AIB Leinster Club SFC Quarter-Final

MULLINALAGHTA (LONGFORD) 1-6 RHODE (OFFALY) 0-7

By Brian Lowry at Bord Na Mona O’Connor Park

Three in a row Longford champions Mullinalaghta upset the odds in Tullamore and came away with a hard earned, but deserved two point win as they sent Offaly champions Rhode crashing out of the Leinster club football championship.

It was teak tough winter football with plenty of might and hard tackles throughout but when the dust settled it was a crucial Jayson Matthews goal with 39 minutes on the clock that proved the difference in a low scoring encounter while Brian Darby’s sending off on 18 minutes certainly hampered the Rhode challenge also.

Scores were few and far between in the opening half with the opening score of the game not arriving until the seventh minute when Jayson Matthews popped over a well taken score.

Mullinalaghta’s lead was doubled on 15 minutes when Rian Brady floated over a superb free as they led 0-2 to 0-0 midway through the half.

The task ahead of Rhode got sterner three minutes later when Brian Darby received his marching orders on a straight red card after an altercation with James McGivney.

While Rhode were seriously up against it, they hit back. After Darren Garry opened their account on 21 minutes, Niall McNamee went on to land a free to make it a draw game after 23 minutes.

With their tails up, Rhode went on to take the lead with Paul McPadden firing one over off the trusty left but just before the break, Rian Brady showed what his left foot was made of by squaring the game at 0-3 each as the teams retired for the break.

After Niall McNamee got the opening score of the second half, a crucial two minute period of the game ensued.

Anton Sullivan had a goal disallowed for a square ball while with the next attack, Jayson Matthews was on hand to find the net for the Longford men an put them 1-3 to 0-4 ahead on 39 minutes.

The sides traded points and with 10 minutes to go, Mullinalaghta led 1-4 to 0-6 but a minute later, they went two ahead through John Keegan.

Two became three with a minute of normal time to go as Donal McElligott fired over while all Rhode could manage in the eight minutes of injury time was a Ruairi McNamee free as the Longford champions held out for a meeting with Carlow’s Eire Og in the semi final in two weeks.

Scorers for Mullinalaghta: Jayson Matthews 1-1, Rian Brady 0-2 (1f), Donal McElligott, Gary Rogers, John Keegan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Rhode: Niall McNamee 0-3 (3fs), Darren Garry, Paul McPadden, Ruairi McNamee (free) and Anton Sullivan 0-1 each.

MULLINALAGHTA: Patrick Rogers; Simon Cadam, Patrick Fox, Francis Mulligan; Donal McElligott, Shane Mulligan, Conan Brady; David McGivney, John Keegan; Gary Rogers, James McGivney, Aidan McElligott; Jayson Matthews, Rian Brady, Brendan Fox.

Subs: Michael Cunningham for Donal McElligott temp (34-38), Michael Cunningham for Brendan Fox (40), Conor McElligott BC for Jayson Matthews (60+3).

RHODE: Ken Garry; Eoin Rigney, Jake Kavanagh, James McPadden; Darren Garry, Brian Darby, Niall Darby; Alan McNamee, Conor McNamee; Paul McPadden, Paraic Sullivan, Dylan Kavanagh; Ruairi McNamee, Anton Sullivan, Niall McNamee.

Subs: Shane Lowry for Paraic Sullivan inj (56), Mark Rigney for Anton Sullivan BC (60+3), Gareth McNamee for Niall McNamee inj (60+4).

REFEREE: Cormac Reilly (Meath).