LEINSTER LEAGUE

Sunday 116th February 2020

Ashbrook

COOLMINE 21

MULLINGAR 34

Mullingar won a hard fought game scoring 5 tries to 3 in blustery and wet conditions away to Coolmine last Sunday. Mullingar had a good start to the game with Coolmine putting the kick off out on the full so Mullingar were presented with a scrum on halfway. Playing into the elements for the first half, after 4 phases of play, Mitchell Miller broke through the defensive line but cover defence forced a knock on about ten yards out. Mullingar drove the Coolmine scrum back and gained the put in. From that scrum, Mullingar attacked and Donal Mcgovern was stopped short. From the ruck, the Coolmine 6 knocked the ball on but Conway retrieved the ball and broke the tackle to cross for the first score. Miller converted so it was 7 nil to Mullingar after 5 minutes, and the referee gave a yellow card against Coolmine.

Both teams spent the next ten minutes trying to get on the front foot. Coolmine used a penalty to get good position in Mullingars 22 and after a series of close in charges, crossed to equalise and the conversion made it 7 points each. Mullingar fought back and got into Coolmines 22 with their own penalty. Then a Miller chip through at halfway was followed up by Maxwell who kicked the ball to within 5 yards of the Coolmine line but was deemed to knock on in trying to gather for the score. From the scrum, the Coolmine number 8 made significant ground charging through to almost halfway.

Then on the half hour mark Coolmine pressure led to a penalty just five yards out and their beefy number 8 tapped but was held up short. Mike Walls, ex Mullingar player of note, was quick to follow up and dive over to put Coolmine ahead by 14 – 7.

Mullingar reacted very well to going behind. On 35 minutes, a Luke Finegan lineout win led to a Conway charge and Miller was on hand in support to get past the last tackler, converting himself to tie the game again at 14 all. Better was to follow, out of very little opportunity, Daire Conway received the ball around his own ten yard line. A mixture of swerve and strength saw off the initial attempted tackles and pure speed combined with change of running line left the Coolmine defence unable to prevent a classy individual try. Milller again converted so it was 21 – 14.  Then still better followed, after Geraghty and Mitic made serious ground on the left side, great passing from Reidy and Rock going back to the right led to Paul Maxwell crash over for Mullingar's bonus point try 26 -14 and a great last ten minutes to the first half for the Mullingar team.

Coach Thomas Campbell rang the changes early in the second half. Firstly Alan Brabazon replaced Conway and Niall Derham replaced Brian Reidy. Mullingar used the wind well and established good position. Campbell passed to one out runners and first Daryl Quinn, then Mitchell Miller charged before Campbell found Glennon unopposed and it was 31 – 14 to the visitors. Then on 15 minutes, after Mitic was alive to the loose ball at the back of a lineout, Miller threw a long skip pass only for another ex Mullingar player Andrew Coade to intercept for a long range try. So 31 – 21, with 25 minutes to go. This seemed to raise Coolmines spirits, as against the elements, they piled on pressure.

Dave Faulkner replaced Finegan, whose lineout work was excellent, and Chris Fox came on for Johnny Moran, who had made big hits in a very physical contribution. There was then an extended period of play where Coolmine applied great pressure. Time after time they controlled the ball and charged into the Mullingar defence. But Mullingar held tough.  Scrums were taken from penalties and Coolmine really hammered away for the try which would make it a one score game. Big tackles from Rock, Derham, Maxwell, Geraghty, Mitic…. and a last ditch Miller special in the corner…kept Coolmine scoreless. As the clock ticked down, Quinn took a team yellow. Then with a forced knock on, Mullingar won the resultant scrum and cleared their lines. Against the run of play, Coolmine conceded a penalty at halfway and Miller judged the wind to convert from way out, and 34 – 21 was the final score.      

This was a lovely demonstration of what has made Mullingar a team to be reckoned with this season. A mixture of young talent and seasoned senior players playing positive rugby to a well drilled structure.

Team captain Darren Brady was presented with the Leinster League Division 2A trophy after the game, which with 12 wins from 13 games to date is well deserved. Coolmine could well also gain promotion and meet Mullingar in Division 1B next season.  Next up is the first round of the Provincial Towns Cup at home on Sunday 1^st March, against Division 1B opponents Boyne RFC. Boyne have an excellent tradition in this great Cup competition. All support welcome for what should be a great game.

Team: 1. Darren Brady (Captain) 2. Aleksa Mitic 3. Johnny Moran 4. Daryl Quinn 5. Luke Finegan 6. Paul Maxwell 7. Brian Reidy 8. Darrech Geraghty 9. Thomas Campbell 10. Mitchell Miller 11. Dave Lynam 12. Donal McGovern 13. Daire Conway. 14.  Aaron Glennon 15. Sean Rock

Subs: 16. Chris Fox 17. Niall Derham, 18. Dave Faulkner 19. Lemeki Vaipula 20. Alan Brabazon

Scorers: Tries: Conway (2) Glennon, Maxwell, Miller. Conversions: Miller (3) Penalty: Miller.  

Coolmine: 3 Tries, 3 Conversions.

LEINSTER SECONDS LEAGUE

Sunday 116th February 2020

Ashbrook

COOLMINE 31

MULLINGAR 24

Our second`s team away fixture this week was against the team who already had won the league with 10 wins from their 10 games. Mullingar could only fight to consolidate their place in the top half of the league.  Mullingar started well, with some good attacking play, however after a Coolmine break, where there were a couple of missed tackles and with the home side on the Mullingar 5m line, a strong Mullingar tackle dislodge the ball. A quick reaction from Cillian Cleary and he had the ball in his hands and broke through the Coolmine defence and sprinted all the way to the Coolmine try line for the first score of the game. Cillian converted his own try to put Mullingar 7-0 up. Coolmine hit back a few minutes later with a try to level the score at 7-7. Coolmine went into the lead 5 minutes later with a penalty from Mullingar`s 22 to go 10-7 up. While Mullingar had good phases of play, they were conceding a few turnovers as the Coolmine players were quicker to the ball after Mullingar players were tackled. About midway through the first half Coolmine went further ahead with their second try and conversion, again after a number of missed tackles. With Coolmine now 17-7 up, they conceded a few too many penalties and a yellow card resulted.  Mullingar enjoyed some good play in this period with good carries from the forward Alan Naughton, Danny Gilleran, David Faulkner, Darragh Lambe and Killian McNay. Throughout the game the front row of Matt Doyle, Kevin Smith and Robert burge were very solid in the scrums. After a number of pick and goes Petar Mitic got over in the corner for Mullingar`s 2^nd try to reduce the margin to 17-12.  However some loose play from Mullingar allowed Coolmine to get a further try just on before half time to go 24-12 up at the break.

Coolmine got off to the better start in the second half and had a further try and conversion after 5 minutes, to now go 31-12 up. Mullingar`s backs were getting more into the game and Shane Raleigh made a few runs ably assisted by Ryan Brennan, Evan Eivers, Ross Tormey and Stephen Derham, from the fullback position. Mullingar were awarded a few penalties, which they elected to run and after a number of carries Kevin Smith got Mullingar`s 3^rd try to reduce the deficit to 31-19. The conditions worsened in the second half and now both teams had to contend with the rain as well as the strong wind and cold. Mullingar`s performance in the second half was much stronger and they spent more time in the Coolmine half. The quick ball from scrumhalf Cillian Cleary to outhalf Ryan Brennan and onto Stuart Flynn gave us more opportunities to run at Coolmine and from  one on these David Devine got in for Mullingar`s 4^th try after some good running by the evergreen Craig Swanson and Stephen Derham. With the score now at 31-24 the referee blew the final whistle and Mullingar had a losing bonus point for their efforts. The game ended with 4 tries each, with the difference being all of Coalmine’s were converted, plus the penalty. All of Mullingar`s subs were used and it is indeed encouraging to have a full complement of subs for an away game against the runaway leaders in this division. Mullingar`s final league game will be against Newbridge at home on March 8^th. After that the seconds have a home cup game against Edenderry, on the 14^th March

Team: 1 Matthew Doyle, 2 Kevin Smith, 3 Robert Burge, 4 Alan Naughton, 5 Killian McNay, 6 David Faulkner, 7 Danny Gilleran, 8 Darragh Lambe, 9 Cian Cleary, 10 Ryan Brennan, 11 ross Tormey, 12 Stuart Flynn, 13 Petar Mitic, 14 Evan Eivers, 15, Stephen Derham, 16 Paul Murtagh, 17 Cillian Kavanagh, 18 David Devine, 19 Matthew Looram, 20 Craig Swanson, 21 Jordan Williams,     22 Shane Raleigh, 23 Louis Prati

Next match is home to Boyne RFC

Sunday 1st March

Provincial Towns Cup

ALL SUPPORT WELCOME.