Published: Wednesday, 28th April, 2010 5:00pm

Mullingar Athletic shock league leaders St. Pats

Mullingar Athletic 3 St Pat's Athletic 2

Following last week's qualification for their third cup final in as many seasons, Athletic's Under 12s travelled to league leaders St Patrick Athletic needing to maintain their recent form.. With three teams pushing hard for two promotion places, every point would be crucial. After a thrilling roller coaster game, the Mullingar team came away with all three points, and a chance to clinch the title.

Ryan Dempsey picked up where he had left off last week, and was promptly upended in the box. Shane O'Keeffe took the resultant penalty, firing into the bottom corner, to give the visitors the best of starts. However, the defence was in hesitant mood as St. Pats upped their game and a volley from a free kick went wide off the post. Mullingar weren't so lucky when, after fifteen minutes, a Pats corner was deflected in for an own goal.

Worse was to come when, just before half time, a Pats free kick was dropped on the line allowing the home attacker a tap in, putting his team to go in front just before the interval.

Mullingar Athletic's second half 'keeper, Conor Coughlan kept his team in the game when he touched a goalbound shot around the post. Almost immediately, midfielder Shane O'Keeffe's defence splitting pass allowed James Baker to power his way through and he finished with aplomb, firing low past the advancing 'keeper.

Pats roared back and Conor Coughlin flicked a dipping shot over the bar, and parried another. Fortunately the rebound was fired over the bar, as was a free kick from just outside the box..

This Mullingar team is not noted for "route one" football but showed that they can do that as well when, with ten minutes left, a Conor Coughlan clearance was headed on by James Baker. Ryan Dempsey raced through and showed great composure, placing his shot just inside the post, to snatch back the lead. Soon afterwards, the same player saw his instinctive volley come back off the inside of the post and roll into a grateful goalie's hands.

St. Pats threw the kitchen sink at Mullingar, trying to get an equaliser. Jake O'Meara and Tom Gavin tackled hard in midfield, while defenders Cormac Murray and Niall Gavin used their speed and skill to clear their lines. Andrew Kilmartin's superb tackle prevented a clear shot on goal and Conor Coughlan saved another point blank shot.

The fresh legs of Oisin Quinn and James Monaghan helped steady the ship, the latter clearing decisively in a goalmouth scramble. Mullingar held on for a memorable victory, and the bottle of bubbly one St. Pats supporter had opened (prematurely) to celebrate clinching the title was instead used as coolant.

Squad: Colin McGowan, Tom Gavin, Niall Gavin, Cormac Murray, Andrew Kilmartin, Ronan O'Toole, Tye Adamson, Shane O'Keeffe, Jake O'Meara, Ryan Dempsey, James Baker, Conor Coughlan, Oisin Quinn, James Monghan, Carson McConnell, Dean Ennis.