Enniskerry YC . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Mullingar Athletic . . . . . . .7
By Paul O’Donovan
Mullingar Athletic earned promotion back to Intermediate football and they did so in style with a resounding 7-0 victory over Enniskerry in Enniskerry on Tuesday evening, 2 May.
Athletic needed the three points to ensure they crossed the line and are now guaranteed to finish in the top three of the Leinster Senior League Sunday Major Division and will play in the Leinster Senior League Division 1B Intermediate grade next season.
In the end it was quite easy against a struggling Enniskerry side. A first half hat-trick from Eoin Lanigan, who has been prolific in front of goals this season, as well as an Enda Morris header had Athletic 4-0 up at half-time.
At the other end, the Kavanaghs – Shane and Conor, as well as Ben Treanor, were solid throughout, although goalkeeper Stephen Watters did come to his side’s rescue with a typically fine save with an outstretched foot, towards the end of the half.
In the second half, Lanigan scored his fourth before Stephen Daly made it 6-0 from the penalty spot.
Late in the game, Lanigan completed his personal five-goal rout with a neat chip over the advancing goalkeeper to ensure a 7-0 win, three points, and a deserved promotion for the Gainstown club.
Mullingar Athletic v Enniskerry: Stephen Watters, Conor Kavanagh, Shane Kavanagh, Ben Treanor, Ryan Norris, Darren Jones, Tony Dunne, Enda Morris, Keith Hope, Stephen Daly, Eoin Lanigan. Subs used: David Mimnagh for Darren Jones, Kevin Keegan for Keith Hope, Stephen Brennan for Ben Treanor, David Masterson for Tony Dunne, Jason McGrath for Shane Kavanagh.
“LETS GO AND WIN THE LEAGUE NOW” – Maher
After the game, Mullingar Athletic manager David ‘Marzey’ Maher expressed his delight at finally achieving promotion. Marzey told Topic, “I’m absolutely delighted the way this season has gone, especially after last season. It was our first year together as a group and we were very unlucky last year. I think getting to the Polikoff Cup final last year maybe took away from our main aim last year, which was to get promotion so we have learned from that. But we went away last summer, re-grouped and we knew what we had to do. So I added four or five new players to the group, Eoin Lanigan for one, who has 35 to 40 goals for the season – that will bring any team a long way. Stephen Daly has added a bit of steel to the side and has scored some good goals too. But for me to see the likes of David Mimnagh, Ben Treanor and Ryan Norris playing first team football and starting for the team, at just 18 year of age is great to see. It is great progress for the club and it shows the young players are progressing too.
Promotion is done, it is in the bag, so now we have to go and win the league. We have scored 80 plus goals. We are the fittest team in the league, we are the best footballing team in the league and I couldn’t be happier the way this season has gone so far,” said Maher.
Athletic now need just one win from their two remaining league games – at home to Parkvilla and away to Corduff – to win the league title outright.
