Glenmore 2-20; Mullinavat 1-15.
John Power at Mullinavat GAA Grounds.
Glenmore produced a polished and disciplined display to secure an eight-point victory over Mullinavat in Saturday’s quarter-final at Mullinavat GAA Grounds, booking their place in the last four with a performance that combined attacking efficiency with midfield dominance.
The visitors gradually took control after a slow start and, once they established the lead midway through the opening half, they never looked like relinquishing it. A six-point advantage at the interval laid the platform for victory before an early second-half goal from Eoin Aylward effectively ended Mullinavat’s hopes of mounting a comeback.
There was little between the sides during the opening exchanges as Mullinavat settled quickest. C.J. Fitzpatrick, impressive from placed balls throughout, opened the scoring and followed with two converted frees to give the home side a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage inside the opening minutes. Glenmore’s only reply during that period came from the lively Eoin Aylward, who looked dangerous every time he gained possession.
Despite Mullinavat’s encouraging start, Glenmore gradually found their rhythm. Their work rate around the middle third improved significantly and they began to move the ball with greater pace and purpose. Two well-worked points brought the sides level at 0-3 apiece before Fitzpatrick restored the home side’s advantage with another accurately struck free in the tenth minute. That score proved to be Mullinavat’s last lead of the afternoon.
Colm Roche levelled matters once again two minutes later before Glenmore edged in front through another fine score from Aylward. It marked the beginning of a sustained spell of dominance from the visitors, who took complete control of the contest over the remainder of the first half.
Paul Murphy extended the advantage with a superb free from almost 50 metres, highlighting the confidence flowing through the Glenmore side. Moments later they struck for the first goal of the afternoon when Colm Roche finished clinically after excellent approach play, before adding a point soon afterwards to cap an outstanding individual contribution. Suddenly Glenmore had opened daylight between the sides, leading 1-7 to 0-4 and threatening to pull completely clear.
To their credit, Mullinavat responded positively. Conor Power found the net just two minutes later to inject fresh life into the contest and briefly lift the home support. The goal reduced the deficit and offered hope that Mullinavat could work their way back into the game before the interval.
However, Glenmore refused to allow the momentum to shift. Showing impressive composure, they regained control of possession and finished the half strongly. They outscored Mullinavat by 0-5 to 0-2 during the closing stages, repeatedly winning breaking ball around midfield and converting that dominance into scores. By the time the halftime whistle sounded they held a deserved 1-12 to 1-6 advantage, with their superiority in general play fully reflected on the scoreboard.
Mullinavat knew they needed a strong start to the second period and they responded positively. Once again it was C.J. Fitzpatrick who led the way, converting three frees inside the opening four minutes after the restart to reduce the deficit and briefly raise hopes of a revival.
Those hopes, however, were extinguished by the decisive moment of the contest. A slick attacking move involving Ethan Phelan created the opening for Eoin Aylward, who burst through the Mullinavat defence before finishing emphatically to the net. The goal restored Glenmore’s comfortable advantage and stretched the lead to 2-13 to 1-9, leaving the home side with a mountain to climb. From that point onwards there was only one likely outcome.
Although Mullinavat continued to battle honestly until the final whistle, they struggled to create enough clear-cut scoring opportunities from play. Too much of their scoring came from placed balls, while Glenmore’s defence remained organised and disciplined, forcing the home forwards into difficult positions.
At the opposite end, Glenmore continued to move the ball intelligently and maintained their grip around the middle third, where they enjoyed a decisive advantage for long periods. Their ability to dominate possession ensured Mullinavat were continually chasing the game, preventing the home side from building any sustained momentum. One of Glenmore’s greatest strengths on the day was the spread of their scoring. Eight different players contributed to the total, illustrating the variety and balance within their attack. While Eoin Aylward was undoubtedly their standout performer with an influential display that included an excellent goal and several fine points, he received outstanding support from Colm Roche, Paul Murphy and Ethan Phelan, all of whom played key roles in the victory.
Equally impressive was Glenmore’s collective work ethic. Their defence limited Mullinavat’s opportunities from open play, while their midfield pairing repeatedly won primary possession and ensured a steady supply of quality ball into the forwards. For Mullinavat, C.J. Fitzpatrick battled tirelessly and kept the scoreboard ticking with his accurate free-taking, while Conor Power’s well-taken first-half goal briefly gave the home side hope. However, they lacked the attacking threat from play needed to seriously trouble an organised Glenmore defence and found it difficult to bridge the gap once they fell behind.
The final whistle confirmed a deserved eight-point success for Glenmore, whose composed display justified their status as one of the competition’s leading contenders. Their blend of experience, work rate and scoring power proved too much for Mullinavat, and they can now look forward with confidence to a semi-final meeting against O’Loughlin Gaels.
SCORERS: GLENMORE Colm Roche (1-9, 1-7 frees), Eoin Aylward (0-5), Ethan Phelan (1-1), Paul Murphy, Tommy Dunne, Cathal Sheehan, Oisin Mullally, Jack Ryan (0-1 each). MULLINAVAT: CJ Fitzpatrick (0-14, 0-11 frees), Conor Power (1-0), Parraic Gahan (0-1, free).
TEAMS: GLENMORE Paul Brophy. Padraic Cody, Ciaran Vereker, Shane Duhig, Steven Cody, Colm Doherty, Philip Roche, Colm Roche, Cathal Sheehan, Paul Murphy, Eoin Aylward, Tommy Dunne, Oisin Mullally, Aaron O’Neill, Ethan Phelan. Substitutes: Jack Ryan for Tommy Dunne. MULLINAVAT: James O’Keeffe, Michael Walsh, Simon Aylward, Ian Mansfield, David Maher, Padraic Gahan, Darragh Davis Donnacha Walsh, Conor Duggan, Eoin Dempsey, Fiachra Knox, CJ Fitzpatrick, Conor Power, Jack Walsh, Martin Davis. Substitutes: Michael Catt for Donnacha Walsh, Mark McNamara for Eoin Dempsey.
Referee: Jack Miller (Piltown).
