Back to Back wins in Senior League

Post date: Mar 18, 2016 5:01:19 PM

Mágh Cuilinn 1-16

St Thomas' 1-14

In a venue not often a happy hunting ground for Mágh Cuilinn, the Seniors displayed the maturity of an experienced side to come away with a well deserved win over the home side in their second League outing of 2016.

Mágh Cuilinn had four changes from the side that played Clarenbridge, Vinnie Faherty and Eric Fox were again available but Micheál Bohan, Kevin O Donovan, Conor Bohan and Philip Lydon were all unavailable so Paul Burke and Robert Molloy were also drafted in. The sides were level at halftime 0-10 to 1-07 with Niall Mannion taking his goal well to keep Mágh Cuilinn on level terms. The sunshine belied a briskness in the air and Mágh Cuilinn did have the benefit of a light breeze for the restart.

St Thomas' demonstrated what is often their Achilles heel, even when all there county players are available, and conceded a needless free almost immediately. The flow of the game was in Mágh Cuilinn's favour although points from Pat Lydon, Gary Bohan and Mannion's frees pushed the Mágh Cuilinn score on, St Thomas' were able to respond sufficiently to never allow the gap to more than two points. The gap was a single point when the event that might have changed the game occurred. A speculative shot from range was batted clear by Eric Fax in the direction of a Magh Cuilinn player but it was a Thomas' player who was first respond and he dispatched the ball to the top of the net to put Thomas' two ahead. However Mágh Cuilinn did not panic and continued to defend well with forwards making themselves available for defenders to find a pass to them. Niall Mannion was able to grab the lion's share of the second half nine point haul from placed balls but scores from play from Seamus Conghaile, Dan Kelly and Mannion were also important as the defence kept St Thomas's to one point for the remainder of the half as Mágh Cuilinn overhauled them once again. Two wins, 20 players used already, the Senior League has been a good exercise already.

Mágh Cuilinn: Eric Fox, Sean Rossa McDermott, Matt Donohue, Paul Burke, Seosamh O'Faharta, Eanna Noone, Vinnie Faherty, Pat Lydon, Dan Kelly, Chris Hurney, Robert Molloy, Gary Bohan, Seamus O'Conghaile, Niall Mannion, Andrew Hurney.

Subs: Shane Barrett for Chris Hurney, David Kearns, Richard Neylon, James Donohue, Ryan Fox