Man of the match Alex Sheerin showing his agility against St Francis. This effort was saved, however.

Hat-trick hero Sheerin shines for five star Athletic

On a bitingly cold Saturday afternoon last in Gainstown, Mullingar Athletic kept their recent good form going with a well merited win against Athlone side St Francis.

This win was borne out of sheer persistence and the ability to add to that old maxim ‘if at first you don’t succeed, then try, try again’ and the home side kept plugging from minute one to minute ninety.

Even though some of their goals were not pretty and indeed fortunate, there is no denying that the better side won out on the day and, in truth, it could have been a few more.

Alex Sheerin with a hat-trick and Callum Rigney Coyne and Nathan Scally adding the others made this a very enjoyable day at the office and at no time did that victory look under any pressure, such was the home side’s dominance.

Athletic went on the offensive from the off and after a couple of near misses it was Sheerin who opened the scoring on nine minutes when his speculative shot went through the gloves of the St Francis keeper for the deserved first goal.

The home side continued to press incessantly with Sheerin causing mayhem, while efforts from Matthew Thornton and Ionut Lungu went close. At the back Hayden Nolan and Emmett Brennan were dealing comfortably with anything St Francis threw at them.

Callum Rigney Clyne doubled the lead on 27 minutes when Sheerin found him with an excellent slide rule ball and he netted expertly.

Luis Clevett was proving a handful for the Athletic defence and his long range punt was not dealt with leaving Jamie Carroll free to pull one back on 44 minutes totally against the run of play.

Athletic’s reaction was swift and decisive when Rigney Clyne cut in along the end line and squared to Sheerin to toe poke a third just on the blow of half time and Athletic led 3-1 at the break.

That became 4-1 eight minutes into the second half when a defensive catastrophe from a kick out allowed the ever vigilant Nathan Scally nip in and net an opportunist goal that as good as sealed the game there and then.

He could have made it five moments after when his rasping shot from distance just crept past the outside of the post but then the game hit something of a lull as neither side could remain in possession from any kind of sustained period and a raft of substitutions saw the contest began to peter out almost. St Francis tried for a second but were repelled by a resolute Athletic defence while sub Gavin Pierce was unlucky with two long range efforts.

On 78 minutes the nail in coffin came when sub Alex Donoghue made a fine run on the right side and crossed for Sheerin to fire in his hat-trick and Athletic’s fifth and despite mini flourishes from either side in the dying moments it proved the final piece of goal action of the game as the home side cruised to an emphatic and workmanlike win.

Scorers

Mullingar Athletic: Alex Sheerin 3(9, 44 and 78 minutes), Callum Rigney Clyne 27 minutes, Nathan Scally 53 mins

St Francis: Jamie Carroll 44 mins

Teams

Mullingar Athletic: Mathas Puida, Hayden Nolan, Emmett Brennan, Ionut Lungu, Ameen Hacini, Mohammed Mugtabe, Alex Sheerin, Callum Rigney Clyne, Nathan Scally, Matthew Thornton and Owen McMahon. Subs: Alex Donoghue for McMahon and Gavin Pierce for Scally 60 mins, Raymond Kefeletswe for Hacini 78 mins, Sean Tully for Mugtabe 84 mins.

St Francis: Devin Ramos, Ian Rushe, Dylan McCormack, David Westman, Noah Heavey, Cian Kenny, Luis Clevett, Luke Sylvester, Brendan McCormack, Luke Farrell and Jamie Carroll. Subs: Benjy Murray for Dylan McCormack 60 mins, Pavel Lipinski for Farrell 73 mins.

Referee Billy Stokes

Man of the Match

Hacini, Brennan and Mugtabe were excellent for Athletic, while Thornton and Rigney Clyne cemented a strong midfield. However, Alex Sheerin was lethal and unmarkable at times and just gets the nod here.