Mullingar travelled down the M50 to face Monkstown 3’s, Mullingar struggling for players this week, through holidays and injuries, Mullingar managed to take a mixed team of both 1st and 2nd players.

Usual 1st team captain Holger Marl was unavailable so the captaincy went to Vice Captain Soren Marl, with many players playing out of their usual position or not have played in the same team before the pre match team talk was to do the simple things right, give all you can and let’s not lose the game.

The game started fairly even with end to end action with no real threat on goal, both sets of defenders mopping up the attacks. Mullingar’s stand in right back Alex Kenny was intercepting the balls down the right before making his pacy runs down the line to make some good progress and make it difficult for Monkstown to keep up. Owen Wiltshire and Stuart Synnott we’re making good runs through the middle of the pitch but Monkstown defenders were making some good last ditch tackles to clear the ball.

End of Q1 and it was all even at 0-0

Quarter 2, Mullingar started to find their passes and with the runs from Alex, Stuart and Owen were pushing Monkstown back and allowing Mullingar to push higher up the field, a sideline ball for Mullingar just on the oppositions 25 saw Stephen Wiltshire get a nose bleed and make a run from the defence to try and offer support however a mis-trap allowed Monkstown to make a quick counter attack and seemed to be in Mullingar’s 25 within a split second and racing into Mullingar’s Circle, thankfully The speedster Stuart Synnott came from nowhere to make a tackle just inside the circle but for it to be deemed a stick tackle first and Monkstown were awarded a Short Corner, Monkstown pushed out but a mis-trap by the stick stopper pulled the player to the right to get a strike off across goal to the far post, the ball came through and was goal bound but for Stephen Wiltshire’s reverse stick stop and get the ball away. A lucky escape for Mullingar. Monkstown found some energy and found some rhythm and started to put some good passes together and put pressure on Mullingar’s defence.
A penetration through Mullingar’s defence found a shot from Monkstown be fired at Ron who took the ball to the chest and then kick it away to safety! Then came some controversy when a solid Mullingar attack, found themselves in the D (or out as the umpire assured us it was) to get a shot off and the ball to deflect in. However the goal was disallowed!

Monkstown we’re overloading their right hand side found some space and crossed the ball across and managed to win another short corner, the ball came out only for the whistle to blow due to a Monkstown player enter the circle too early which resulted in the Monkstown injector take a walk to the half way line and the short corner to be retaken. This time they pushed the ball out straight, stopped it and smashed the ball down the left hand post, only to find Man of the Match David Kingston there to stop the ball with such force to make the ball explode! Mullingar were doing well to get the ball into the circle but like many chances the ball was going into the goal but with no Mullingar touches before crossing the line.

Half time whistle blew to end the half 0-0

The half time talk was a positive one with all the players working hard and playing extremely well. A tactical change pushing Owen up into his usual forward position and bringing Andrew Melbourne in the centre of midfield allowed Mullingar and Owen to run and take on Monkstown’s defenders, and it wasn’t long for Owen to start creating issues within Monkstowns defence. Owen’s shear determination managed to win Mullingar’s first short corner of the game, with Mullingar’s regular short corners takers not playing today it reverted back to Stephen Wiltshire to take on the duties, Soren injected the ball perfectly to the top, Stephen stoped for himself and hit the ball low and hard down the left hand post for Soren to come in and deflect the ball past the post man and keeper! Mullingar 1 Monkstown 0
Monkstown behind they pushed higher and found themselves making to progress down the channels but Mullingar’s make shift left and right backs making some good interceptions and tackles to nullify the attacks, however a Monkstown attack did managed to get a shot off but Once again Ron was called into action this time to save the ball with his shoulder and the defenders to clear the ball.

End of quarter 3 Monkstown 0 Mullingar 1, an arousing and inspirational speech from Stephen Wiltshire which told the team to give everything in the final quarter, Monkstown can come back and Monkstown will throw everything at us so let’s not give any stupid balls away spurred the players on.

Monkstown did push higher and start passing the ball around a lot better and wasn’t long before they were in Mullingar’s 25, however Mullingar’s defence stood solid for the ball to go out over the back line for a 16, Stephen Wiltshire took the free as usual struggling to find an outlet went to hit the ball into the gap through the middle of the park only to miss hit the ball and it fall to a Monkstown player to then pass to a player just outside the circle to back in and reverse hit the ball to the bottom left past Ron.

Monkstown 1 Mullingar 1

Mullingar went through a spell of struggling to keep the ball and find a yellow shirt, Monkstown however had found their second wind and were putting a lot of pressure on Mullingar’s defence stand in Captain was trying to put in some last ditch tackles and win the ball low on the ground to slip and Monkstown to spin and put the ball on his foot for a short corner, out like a rat down a drain pipe Soren sprinted to put pressure on the stopper managed to just get to the top of the circle when the shot was released but for it to clip the foot of Soren for another short corner, this time Monkstown change their routine and drag flick the ball to the right and just zip past the post man at knee height and into the goal.

Monkstown 2 Mullingar 1

Mullingar could have and may have let their heads drop at this point but they didn’t the game was still there to salvage something, A determined run from Youngster Owen Wiltshire not give up even though he rode 2-3 tough challenges and eventually to win another short corner this time Stephen went for his usual drag flick this time to pin point accuracy and was going to creep in the top right only for a Monkstown defender to get his stick up and managed to stop it and it go out for a long corner. Mullingar pushed higher and and didn’t let Monkstown out of their half, the attacking prowess of Stuart, Josh, Owen managed to win a free and a smash a ball in for it to just go wide, Mullingar working hard to win balls back al across the pitch saw them win a number of frees within Monkstown 25 and finally win another short corner, this time Stuart felt something in his waters and wanted to take this one, up he stepped to pass the first runner smash the ball low and hard to find the on rushing Soren to deflect the ball in for his second and drawing Mullingar Level.

Both teams pushed higher for the last few minutes knowing a goal form either team could win the game. Monkstown pinned Mullingar back, with Mullingar struggling to get the ball out of their half, finally Mullingar got the ball out and up to the attackers win another short corner and with the final whistle blown up come all of Mullingar’s players for one final attack, this was Mullingar’s chance up stepped Stuart to hopefully mimic his earlier shot, this time Monkstowns post man was on hand to get a touch and deflect it past the post and the game was over.

Monkstown 2 Mullingar 2

Man of the Match went to David Kingston

A great result from a mixed teams which didn’t show, every player worked hard and did their job, supported each other and most importantly never gave up!

Thanks to Colin Watters for Umpiring.