MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

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Mullingar vs Portdarlingrton

November 25, 2014

MATCH REPORT
October 12, 2014. Leinster League Div2A.
Portdarlington 24 Mullingar 34

Mullingar outrun stronger Portdarlington for super win
By Finian Coghlan

It was on this very pitch last April when Derek Maybury promised to get
Mullingar promoted this season, and it was on this very pitch on Sunday
that Mullingar showed that this was more than just a pipe-dream with a
first away win in Portdarlington in living memory.
And what an away win. Forget the two tries conceded in injury time. By the
tone of Dermot Dunne’s shrieks at their concession these errors would have
been ironed out before his charges togged off .
 Mullingar had a bonus point secured by half time with four scintillating
tries ran from all over the place.
Blair, Maxwell, Brabazon, and Butler led the hole-punch vanguard almost at
will, and despite the host’s supremacy in the scrum, they were just unable
to contain the heat generated out wide.
Yet, don’t be fooled into thinking it was a cake-walk, as the half-dozen
bloodied shirts limping from the paddock at the end give testament to the
efforts required to win here, but win they did, which now sets up a
mouth-watering table-topping clash with Railway Union under the lights in
Cullion on Saturday evening. Be there.
Opening exchanges went both ways, but Jack and Butler were probing the
width with a number of chips behind for the pacy chasers to hunt down.
It was one of these hunters – Ryan Tighe- who provided the ammo for the
first score when he ripped a turnover on the left in his own half and set
off. He looked inside and linked with his backs. Brabazon broke the gain,
and found Kerroum, who then popped out to Diarmuid Raleigh for a great
score in the corner.
From the re-start Davy O’Reilly decided to show those show-off backs that
he could carry at pace and took it up into the hairy place.
As it went wide some excellent hands from Butler just managed to beat an
intercept and he found a rampant Maxwell who made it all the way to the 22
before finding the industrious Kerroum off his right shoulder for 14-0.
Portdarlington reacted and beefed over for seven in the 26th minute, but
Mullingar were still looking to go at every opportunity, and Butler almost
got Tighe in for the chase only for him to be illegally tugged back when
through.
With a minute remaining on this bin, Brabazon broke through again in
midfield , and though caught, quick recycling found Maxwell, Kerroum and
Raleigh in full flight for another full-paced try to the corner.
Mullingar were still not done, and again straight away from the re-start
Conor Jack made the break before loosing Butler for a big gain down the
left. From the ensuing ruck, Davy O’Reilly spied the tiniest of gaps down
the blind and blew through it for a well deserved score and a fourth try
bonus point earned by the break.
Portdarlington rattled back out of the traps, and were across again with
only the second play of the half, but a Butler penalty shortly after
settled Mullingar nerves by putting a comfortable 15 point cushion between
the teams.
Portdarlington would not lie down though, and their physicality began to
turn the game attritional., however, every time a whistle sounded for a
well-earned breather there always seemed to be more of the home side taking
their time to get back up.
One important casualty, however, was Mullingar captain Darryl Quinn whose
ankle-inspired absence gave an additional fillip to the home side.
Yet his remaining pack dug deep and held fast, with Blair and Maxwell
leading the punchy counters.
They should have learned, because with six minutes on the clock and the
Mullingar scrum going backwards, Blair picked and drove like a demon. He
rampaged all the way into the 22, this time hearing his support as the
dazzling Max was in hot pursuit and unstoppable for Mullingar’s fifth try
and a 34-12 lead.
In the first minute of nine added by the ref, Portdarlington got a
consolation barge-over, but Mullingar could have stretched out further when
Raleigh had one-on-one down the line with Daz Brady in attendance but he
chose to try kick and chase and was blocked.
Then, in the eighth minute Mullingar had a line-out on their own 10-metre
line but infringed on numbers, and conceded a free kick which the home side
rumbled in the corner for a scarcely deserved point.
“You were absolutely magnificent, and you were absolutely dreadful,” was
Maybury’s verdict on the late concessions, but he is still Cheshiring.
Scorers:
Tries: Raleigh (2), Kerroum, O’Reilly, Maxwell.
Cons: Butler 3
Pens: Butler
Team: 1. Darren Brady, 2. Davy O’Reilly, 3 Ciaran O'Donoghue, 4. Darryl
Quinn, 5. Ritchie Pyke, 6.Paul Maxwell, 7. Cormac Dunne, 8. Sam Blair,
9.Luke Peppard, 10. Conor Jack, 11. Ryan Tighe, 12. Alan Brabazon, 13. Adam
Kerroum , 14. Diarmuid Raleigh, 15. Johnny Butler. Subs used: Alex Moran,
Matthew Coade, Nigel Mills, Jamie Taaffe.

Top try scorers: Andrew Coade (6), Matthew Coade (5), Paul Maxwell (4),
Stacy Boland, Olive Butler, Sam Blair Diarmuid Raleigh (3), Conor Jack,
Johnny Butler, Adam Kerroum(2), Davy O’Reilly, Darech Geraghty, Darren
Brady, Ronan Wallace,RyanTighe, Cormac Dunne, Darren Brady, Richie Pyke.
Tries for: 35, Against :13.

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