Aughawillan pull off shock victory

Aughawillan 1-13 St Mary’s 1-10

Aughawillan led 0-9 to 0-4 at half-time after St Mary’s went 0-3 to 0-2 ahead with points by James McGrail, Jack de Lacy and Daire Farrell in the opening 14 minutes.

Aughawillan had a let-off when Ray Mulvey blazed a 15th-minute chance wide, with no one to beat but keeper Colin Maguire.

It seemed to drive Aughawillan on and they stretched their lead in the first seven minutes of the second half, after Gary Plunkett and Morgan Quinn hit the target from play.

St Mary’s hit back as Robbie Lowe fired home a 38th-minute goal that reduced Aughawillan’s advantage to four points. Over the next nine minutes, St Mary’s cut the deficit to two with Ray Mulvey putting over three points and Alan Doherty converting a free. St Mary’s had a chance to grab the lead three minutes from the end when sub Joseph O’Rourke hit a piledriver that rebounded to safety off the butt of the Aughawillan upright.

After that, Aughawillan surged again and won a 58th- minute penalty which Sean Flanagan converted after man of the match Gary Plunkett was taken down by James Glancy, who received a black card for the foul.

Scorers for Aughawillan: C Gilheaney (0-5, 3fs), G Plunkett (0-4), S Flanagan (1-0), M Plunkett, Morgan Quinn (0-2 each).

Scorers for St Mary’s: R Lowe (1-1), R Mulvey (0-3), J de Lacy, J McGrail, D Farrell, M McWeeney, A Doherty (f), J O’Rourke (0-1 each).

AUGHAWILLAN: C Maguire; D McGovern, Michael Quinn, G McGovern; N Beirne, N Plunkett, S Quinn; S Fox, S Flanagan; R McTague, M Plunkett, P Dolan; C Gilheaney, G Plunkett, Morgan Quinn.

Subs: S Gilheaney for D McGovern (34), B Creamer for McTague (59)

ST MARY’S: C Glancy; B Butler, J Glancy, J Cassidy; J de Lacy, C Farrell, N McWeeney; J McGrail, D Lowe; C Cunniffe, B O’Donnell, D Farrell; R Mulvey, M McWeeney, C O’Reilly.

Subs: R Lowe for C Farrell (20), A Doherty for D Farrell (ht), C McWeeney for D Lowe (53), J O’Rourke for M McWeeney, N Commerton for O’Reilly (53), R Lowe for Glancy (bc, 61).

Referee: J McCaffrey (Aughawillan).