Simonstown Gaels capture league title with late flurry of points

Simonstown Gaels captured the MFL Div 1 title with a late flourish of points which gave them the momentum for victory following a tight decider against Donaghmore / Ashbourne at Pairc Tailteann on Friday evening. The sides were level on seven occasions, which included half-time when they went into the dressing rooms tied at 0-6 to 1-3 in a contest where there was lots of open football. During the opening quarter the sides shared four points and passed the ball with a lot of confidence. Jack Reilly (two, one free) was the Simonstown marksman while Michael Deegan and Evan Rogers split the posts for Donaghmore / Ashbourne. The second-quarter was more productive on the scoreboard, but the sides were still inseparable at the interval as they went in tied at 0-6 to 1-3. Cormac Fagan claimed the goal for Donaghmore / Ashbourne when he finished a rebound to the net after Robert Burlingham parried his first shot from a tight angle. Rogers added the point from a free while Reilly ('45'), Nicky O'Brien, Nathan O'Brien and James Heaney split the posts for the Gaels. The pace was fairly pedestrian after the resumption with only a point apiece added to the score from Reilly (free) for Simonstown and Daithi Murtagh for Donaghmore / Ashbourne which left it all square (0-7 to 1-4) going into the last quarter. There was plenty of endeavour from both sides in the closing stages as the teams traded point-for-point with Reilly (free) and Colm O'Reilly points for the Gaels cancelled by Rogers and Andrew Colgan for Donaghmore/Ashbourne. The pattern continued until Simonstown injected some pace and reeled off three unanswered points in the closing minutes for a victory that their overall input merited. Heaney's run was the catalyst for the lead point from Reilly and Dean Curran put two in it as the clock ticked into injury-time. Colm O'Reilly added the insurance point as Simonstown carved out a three-point margin of victory from what was a very tight game. With the championship still to come, Donaghmore / Ashbourne will be eager to make amends later in the summer while Simonstown will have the target of a double in their sights. There was also some very good refereeing by Gaeil Colmcille's Colm McManus who picked up on a new practice that's creeping into Gaelic football, at all levels, whereby a player is blatantly pushed in the back after the ball has been played. Sometimes it can be quite dangerous and at all times totally unnecessary, but the intervention by the referee on Friday night solved the problem. There were a number of yellow cards in the closing stages, nothing too serious. However, a Donaghmore / Ashbourne player was fortunate that he avoided a second card following a tackle which merited a caution (yellow card), but the referee was too lenient. Simonstown Gaels - Robert Burlingham; Shane Gallagher, Ben Clarke, Cormac McHugh; Mark Gardiner, James Heaney (0-1), Morgan Perry; Amir Khalifa, Dean Curran (0-1); Donagh Fitzpatrick, Colm O'Reilly (0-2), Jack Reilly (0-6 two frees, one '45'); Neil Kane, Nicky O'Brien (0-1), Nathan O'Brien (0-1). Donaghmore / Ashbourne - Jack Hannigan; Martin Quinn, Gareth Deery, Robert Lawlor; Aidan Hughes, Andrew Colgan (0-1), Scott Hanway; Daithi Murtagh (0-1), Cormac Fagan (1-0); Conor Carton, Shane Melia, Evan Rogers (0-3 two frees); Sam Benville, Jamie Dwyer, Michael Deegan (0-1). Referee - Colm McManus (Gaeil Colmcille).