and Peg Kilmurray
Next week’s jackpot: €4,00.00
Next Week’s Draw Date: Monday 5th August
Remember it could be you!
Condolences
St Lomans Mullingar wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the Boyce family following the passing of Nuala Boyce, Willowbrook, Mullingar, Co.Westmeath
St Lomans Mullingar also wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the Brady family following the passing of Kathleen Brady, Robinstown, Mullingar, Co.Westmeath
Ar dheis de go raibh a n-anamacha
