Williams goals pave the way for fine Coláiste Mhuire victory

Coláiste Mhuire 2-11, Mountrath CS 1-12

A determined second half display ensured Coláiste Mhuire won the North Leinster ‘B’ Hurling Championship against a very gallant Mountrath CS side at Hawkfield Centre of Excellence, Kildare on Tuesday.

Due to the windy conditions, this was very much a game of two halves where both teams should high levels of skill and in the end, only a puck of a ball separated these sides.

Mountrath won the toss and decided to play against the wind in the first half. Micheál Lawler’s charges made great use of the wind advantage and pressed into a four points to nil lead due to the accurate free taking of Conor Williams.

The boys in green had two great goal chances but these were thwarted by the Mountrath defence. The Mullingar side had two possible penalties in the opening 10 minutes but these were denied by the referee much to the surprise of the Coláiste Mhuire players and supporters. Stephen McWade was then presented with a great goal chance but was taken down as he rushed in on goal. The referee deemed the foul to be just outside the large rectangle. Williams opened the shoulders and went for goal but the ensuing shot was deflected over the bar by the Mountrath goalkeeper.

The Mullingar men were clearly on top in the opening stages, but Mountrath gained a foothold in the game and only for some great defending by Calum McHugh, MJ Long and Tomás Brennan, they could have registered some early scores.

Mountrath eventually got on the score sheet with two quick points from play in succession from their midfielders after some great interlink play between their forwards. This left the score four points to two after 15 minutes.

The game swung back into Coláiste Mhuire’s favour after a sublime piece of individual skill from Williams, who in one movement brought a MJ Long free down with his hurl' and flicked it over the defending player as he soloed the ball 20 metres and buried the sliotar to the back of the net. This left the score 1-4 to two points in favour of Coláiste Mhuire. Mountrath responded well with two points of their own but Coláiste Mhuire finished the half strongly with a point from play from Aidan Doyle along with two more Williams frees.

The half-time score was: Coláiste Mhuire 1-7, Mountrath CS 0-4.

Mountrath, with the aid of a strong breeze, started the second half impressively and rolled off four points in quick succession - two frees and two from play. Coláiste Mhuire deployed a sweeper in this period but could not seem to get their hands on possession. Williams broke the Mountrath momentum with a free which was deservedly won by Shane Murray. Mountrath piled on the pressure and scored two more points to leave the minimum between the sides.

Zak Bates, Shane Murray and Aidan Doyle keep the scoreboard ticking over for the Mullingar men, but Mountrath responded well and were increasing the pressure on the Coláiste Mhuire goalmouth. They rattled off 1-1 without reply to leave a tense final ten minutes. The switch of Rhys Brady to the sweeper roll and moving Conor Williams further up the field paid dividends for Micheál Lawler in the end. It allowed Coláiste Mhuire to win more puckouts and relieve the pressure they were under.

Then came the pivotal moment in the game when a long ball into the Mountrath goalmouth caused consternation and it eventually ended with a penalty being awarded after a foul on Williams and some excellent work by Shane Murray in the build-up. Williams duly dispatched the penalty, leaving the scoreline at 2-10 to 1-11. Coláiste Mhuire’s final score came from a point from play from Williams after some great team work by Aidan Doyle and Zak Bates.

The game was not finished yet and Mountrath pointed a free to leave two points between the sides.

The final four minutes was frantic and some last ditch defending by the Mullingar men ensured a two-point victory in the end.

Final score: Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar 2-11, Mountrath CS 1-12.

Best for Coláiste Mhuire were Calum McHugh, MJ Long, Zak Bates and Conor Williams.

They now look forward to a Leinster semi-final against FCJ Bunclody or Wexford CBS which will be played in the coming two weeks.

Team: Connor Cassidy, Oisín Gavin, Tomás Brennan, Calum McHugh, Fionn Kelly, MJ Long, Oisín Scally, Cian Matthews, Ciarán Casserly, Zak Bates, Conor Williams, Rhys Brady, Stephen McWade, Shane Murray, Aidan Doyle. Subs: Ryan McNamee for McWade (45min), Shane O’Mara for Casserly (50 min).