ronan fagan
A third successive defeat may ultimately prove detrimental to Garrycastle’s senior football championship status, the threat of relegation to the intermediate grade looming following a weekend loss to Mullingar Shamrocks in TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar.
Despite holding a six point interval lead, courtesy of goals from James Sheerin and Eoin Mulvihill, John Benton’s charges succumbed to a strong second half charge from Shamrocks, eventually losing by a four point winning margin.
The 2012 All-Ireland finalists now face two remaining Section B fixtures against Tang and Athlone knowing that wins are essential if they are to avoid the drop to the intermediate grade.
Athlone achieved their first success in this year’s senior football championship, defeating Shandonagh by the minimum in the opening game played at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, on Sunday.
An evenly contested affair, the teams were level at half time, Athlone managing to eke out a crucial victory in the closing moments of the contest. With remaining fixtures to play against Mullingar Shamrocks and Garrycastle, Athlone will still harbour hopes of progress to the knockout phase of the competition as they strive to remain in contention for the prized Flanagan Cup.
The standout Section B fixture of the weekend took place in Pairc Chiaráin on Sunday afternoon, Tang maintaining their 100% championship winning record with a one point defeat of Moate All Whites.
The impressive Adam Neary netted for the victors who managed to hold scoreboard sway throughout, this result cementing the club’s position on top of Section B as they aim for a place in the quarter final of this year’s competition.
With this loss, Moate All Whites have now dropped out of the second quarter final berth, but with games remaining against Shandonagh and Mullingar Shamrocks, they will be hoping to achieve the necessary results to attain championship progress.
Meanwhile, Caulry secured successive Section A senior football championship wins with a three point defeat of Killucan, a game played in Shandonagh on Saturday evening. Star forward Senan Baker was to the scoring fore, pointing on five occasions, while Conor McCormack heavily influenced proceedings upon his introduction as a substitute.
This result leaves the Mount Temple/Baylin club in a strong position for knockout phase progression with remaining fixtures to play against St Lomans and The Downs.
Intermediate Football Championship
Crucial results emerged from the third round of fixtures in the intermediate football championship this past weekend, Tubberclair maintaining their winning form in their quest to rid the memory of defeat in the 2022 showpiece fixture.
Trailing by three points to Rosemount at the interval, Martin McCabe’s charges took full control of the contest in the closing stages of the contest to emerge with a four point win at a rain sodden Hogan Park in Moate.
Eoghan McCabe impressed over the duration, the introduction of Matthew Whittaker ensuring Tubberclair secured their third successive championship win.
Defeat for Rosemount will be of much concern to Des Collins and his management team. Having started their Section A campaign with a win over St Mary’s Rochfortbridge, it is now successive losses for the ‘black and amber’, the absence of key players, most notably Boidu Sayeh, Enda Boland, Eamon Boland and DD McCormack seemingly hampering their progress this championship campaign.
A one point victory for Castledaly over Milltown now places the 2008 senior football champions in a strong position for progress to the knockout phase of the competition. In what was a strong team performance, the contributions of Adam Turley and Alan Stone were most notable.
The football championships resume on the weekend of Friday, August 4, and with two Section fixtures remaining, respective club management and players will be eager in their preparations for the challenges which await!
