Mullingar dazzle under new lights

The rain held off, the car park was full, the bar ran out of beer and our President, BrendanLeahy had his best tie on. It is seldom the stars line up like this, but when history offers such an evening it is best you don't scoff or squander.Last Saturday night, for the first time under the new, €220,000 floodlights, the Mullingar firsts held up their end of the bargain by finally finding that top gear to clinically dispatch their hapless Garden visitors.This display has been threatened and, if I was to be over-critical, should have manifested two or three weeks ago, but the crafty Kiwi has been hard at work in his garden and timed this blossoming to perfection, getting out the big game for the landmark fixture in front of a huge home gate.Early shadow boxing between the teams as they got the measure of each other and warmed up the hands was soon punctuated by marker-laying hits from Brian Hoey and Mark Potter. Welcome to Cullion.The first scrum compounded the optimistic confidence and Mullingar were never to be on the back foot again.It took 15 minutes to get their first kickable penalty but the team's ambition and confidence went for the corner.The line-out was taken and the cuddlier types rumbled. Hoey released his speedsters and Niall Smith threw the snake hips to waltz in for the first five-pointer.Surprisingly, this was to be the only extras converted all game as Ryland's left peg had an off day. It was hardly to matter.Fair play to Gorey, they stood up well and predominantly through their dangerous full back, kept the Mullingar defence honest.Steven Fagan and man of the match, Brian Murphy threw down a couple of crunchers just to let the Wicklow boys know this far and no more.Only on 20 minutes was the Gorey pressure rewarded with a grudging three points.They added a similar four minutes later for their final score of the game but in the interim, the Mullingar backs got surgical.Another cracking gallop by Niall Smith saw the gain liine left well behind and a kick ahead saw Gorey penalised for not releasing after being caught in possession behind their own line.However, in the one disciplinary blip of the evening, handbags and shennanigans in the ensuing break-down saw a pair of yellows flashed, with Aonghus Smith being the recipient of at least one of them. He was hardly missed. With the danders high, the front eight chose to scrum the penalty and Mark Potter muscled over from the base of a fine platform.Cooney got out the gin and the touchline slagging began. Jimmy "the Ferret" Geoghegan, who along with Jazzer Gillespie, probably kept the local A&E in business for 20 years, was asked about a return.He shook his head. "I'm retired," he said."But shur, isn't Vinny still playin'?""Ah yes. But he's far madder than me!"Fortunately the only relaxation was on the line.Mullingar had the whiff of blood and went for more. Even Farlo had a hack ahead and just for cold hands, Brian Murphy would've been in for a third.The football was lovely, expansive and went through all 15 (sorry, Aonghus, 14) hands.Another scrum on the Gorey line led to an outrageous under-the-leg pass from Hoey to Rory O'Reilly, but was spoilt by the ref being in the way. To be fair, 99 times out of a 100 the ref would have been in neutral territory where he stood. No-one expected such a cheeky chuck.It was a measure of Mullingar that 12-6 at the orange sucking flattered the bejayzus out of the visitors.First opportunity in the second half fell to Mullingar but Ryland pulled it from 40m.The next one he sensibly sent to the corner and it was copybook stuff from there.The line-out was won, the platform was set and the man named after a cartoon cat got the big paw on the long lean to claim the 'Gar's third.This rather woke Gorey up a little and they came back hard. Brian Murphy was a towering last line and saved two definite tries with some medieval stopping.He was ably assisted by his pack who repelled all efforts on their line between the 55th and 65th minutes.This failure broke Gorey and Mullingar duly put them to the sword.Down to the trusty corner again, and running it wide saw a queue of outside backs waiting for theirs, only to see O'Reilly drop it with a little hint of white line fever.The pressure continued and from a subsequent scrum big Aubrey Pearson burrowed over on 64 minutes for a well merited bonus pointer.There was a little late flurry from Gorey but Brian Murphy was minding the shop.There could even have been a fifth late on, but for a poor pass out wide.The whistle followed shortly and Mullingar returned to a tumultuous clubhouse as deserved 22-6 winners, central characters on an historic night.It was a joyous dressingroom.Team: Adriel Farrell, Robbie Collentine, James O'Hara, Aubrey Pearson, Ray Murphy, Anthony Doolan, Steven Fagan, Mark Potter, Brian Hoey, Alan Kelly, Robbie Ryland, Niall Smith, Aonghus Smith, Rory O'Reilly, Brian Murphy. Subs: Andy Yeoman, Pete Gibson, Vinny Hewitt, Alan Keena, Jason WInfield.Scorers: Tries: Niall Smith, Mark Potter, Adriel Farrell, Aubrey Pearson Conv: Robbie Ryland.