Shamrock Gaels 0-10, St Molaise Gaels 2-14 

St Molaise Gaels had a comfortable win over Shamrock Gaels in round two of the Division 1 league last Friday. In a game played in perfect conditions St Molaise did not have everything their own way and had to absorb some early Shamrock Gaels pressure before a fortuitous goal shortly before half time gave them the lead and set up a second half which they completely dominated.  

Shamrock Gaels dominated the opening quarter and opened the scoring with a point from Shane Deignan after a patient build up. Molaise Gaels responded immediately with Daniel Keaney opening their scoring. Ciaran Kenny pointed for Shamrock Gaels on five minutes, again after a patient build up and they had a great goal chance on the restart when Conor McMorrow won the kick out and gave a great pass into the onrushing Shane Deignan who shot wide with just the keeper to beat, however he was hampered by having lost his boot in the build-up. Shamrock Gaels were putting great pressure on the Molaise kick out and added a further point form a free from Darragh Hailstones. Molaise Gaels responded with a point from play from the impressive Alan McLoughlin while Shamrock Gaels added two more excellent long-range efforts from Dillon McDermott and Darragh Hailstones to give Shamrock Gaels a two-point lead.  

St Molaise finally began to get to grips with the game mid-way through the half and should have had a goal on seventeen minutes when Daniel O’Connor pointed from close range. Shane Deignan restored Shamrock Gaels two-point advantage on twenty-two minutes with a well worked score. The decisive score of the first half came on twenty-two minutes when a speculative ball into the danger area caused confusion between the Shamrock Gaels keeper John Craig and full back Karl McKenna and Jack Davitt sneaked in between them to palm the ball over John Craig’s head to give St Molaise Gaels the lead for the first time.  

In the second half, St Molaise Gaels extended their lead with a point from Gerard Brady in the third minute and this was followed by a point from man of the match, Alan McLoughlin. St Molaise continued to pile on the pressure with two points from Jack Davitt, one from a mark and one from play and after ten minutes of the second half the result of this game did not seem to be in any doubt as St Molaise Gaels went seven points up. Shamrock Gaels fought hard for the middle period of the second half, but they found it difficult to penetrate the Molaise Gaels defence while on the other hand, Molaise Gaels were much more direct with Jack Davitt causing all sorts of trouble in the Gaels defence. Davitt won a penalty on twenty-two minutes for a foot block and Davitt himself stepped up to slot home his second goal. This was a harsh decision; however, the game was well and truly over at that stage and man of the match, Alan McLoughlin added two more points to give Molaise Gaels a deserved win. 

Shamrock Gaels: John Craig, Shane Barry, Karl McKenna, Ciaran Kenny (0-2), Michael Barry, Paul Higgins, Ciaran O’Connor, Dillon McDermott (0-1), Conor Sheridan, Conor McMorrow (0-1), Liam O’Connell (0-1), Shane Deignan (0-2), Johnny Quinn, Frank Quinn, Darragh Hailstones (0-3). Subs: Brendan Hailstones for F Quinn, Patrick Benson for J Quinn, James Carroll for P Higgins, Michael Kilkenny for Dillon McDermott.  

St Molaise Gaels: Niall McLoughlin, Liam Kennedy, Paddy McGowan, Mark Hegarty, Keelan Waters, Ethan Waters, Oisin Sheridan, Daniel Keaney (0-1), Alan McLoughlin (0-6), Johnny Kelly, Gerard Brady (0-2), Eoin McHugh, Jack Davitt (2-3), Daniel O’Connor (0-1), Aaron Currid (0-1). Subs: Oisin Kilmartin for E McHugh, James Hegarty for D O’Connor, John Kerins for O Sheridan, Cathal Burns for D Keaney. 

Referee: John Gilmartin