AFL1: O'Mahony's take both points against Blackhall
February 20, 2012
Navan O'Mahony's Shane Gillespie
Blackhall Gaels 0-3
Navan O'Mahonys began their defence of their Division 1 A League title with a comprehensive victory over Blackhall Gaels, played at their Brews Hill Grounds on Sunday afternoon.
Playing against the slight breeze in the first half, the Brews Hill side were 0-4 to 0-2 to the good at half time and made use of the wind advantage in the second half to pull away from the opposition, with Blackhall's only score in the second half coming from a 4th minute point.
Shane Gillespie opened the scoring in the second minute with a point from play. Blackhall Gaels took the next two scores from placed balls to go ahead for the only time in the game. Further scores from Stephen Bray and Jake Regan (both frees) regained the lead for O'Mahonys before Gillespie finished the half as he had started it with another well-taken point. O'Mahonys could have gone in further ahead at the break but for two good saves in quick succession by the Blackhall Gaels net minder preventing Regan and Alan Forde's attempts on goal.
Regan exchanged points with the opposition in the opening five minutes of the second half. However, this was to be Blackhall's last time to raise a flag as O'Mahonys went on to dominate the remainder of the half and score 1-6 unanswered. O'Mahonys goal came in the 26th minute of the second half when Forde set up substitute Sean Keating to palm the ball into the net. Three of these six O'Mahonys points came from corner forward and last year's under 21 winning captain Shane Gillespie who put in an impressive display. O'Mahonys were also served well by Damien Moran, Ian Matthews and Cormac McGuinness.
O'Mahonys: M. Brennan, G. O'Brien, N. McKeigue, I. Matthews, C. McGuinness, S. Crosby, B. Dillon, D. Moran, M. Ward, D. Murtagh, A. Forde, D. Maguire, J. Regan, S. Bray, S. Gillespie, Subs: S. McKeigue for McKeigue (40mins), P. Smyth for Regan (55mins), S. Keating (1-0) for Maguire (55mins) Tweet
