MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

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The Heifers advance to Semi-Final

April 13, 2015

April 12, 2015. Paul Flood Cup Quarter-final.

Mullingar 14 Tullamore 5

Heifers win ugly to keep Double dream alive
by Finian Coghlan

This is what happens at the fag end of a season. With Mullingar tired and
stretched to the pin of their collar, a highly fired up Tullamore gave
their host their toughest game of the season, and in the end Mullingar were
grateful for the depth of the bag of tricks and simple superior resilience.
With Mullingar shorn of the experience of five frontline backs (Gemma
Maybury, Emma Gillespie, LeeAnne Maye, Teenie Burke, Jenni Gibson), and
with Tayto on the gimp and Olive Butler unavailable for the next two weeks,
the growly prowler will have been gladdened heartily by the impressive
debut of Sarah Murphy at scrum half, and it couldn’t have come a fixture
sooner.
Such was the selection juggling he had to do that Adrienne Andrews returned
to the wing from the front row, but the efforts of her replacement –
Gillian Kelly- would have been one of the few positive ticks in Miller’s
pessimism journal.
Likewise with Aoife Hynes who came on after 20 minutes for Katie Layde, and
put in a sterling shift in a troubled engine room, and put her name well
forward for a semi-final place.
The opening quarter of a hour was very stoppy-starty, and was only
illuminated by the over-talented Tait using basketball to control the ball
after GAA failed her, but even she couldn’t find the gap.
Between the 25th and 30th minutes Tullamore spent a very worrying period in
the home 22, but that superior resilience managed to keep them out.
However, some poor tactical kicking, allied to the shovelling of manure,
allowed Tullamore far more possession and territory than they deserved.
Then, with only a few minutes remaining in the scoreless half the Phew!
spark was found by Captain Crilly. Taking a flat ball at some pace about
35m out she found a half gap and popped to the heavily marked Butler
outside who drew two off Crilly and popped the ball immediately back to
her now clear captain for her to tidily gallop in under the sticks.
However, the stoppy-starty nature of the earlier game now came to the fore
as the ref played almost 10 minutes of stoppage time, and in the second
last of these Tullamore got the reward for their earnest endeavours and cut
the Mullingar halftime lead to just two points.
Prior to this score being conceded, Mullingar’s general flattish display
was predicted on the touchline to see the silent treatment being employed
at the break by coach Miller. Now cue the riot act as he pointed out a
litany of deficiencies to a collection of cowed and bowed.
Something stuck and it was not long before Mullingar’s superior skills paid
off. 
With just three minutes gone Tullamore conceded a penalty on their own 22
which Crosby took quick and went. She recycled it to Clodagh Cleary for a
few more biffy metres, before she found the try machine Butler on a
clinical line that she drew all the way to her 14th try of the season to
put Mullingar nine clear.
Then, after 54 minutes of sitting nervously alone on the bench, the latest
recruit from the underage ranks Sarah Murphy was given her chance to shake
off the butterflies and she did so with Heiferish excellence.
With only eight minutes under her senior belt she was called on to snuff
out a very dangerous Tullamore break with some help from Tait, and she was
more than up to the task.
However, this disappointment did not dampen their ardour, and in the 28th
minute they actually forced their way over in the Mullingar corner, only to
be stymied by the bravery of captain Crilly who managed to get her petite
daintyness underneath.
This was to be Tullamore’s last dangerous moment, and to be fair, in the
remaining minutes, though both Nicola Roundtree and Sylvia Rattigan
could’ve stretched out the lead, it was fitting that the score remained at
14-5 as a testament to the efforts of the Offaly women. 
This was enough to see Mullingar to the finishing post, and a cup
semi-final, as a fourth senior team at the club still in the hunt for
silverware.

Other news
The 1st XV are in action this Friday evening in the Plate semi-final
against Naas at 8pm in Shay Murtagh Park,The J3's are in the Anderson Cup Final on Sunday Venue TBC & the u20s and women line out in their respective semi-finals on Sunday. 
Heartiest congratulations to one of the club's greatest servants - Louise
Kelly - who got engaged this week. (Contrary to popular belief I have NOT
sobbed myself to sleep every night since.)
Also, members are reminded the annual golf classic is on May 1 at Mullingar
Golf Club. Eamon Dunne on 087-2712604 is looking after admissions and
tickets.


Team:
Mullingar: 1.Claire Farrelly, 2. Gillian Kelly, 3. Tracey Talbot, 4.
ClaireO'Brien, 5. Sylvia Rattigan, 6. Sarah Crosby, 7. Katie Layde, 8.
Clodagh Cleary, 9. Sinead Holmes, 10. Niamh 'Crilly' Kennedy (c), 11.
Adrienne Andrews, 12. Olive Butler, 13. Louise Kelly, 14. Nicola
Roundtree, 15. Ellen 'Tayto' Taite. Subs used: Aoife Hynes, Sarah Murphy.
Tries: Kennedy, Butler.
Cons: Tait 2
Try scorers 12.4.15: 
Andrew Coade (20), Olive Butler (14) Louise Kelly (11), Matthew Coade, Sam
Blair (9) Paul Maxwell, Johnny Butler (8), Ellen Tait (7) Diarmuid
Raleigh(6) Davy O’Reilly, Clodagh Cleary(5), Stacy Boland, Ryan Tighe,
Sarah Crosby, Henry Reilly, Arthur Brabazon, Teenie Burke, Jenny Gibson, 
(4), Conor Jack, Ronan Wallace, Eoghan Gantly, Niamh Kennedy, (3), Adam
Kerroum, LeeAnne Miller-Maye, Richie Pyke, Tracy Talbot, Aoife Bagnall,
Darren Brady, Adrienne Andrews (2), Darech Geraghty, Cormac Dunne, Luke
Peppard, Alan Brabazon, Nigel Mills, Niall Hannon, Katie Layde, Julie
Dunne, Alex Moran.

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