Masterful Maryland show intent as Kilbeggan are easily swept aside

Kilbeggan Shamrocks were comprehensively swept away by a Maryland team yet again in an uncompromising mood, in the second part of Sunday evening"s double-header at Cusack Park. The tie was a complete mismatch and at times looked like a senior team taking on an intermediate team. And indeed if Maryland keep going the way they are going, then they will be well in the shake up for a place in next year"s senior championship. An early point from Maryland full-forward John Reilly was quickly cancelled out by a neatly taken score from Kilbeggan"s full-forward Emmett Dalton. But that was to be as good as it got for Kilbeggan as Finbar Egan"s men clicked into gear and rattled off seven consecutive points in the space of 12 minutes. Joe Harte got the ball rolling with a well taken point. This was soon followed by a successful David Martin free - the first of four - and a point from Callum McCormack after a clever hand-pass from corner-forward Anthony Reynolds. And by the time the 20th minute had arrived, Kieran Martin, David Martin, Callum McCormack and John Reilly had added further scores to put Maryland into a commanding 0-8 to 0-1. On 23 minutes, however, some miscommunication in the Maryland defence lead to a loose ball being picked up by Kilbeggan"s Aiden Gorry. Gorry passed off to Kenny McMahon who had a free run at goal from the Maryland 45 yard line. But McMahon didn"t possess the cool head required for the situation and he sliced his shot badly wide. Keith Gorry did finally raise another white flag for Kilbeggan a couple of seconds after that, but points from Callum McCormack and David Martin (2) stretched the Maryland lead to nine points as the half ticked over into stoppage time. An indication of Maryland"s ruthlessness was shown just before the half-time whistle when team manager Finbar Egan could be heard on the line demanding more of his players before the whistle went. And the Drumraney men responded with a goal when a long ball was won behind his man by John Reilly. Reilly then had the simple task of blasting the ball to the net with the last kick of the half to leave the score-line at 1-11 to 0-2 in favour of Maryland. An early second-half point from half-time substitute Mattie McCormack seemed to signal some sort of intent from Kilbeggan, but once again they were powerless to stop the Maryland scoring machine. Another David Martin free on 34 minute was soon followed by the second Maryland goal when Joe Harte gathered in a loose ball and, rather similar to Reilly"s goal just before half-time, blasted the ball past the hapless Mal Guilfoyle in the Kilbeggan goal. Not satisfied with this latest nail in the Kilbeggan coffin, Maryland tagged on a further three unanswered points from Ronan Farrell, Callum McCormack and David Martin to stretch the lead to an insurmountable 18 points. Kilbeggan managed to put a small bit of gloss on the score-line on 48 minutes Emmett Dalton beat John Murray with a low shot to the back of the net, but it much to little and far too late. Shamrocks managed just a further two scores in the final ten minutes with Mattie McCormack and Kenny McMahon getting on the score-sheet, while Maryland helped themselves to three more with Reilly (2) and substitute Stephen Martin raising the umpire"s white flag. It was a measure of Maryland"s dominance, or perhaps Kilbeggan"s ineptitude that Maryland, having used up all their subs, were able to take off the injured Trevor Farrell and play out the remaining couple of minutes with 14 men. At the end, the Kilbeggan players looked demoralised as the scoreboard showed that Maryland were the victors on a score-line of 2-18 to 1-5, a 16-point win. SCORERS - Maryland: John Reilly (1-4), David Martin (0-6, 4f), Callum McCormack (0-4), Joe Harte (1-1), Kieran Martin (0-1), Ronan Farrell (0-1), Stephen Martin (0-1). Kilbeggan Shamrocks: Emmett Dalton (1-1), Mattie McCormack (0-2, 1f), Kenny McMahon (0-1), Keith Gorry (0-1). Maryland: John Murray, Conor Farrell, Eoin Farrell, Trevor Farrell, Ronan Farrell, John Cunningham, James Reynolds, David Reynolds, Richard Browne, Callum McCormack, Kieran Martin, David Martin, Joe Harte, John Reilly, Anthony Reynolds. SUBS USED: Stephen Martin for J Harte (45 mins), Damien Reynolds for D Martin (50), Aiden Reynolds for R Browne (50), Vinny Browne for A Reynolds (53), Darren Malynn for J Reynolds (56). Kilbeggan Shamrocks: Mal Guilfoyle, Seanie Pidgeon, Fergal Scally, David Marshall, Niall O"Brien, Alan Fennell, Colin Draper, James Brennan, Jason O"Neill, David Keenan, Aiden Gorry, Mel Keenan, Kenny McMahon, Emmett Dalton, Keith Gorry. SUBS USED: Stephen Conroy for M Keenan (21 mins), Mattie McCormack for A Gorry (HT), Brian Duignan for N O"Brien (36), Ciaran Coffey for J O"Neill (43). Referee: Mick Gordon (Shandonagh).