Dublin MFC ‘B’ Group 3

Thomas Davis 5-15
St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh 0-3

Daire Walsh

Thomas Davis stormed into the quarter-finals of the Dublin Minor ‘B’ Football Championship with a convincing Group Three victory against St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh at Kiltipper Road on Sunday morning.

With one win and one defeat to their name in advance of this contest, the Tallaght side realised that they had to come out on the right side of the result in order to secure a top-two finish in the final standings. Thanks to a combined haul of 4-9 from their inside forward line of Ross Mullarkey, Fionn Lynch and Kevin Mullarkey, Davis’ managed to claim the spoils in style.

Following Ballymun Kickhams’ narrow success over Castleknock at Somerton Park on the same day, it meant three of the four teams in the group ended up on four points after three rounds of fixtures. Thanks largely to the emphatic nature of their triumph in this game, Davis’ sealed top spot and thus are guaranteed a home tie in the last-eight.

Having already suffered back-to-back reversals at the hands of Ballymun and Castleknock, Plunkett’s came off second best once again. Ben O’Hara and Michael Meehan did show well at times for the visitors, but they couldn’t match the pace and intensity of their highly-motivated opponents.

Despite the gap that existed between the teams in the end, the first-quarter of the action proved to be tight and tense. Plunkett’s deployed Cian Allison Hurley as an extra player within their defence and this initially frustrated the Davis’ attack.

Although they lost centre half-back Dennis McSweeney to injury during the early exchanges, the Navan Road outfit broke the deadlock with a pointed free from O’Hara on eight minutes. The hosts passed up some good opportunities, before finally opening their account through the left foot of Dublin minor footballer Ross Mullarkey in the 12th-minute.

The same man found the target just in time to give Davis’ a slender 0-2 to 0-1 lead at the first water break, but Mark Bates’ charges were the dominant force for the remainder of the half. Plunkett’s were still attempting to get themselves back in position following the brief interlude and Davis’ took full advantage by pouncing for their maiden goal of the proceedings.

Lynch palmed home at the end of a fast-paced team move and with Sean Benton, Ryan Fahey and Kevin Mullarkey added quickfire points, Davis’ were firmly in the driving seat. While Plunkett’s netminder Adam O’Callaghan produced a couple of excellent point-blank saves, he was powerless to prevent Ross Mullarkey and Lynch from rattling the net in the 23rd and 29th minutes respectively.

The aforementioned Mullarkey knocked over stoppage-time points to offer Davis’ a commanding 3-7 to 0-1 interval cushion and they continued to push on after the resumption. Either side of Kyle Murphy adding his name to the scoresheet, Fahey bagged a point and a goal to significantly extend the Davis’ buffer.

Plunkett’s finally disrupted the scoring sequence of their southside counterparts with a point from Meehan on 35 minutes. The pacy wing-forward had goal on his mind, but his fierce right-footed drive marginally floated over the bar in the end.

There was little let-up from Thomas Davis, however, particularly with a plethora of substitutes injecting fresh energy to their play. After joining his full-forward compatriots in kicking third-quarter points, Kevin Mullarkey clinically dispatched a close-range shot to the opposition net on 44 minutes.

Inside the final-quarter, Plunkett’s added to their tally with a second O’Hara free. Yet with Oisin Horan, Ross Mullarkey and John Bosco Elzidima splitting the uprights in succession, the quarter-final bound Thomas Davis ended the game in fine fashion.

Having begun their campaign with an agonising loss at the hands of Castleknock, they now appear to be hitting top form at the right time.

Matchfile

Scorers – Thomas Davis: R Mullarkey 1-5 (0-1 mark), F Lynch 2-1, K Mullarkey 1-3, R Fahey 1-2, O Horan, S Benton, K Murphy, J Bosco Elzidima 0-1 each. St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh: B O’Hara 0-2 (2f), M Meehan 0-1.

THOMAS DAVIS: G Brogan; J Palmer, C Kavanagh, E Walsh; C Fullam, K Young Byrne, O Horan; C Lambert, S McNicholas; S Benton, R Fahey, K Murphy; R Mullarkey, F Lynch, K Mullarkey.

Subs: A O’Toole for Lambert (h-t), H Harmon for Walsh, J Bosco Elzidima for McNicholas (both 36), R Duggan for Lynch (42), S Byrne for Palmer (45).

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT’S/EOGHAN RUADH: A O’Callaghan; R O’Driscoll, E Murtagh, D Murray; J Leonard, D McSweeney, S Couch; E Shaughnessy, S Cummins; M Meehan, M Monaghan, B O’Hara; C Allison Hurley, D Gibson, A Boland.

Subs: M Flanagan for McSweeney (6), C Duffy for Monaghan (h-t), S McCabe for Gibson (47).

MENTORS – Thomas Davis: Mark Bates, Alan Byrne, Philip Kavanagh, Glen Farrelly, Sean Kennedy.

St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh: Des Grogan, Cathal Greene, Conor Gurn, Liam Fleming, Sean Bugler.

REFEREE: Keith Tighe (St Anne’s).

WIDES – Thomas Davis: 14 (8+6). St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh: 3 (1+2).

CONDITIONS: Breezy and chilly, but dry overall.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Ross Mullarkey (Thomas Davis).