Mullagh land six-in-a-row to book place in quarter-finals

Mullagh 1-19

Cappataggle 0-18

MULLAGH finished in a blaze of glory to book their place in the senior hurling championship quarter-finals after this hard fought derby victory over Cappataggle in Ballinasloe on Saturday evening.

Despite having no previous encounter at  elite level in Galway, these neighbours produced an intense and entertaining battle as Duggan Park as Mullagh landed six unanswered points down the home straight to carry the day.

Mullagh started with Cathal Dervan raising a white flag in the opening minute before Kevin Briscoe set up Padraig Kennedy for a second. Dessie O’Brien’s team were controlling the early exchanges but Daniel Nevin’s free opened Cappataggle’s account on four minutes.

Cappataggle levelled 60 seconds after when Alan Dolan finished a move involving James Egan and Emmet Malone, but Mullagh struck their first decisive blow in the sixth minute.

James Skehill produced numerous important stops over the hour but couldn’t do anything about Donal Reilly’s’ strike. Briscoe and Kennedy were involved in the move which culminated with Reilly finding the net, his shot deflecting off Skehill’s chest.

The Galway keeper was down for a moment but was back at full flight three minutes later when he denied Colm Fahy’s effort for a 65. Dervan converted the resulting placed ball to make it 1-3 to 0-2 before Malone replied for Cappataggle, splitting the posts on 12 minutes.

Davy Glennon started at full forward but was out on the right wing quickly and he provided Niall Cahalan with a Mullagh score to restore a four point margin. Fahy and Skehill received yellow cards for a minor altercation but two Daniel Nevin frees and Dolan’s second point left just one between them on 20 minutes.

Mullagh maintained the initiative but couldn’t take advantage of some unforced errors in the Cappataggle defence. Cathal Hardiman picked out Cahalan on 22 minutes for a 1-5 to 0-6 lead and when Sean Hardiman’s long delivery resulted in Fahy being fouled three minutes, referee John Keane rewarded Mullagh a penalty.

Dervan’s low strike, however, was saved by Skehill and Cappataggle seized the initiative. Darragh Dolan converted a sweet effort from the left before Nevin set up Jarlath Mannion for a point on 29 minutes to level at 0-8 to 1-5.

The game looked to be swinging Cappataggle’s way but four points before the break gave Mullagh a 1-9 to 0-8 cushion. Glennon and Dervan scored from play before Glennon picked out Reilly for another one. And after receiving a free, Dervan completed Mullagh’s first-half tally.

Those points looked crucial and were complemented by Cahalan’s third four minutes after the restart as Mullagh looked like pulling away again. But Cappataggle played their way back dominating the middle part of the half, outscoring their opponents by 0-10 to 0-3 between the 36th and 52nd minutes.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.