Mullingar Shamrocks 2-12 St Loman's 1-11
Mullingar Shamrocks prevented their town rivals St Loman's, Mullingar from completing a Westmeath senior football championship four in-a-row with a deserved four-point win in Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon.
The game was just a little over five minutes old when St Loman's Sean Lancaster picked up a straight red card after an altercation with Dean Moore. Wind-assisted Shamrocks were ahead by 0-5 to 0-3 when a strong run by Donal O'Donoghue teed up Paddy Fagan for a brilliantly volleyed goal in the 20th minute. However, with John Heslin in superb form from frees and open play, the reigning champions clawed their way back into contention and they trailed by just two points at the break (1-6 to 0-7).
A Ken Casey goal edged the holders ahead in the 34th minute, but the outstanding Denis Corroon coolly found the net some five minutes later to put the challengers into a lead they never looked likely to relinquish.
Three unanswered points in added-time from Corroon (a difficult free), Moore, and energetic centre half back Micheal Curley wrapped up a deserved 12th title for Shamrocks.
Mullingar Shamrocks: P Shaw; E Moore, K Gavin, K Daly; T Adamson, M Curley (0-1), P Joyce; D Corroon (1-4, three frees), P Fagan (1-0); S Quinn (0-1), D O'Donoghue, A Cashman (0-1); J Warde, D Daly, D Moore (0-5, two frees). Subs: B Flynn for Adamson (35 mins), C Curley for Warde (37 mins), E Siode for Cashman (49 mins), A Purcell for Joyce (52 mins), R Corroon for Flynn (55 mins).
St Loman's, Mullingar: S Gallagher; S Lancaster, P Dowdall, G Grehan; G Glennon, S Flanagan, D Whelan; K Reilly, J Heslin (0-9, seven frees); C Reilly, R O'Toole, D Windsor (0-1); TJ Cox (0-1), P Sharry, K Casey (1-0). Subs: S Dempsey for C Reilly (half-time), C Kilmurray for Windsor (43 mins), F Ayorinde for Glennon (58 mins).
Referee: N Ward (Garrycastle).
