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Champions keep 100% record after mediocre performance

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Dessie Dolan bears down on the St Malachy's goal.

Garrycastle 0-15 St. Malachys 2-6.

Defending champions Garrycastle kept their 2010 season perfect when they disposed of a stringent St. Malachys challenge in Tang on Sunday evening last. They did so without ever doing anything spectacular and indeed at times their defence was exposed and seemed porous. Add to that a very fortunate penalty award and some other dubious refereeing decisions and indeed the 2009 winners were slightly flattered by their winning margin. At times they switched between the sublime and the ridiculous and they will need to improve significantly if they are to retain their title. That being said they fielded on Sunday without several influential players and they will need them back Sundays display. 15 points was a nice tally but it masked a poor defensive display that saw two very easily conceded goals and in truth they were lucky not to concede more and if Malachys had any sort of potent forward then this could have been so much different. In the end though Garrycastle still did what they had to do and are still on course to retain their title and top the group with two matches to go in the division. Anthony Cunningham's charges know that they will need to improve but undoubtedly they have the ammunition and the wherewithal to win back to back titles.
Garrycastle started like a train and had five points down after ten minutes with scores from Alan Daly, Dessie Dolan, James Dolan and two from Shane Mulvihill all from play saw them thunder into the lead. This was vintage Garrycastle and they really could have and should have gone on from there. Paul Dillon should have had a goal moments later but was denied by a superb save from Gary Jackson and it seemed the catalyst for a mini revival for the saints as they ploughed up field with some lovely passing and the ball finally fell to Sean Whelan who rattled the back of Cathal Mullen's net with a great team goal. Ronan Whelan then missed 3 great chances for Malachys to bring tehm even closer and they rued that ineptitude when Shane Mulvihill pointed after some poor Malachys defence. Paddy Corcoran pulled one back after a field long move by Malachys and at last we thought we might have a game on our hands but Des Dolan kicked Garrycastles 7th point from a free to allay those fears and another pointed free from Alan Dollar Daly right on the stroke of half time left it 0-8 to 1-1 in the champions favour.
After the resumption Garrycastle started as they had finished the first with points from Daly and a superb score from a sideline ball by Seanie O'Donoghue and at this time it looked like damage limitation for the Dysart based outfit but they were not simply going to roll over and die. Tommy Carey burst up field for a fine score to lift morale but pints from Rory McGowan and a Des Dolan free put 7 between the sides as they game began to tick away. Ronan Whelan and Conor Cosgrove swapped scores and then Daly kicked another free as the game entered the last third. At this stage one would have had the mortgage on Garrycastle but they faded badly in that final third and Sean Whelan scored his second goal of the game when he finished a super move involving Carey and Blaine Lehart. Alan Mangan added another moments later and when he pointed a free the game was on again. Ronan Whelan had the ball in the Garrycastle net but referee Brendan Keena disallowed it for a square ball although Whelan and the entire crowd were bemused by the decision. Mangan added another free to leave just 2 in it and at this stage it looked like Malachys could actually cause a major upset but then Alan Daly caught the ball and nipped in along the end line and seemed to slip but again the referee saw it differently and awarded a penalty which Duignan struck well only to be denied by a great Gary Jackson save and the post. Malachys took heart from this perceived injustice reversal but they wasted possession on the clearance and eventually the ball fell to Daly from a great through ball by Paul Dillon and the Dollar tipped the ball over to finish the game as a contest for Garrycastle and moments later the final whistle blew.
Dolan, Daly, Doran Harte and Duignan were excellent for the champions while Shane Mulvihill had a super first half but they will be worried by the simple way they conceded goals. 15 points was a good return but they will know they will have to play better than this if they are to retain the Flanagan Cup. Aeonghus Clarke, Gary Jackson, Tommy Carey and Sean Whelan were best for Malachys but they struggled with Garrycastles pace and power and they will struggle to retain their place in the upper echelons of Westmeath football but it's onwards and upwards for the champions and they are now guaranteed a playoff place.

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