Rory Noonan

Minor championship

Mallow 4-16

Sarsfields 0-7

MALLOW got their Rebel Og Premier 1 MHC title ambitions back on track with a comfortable win over Sars at CIT last night.

Starting at a blistering pace and moving the ball with accuracy from defence to attack they were soon in control and showed why they are one of the sides fancied to win this championship outright.

Defensively they are strong with Killian O’Connor and Patrick Healy leading by example and they made sure their keeper didn’t have to make a save all through.

Podge Buckley and Jack Murphy controlled midfield for long periods, with Aaron Sheehan, Patrick Herlihy, Edmond Healy and Sean Hayes showing their class up front.

Not many sides would have lived with Mallow last night such was their determination to remain in this championship. For Sars Daniel O’Mahony, Sean Quinn, Tadhg McAuliffe and James Sweeney were the pick of their side, but they were simply beaten by a better team on the night.

Sheehan hit three early frees to put Mallow on their way, with O’Mahony replying for Sars. With nine minutes gone Healy got Mallow’s first goal, after some good build-up play by Sheehan and Hayes.

Herlihy added a point and a great run by Healy saw him goal again to make it 2-4 to 0-1 after 12 minutes. Straight from the puck-out Mallow regained possession and Scott Walmsley got their third goal and even at this stage it didn’t look good for Sars.

Sheehan and Walmsley added points with O’Mahony and David Dawson replying for Sars and by half-time it was 3-7 to 0-5 in Mallow’s favour.

Walmsley, Herlihy, Sheehan and Hayes were all on target early in the second-half to stretch their lead, before James O’Sullivan pointed for Sars.

Four more for Mallow made it 3-16 to 0-6, before O’Sullivan got his second of the half.

In the last minute Hayes rounded off the scoring when he got his side’s fourth goal as they move on and Sars bow out of the championship.

Scorers for Mallow: E Healy 2-0, S Walmsley 1-3, S Hayes 1-2, A Sheehan 0-7 (6f, 0-1 65), P Herlihy 0-2, P Buckley, M O’Rourke 0-1 each.

Sarsfields: D O’Mahony 0-3 (3f), J O’Sullivan 0-2, J Sweeney 0-1.

MALLOW: P Buckley; A Luttrell, K O’Connor, J O’Hanlon; D Sheehan, P Healy, R Mills; J Murphy, Podge Buckley; D Sheehan, A Sheehan, P Herlihy; E Healy, S Hayes, S Walmsley. Subs: F Moynihan for Podge Buckley, P O’Riordan for A Sheehan, J Downes for P Herlihy, M O’Rourke for D Sheehan, H Cosgrave for S Walmsley.

SARSFIELDS: G O’Callaghan; A Walsh, S Quinn, R Organ; T McAuliffe, I Burke, M Fleming; J O’Sullivan, P Leopold; D O’Mahony, C Power, D Dawson; D McCarthy, J Sweeney, R Kelleher. Subs: D Hoare for C Power, M McAuliffe for D McCarthy.

Ref: Eamonn Sheehy, Newcestown.