Published: Tuesday, 21st July, 2009 12:00pm

Maryland cause major surprise with easy victory

Westmeath Senior Football Championship

Last year's Intermediate champions, Maryland caused a major shock in this year's Senior Football Championship in Cusack Park Mullingar on Sunday evening.

They outplayed a very disappointing Killucan side in front of a sizable attendance.

They led by six pints by the 15th minute and were very good value for that lead as they outfoxed a slightly flat footed Killucan defence but they then fell asleep completely and conceded 1-5 themselves before the break.

If this aberration hurt them then it did not show as after the break they were the only team to show up and when they sniffed the scent of victory they made no mistake in taking it. It was their margin of victory that was most surprising as Killucan are noted as a team of fighters and they were dismantled by a young and incisive Maryland attack. Kieran Martin, Callum McCormack and especially the impish John Reilly tore the Killucan defence apart and finished as they had started with a flurry of points that reiterated their superiority in what was a very entertaining contest in the main.

Callum McCormack got the ball rolling when he pointed for the Drumraney side with barely two minutes on the scoreboard and it was an impressive move involving John Reilly and Ronan Moran. A minute later and Kieran Martin had doubled that advantage and indeed could have had a goal. Seconds later he had another chance for a three pointer but somehow his effort screwed wide of the post. Maryland were in total control at this stage and John Reilly added their third after great work by Martin and when he was again found by a marvellous run and pass from McCormack, corner forward made no mistake.

When McCormack was fouled David Martin made it five nil as he struck over the resultant free and moments later Liam Reilly scored the best point of the half. At this stage it looked like a rout but hit back with venom. Alan Doyle was beginning to cause problems. James Nugent punished them though when he struck a fine point and they got the break they needed when a field long move fell to Nugent and his pass to Cormac Boyle split the Maryland defence and Boyle rattled the back of the net for a fabulous goal. The same player added a point straight after and further points from Tony Doyle, Paul Greville and Shane Leavy, had made a 14 point turnaround and flipped the game right on its head. Kieran Martin then missed a 14 yard free in front of goal. Maryland did get one back before the break when corner back Phillip Rainey somehow managed to be at the end of a super move that saw Reilly find him and he kicked well under pressure to leave the score at half time 1-5 to 0-7 in Killucan's favour after a very entertaining half.

Ronan Farrell and Damian Reynolds entered the fray for Maryland at half time with Reynolds going to midfield. It had the desired effect as his midfield partner David Reynolds struck from a free and a static Killucan defence watched it bounce over the bar. McCormack had the blue and whites in front seconds later after Killucan full back, Frank Boyle had dropped a catch right into his path. Killucan were reeling again but they should have had a goal when Leavy found Paul Greville whose tip saw Nugent on his own bearing down on goal but his shot went over to level matters again. Nugent put his side ahead when a fine catch and pass by Stephen Morley set him up.

At this stage it was anybody's game but the contest turned when a Kieran Martin solo run went unattended by a sleeping Killucan defence and when he lost the ball he still had time to fly hack it into the corner of the net past David Bryan in the Killucan goal. It was the catalyst for a Maryland revival and points followed from McCormack (2) and John Reilly as the Killucan defence went AWOL. At this stage the Reilly, McCormack, Martin triumvirate were unstoppable and they tore Killucan apart with some superb football. Paul Greville got one back for Killucan from a free but it was mere respite as Reilly finished a marvellous move that started from the breakup of a Killucan attack to put 5 between the sides. Sub Paul Briody got one back for Killucan but that was to be their last score and it was the Drumraney Blues that finished the stronger and points from McCormack, Damian Reynolds and McCormack again put a nice gloss on their performance and they even denied Killucan a late goal when John Murray made a super save from Nugent to reiterate the Maryland superiority and saw them home in quite some style for a memorable victory.

Scorers: Maryland: Callum McCormack 0-6, John Reilly 0-4, Kieran Martin 1-1, David Reynolds (free), Liam Reilly, David Martin( free),Phillip Rainey and Damian Reynolds 0-1 each

Killucan: Cormac Boyle 1-1, James Nugent 0-3, Paul Greville 0-2 1 free, Tony Doyle, Shane Leavy and Paul Briody (Free) 0-1 each

Maryland: John Murray, Phillip Rainey, Eoin Farrell, Trevor Farrell, Conor Farrell, John Cunningham, Darren Malynn, David Reynolds, Liam Reilly, Callum McCormack, Kieran Martin, Ronan Moran, James Reynolds, David Martin, John Reilly. Subs: Ronan Farrell for Trevor Farrell and Damian Reynolds for Liam Reilly H/T, Christy Grimes for Moran 52 mins, Declan Nugent for Damian Reynolds 59 mins, Aidan Reynolds for John Reilly 60 mins.

Killucan : David Bryan, Tony Doyle, Frank Boyle, Rory O'Reilly, Stephen Morley, John Shaw, Niall Flanagan, Conor Jordan, Shane Leavy, Cormac Boyle, Brendan McKeogh, Chris Flanagan, Alan Doyle, Paul Greville, James Nugent. Subs: Brian Smyth for Chris Flanagan 29 mins, Pauric Leavy for McKeogh, Paul Briody for Morley and Mark Dunne for Niall Flanagan 46 mins, Dan Riggs for O'Reilly 59 mins.

Referee Mick Gordon, Shandonagh.