St Mel’s College Longford cruise to very easy win over Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar

St Mel's College senior football squad pictured before the Leinster Schools 'A' Championship group stage clash against Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar at the Shamrocks grounds on Friday

placeholder image — St Mel's College senior football squad pictured before the Leinster Schools 'A' Championship group stage clash against Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar at the Shamrocks grounds on Friday

Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Football Championship Group Stage - Round 2

St Mel’s College . . . 1-23 Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar . . . 2-5

With the advantage of the stiff wind in the first half, St Mel’s established a commanding 1-14 to 1-2 lead at the break and the Longford college won by the wide margin of 15 points in the Group Stage Round 2 clash at the Mullingar Shamrocks grounds on Friday.

Particularly prominent in this one-sided encounter were powerful midfielder Matthew Carey and influential centre-half-forward Matthew Flynn with the Clonguish duo shooting the impressive total of 13 points between them.

It mattered little when St Mel’s were reduced to 14 players for a ten minute period in the second half after Jonathan Burke was dismissed after receiving a black card.

Next up for St Mel’s (under the management team of Jimmy Gacquin, Damien Rooney and Ciaran Garvey) is a meeting with St Mary’s Edenderry (who also hammered Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar) in the remaining group stage fixture and they can expect a far tougher task at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Friday November 18, throw-in 1pm.

ST MEL’S COLLEGE: Caolan Hussey (Mostrim); Joe Morrissey (Killoe), Adam Donnelly (Killoe), Kevin Baskett (Clonguish); Gavin Farrelly (Killoe, 0-1), Ross Shields (Clonguish), James Connell (Mostrim); Cormac Harte (Killoe), Matthew Carey (Clonguish, 0-6); Jonathan Burke (Clonguish, 0-1), Matthew Flynn (Clonguish, 0-7, 3f), Ronan Courtney (Mostrim, 1-0); Michael Flynn (Clonguish, 0-2), Paddy Moran (Killoe, 0-3), Andrew Flynn (Clonguish, 0-1).

Subs:- Conor Smith (Clonguish) for J Morrissey (half-time); Jack Belton (Mostrim, 0-1) for J Burke (47 mins); Colm Coyle (Killoe, 0-1) for P Moran (injured, 54 mins); David Moorhead (Killoe) for J Connell (injured, 56 mins).

COLAISTE MHUIRE MULLINGAR: Senan O’Driscoll; Byron Graham, Oisin Kelly, Gary Branigan; Sean Bracken, Eoin Conlon, Cathal Tighe; Josh Murtagh, Shane Ormsby (1-0); Michael Walshe, Ryan Kelly (0-4, all frees), Conor Leech; Gavin Pierce, Daniel McCann, Jack Duncan (1-1).

Subs:- Gareth Mullaniff for M Walshe (18 mins); Mark Tunney for G Pierce (44 mins).

Referee: Eamon O’Connor (Offaly).