Leinster Premier Division

(Qualifying Group A)

Saturday 10th November 2018

Shay Murtagh Park

Mullingar U18s 24

Skerries U18s 30

By Pat Carton

A lacklustre first 30 mins cost the under 18’s dearly in Shay Murtagh Park on Saturday morning. 

The  lads gave up a soft try on 10 mins when the Skerries centre breezed through our defence to score under the posts.Evan Harte, Paddy Doran, Conal Fagan, Nathan Gallagher and Sean Casey were catching the eye up front with David Manning and Niall Derham working hard in the centre. With 20 minutes gone just as we were starting to grow into the game and look threatening, disaster struck as Skerries intercepted a pass and scored again under the posts. Cian Cleary was dictating proceedings well now from scrum half and he and Manning were linking up well. Mullingar’s scrum was again in great order, the Skerries set piece was demolished on 33mins when Mullingar pushed them off their own ball, out half James Kerrigan swept the ball across the back line to Stephen Derham who scored a great try inthe corner the conversion from the touch line was not easy but Clearywas up to it. With Mullingar playing very well now disaster struck again for the lads with a mirror image of the first half intercepted try for Skerries. Mullingar hit back immediately with a try of their own Brian Reidy forced Skerries to give up a penalty on half way, a good passing phase of play sent Paul Smith over in the corner. Skerries again replied with a try of their own. Paul Smith was proving a handful for Skerries he kicked from his own 22 and was on hand to make the hit on the opposition 22 setting up another phase of attack for Mullingar in his man of the match performance. Conal Fagan scored the try of the game with ten minutes remaining to leave just on point between the sides and set up a nail biting finish, a Mullingar penalty was inch perfect from Cleary, Gallagher claimed the line out, Niall Derham hit the defensive line hard, before Paddy Doran fed Fagan who fixed the defence and powered over the line. A defensive knock on in the final minutes gave Skerries possession on our 5 meter line and they made devastating use of the ball, going over in the corner to seal the win. Following a fantastic second half performance Mullingar ran out of time to secure the points but finished the game much the stronger in a very entertaining game for the onlookers.  

Team;

Conal Fagan, Matthew Doyle, Sean Casey, Nathan Gallagher, Matthew Looram, Paddy Doran, 

Brian Reidy, Cian Cleary, James Kerrigan, Stephen Derham, Niall Derham, David Manning, Paul Smith, Peter Midic, Evan Harte, Harry Ripley, Eoghan Malleady.