Mullingar's U21s progress to Gale Cup final

On a cold day in Cullion Mullingar's young Under 21s showed a nerve a grit of men twice there age by grinding out a fantastic win and reach the first Gale Cup Final in over 10 years.Mullingar having won the Gale League took home advantage for the semi final of the cup against 4th place Wanderers.Mullingar knew they would be up against it with this Dublin AIL club coming down with all guns to beat the provincial club of Mullingar.This Mullingar team is built on last year's successful Under 18s who reached the final of the Premier League this time last year and although they are practically all under age next year again they don't like losing and have a certain belief in themselves that no team is better than them so age is not a issue with these guys. In their Coaches Peter Leahy and Davy Walls these lads are well taught, well coached and most importantly show unreal heart on all occasions. The day started badly when Peter Leahy received a number of calls with lads crying off through illness. Taking into account the team were already down Ethan Connolly and Adam Kerroum through injury and suspension the news that the Butler brother's loss would have been too big a mountain to overcome. But they are made of strong stuff out in Streete and between the two lads both playing scrum half in 10 minutes bouts with rolling subs they were able to play on through the pain and the weakness.On this day it was totally like the old cliché "a game of two halves" because that is exactly what it was. In the first half Mullingar had 90% of the ball with Wanderers never entering the Mullingar 22 at any stage in the first half. Mullingar were in total Command with total dominance in the lineout scrum backs practically all aspects of the pitch. We kicked 2 penalties and Wanderers scored one in this half to leave the score 6-3 at half time. But it could and should have been over by half time with so many missed kicks and on two occasions Mullingar were held up on the line and once actually knocked on over the line.Now as you can imagine with no score in the second half you would think there was not much action in the second but that was far from the truth. Wanderers came out in the second half a totally different team having thrown on five subs and they were more aggressive and better team and totally in charge in this half. But with all their grit and power Mullingar never once flinched or shied off a tackle and even with seconds to go and Wanderers camped on the Mullingar line time after time lads made try saving tackles till that glorious final whistle blew and Mullingar were through to their first Gale Cup Final in a long time and the big Mullingar crowd went delirious on the sideline. On the day there were many huge players for Mullingar with Colin McCormack and John Hughes putting in the big hits in the pack and Alan Brabazon and Connor Murphy protecting the bag line and Gareth Flowers was outstanding at full back but head and shoulders above all was Daragh Daly.Team: Alan Brabazon, Colin McCormack, Eoghan McCormack, John Hughes, Philip Butler, Stephen Woods, Blaine Healy, Daragh Daly, Robert Allen, Damien Moran, Greg Berry, James Neale, Kevin Pyke, Connor Murphy, Stuart Flynn, David Butler, Dan Kenny, Adam Kerroum, Patrick Simpkin, Robert Bourke, Mark Reilly, Ethan Connolly, Gareth Flowers.