James Hagan leading the charge for St Mel’s College Longford in the win over Malahide CS

With Clonguish ace James Hagan leading the charge in attack, St Mel’s College cruised to a comfortable win against Dublin opponents Malahide Community School in the opening round of the Leinster Senior ‘A’ Football Championship at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Thursday. 

St Mel’s College . . . 1-14   Malahide C.S. (Dublin) . . . 1-4

The deadly accurate Hagan registered the impressive total of 9 points (3) for superior St Mel’s who led by 0-8 to 1-0 at the break and kept the scoreboard ticking over in the second half with Senan Buckley striking the killer blow with a well-taken goal in the 39th minute. 

Bornacoola boy Conor Reynolds fired over 4 points during the course of the game and certainly made his mark against a Malahide side who shot a number of wides in the first half and also had a goal disallowed for a square infringement.

In only their second year competing in the ‘A’ grade, Malahide eventually opened their account with a flicked goal from Matthew Ashett in the 19th minute. 

The visitors ended up trailing by five points at half-time (0-8 to 1-0) with Hagan hitting 0-6 for St Mel’s (managed by Jimmy Gacquin, assisted by Nigel Rabbitt) and there was no way back for the visitors who were left to rue some poor finishing in their demise.

Next up for the Longford college in the group stage (two teams to qualify) is the away clash against Ard Scoil Ris (Dublin) in Whitehall next Tuesday with the remaining fixture against Marist, Athlone after the Halloween break. 

ST MEL’S COLLEGE: Adam McCormack (Bornacoola); Cian Gilna (Killoe), Billy Maguire (Longford Slashers), Ezekiel Da Costa (Longford Slashers); Michael Gacquin (Clonguish), Mark Cooney (Clonguish, 0-1), Cathal Lynch (Clonguish); Conor Doherty (Killoe), James Shannon (Longford Slashers); Jack Finnegan (Grattans), Conor Reynolds (Bornacola, 0-4), Michael Glennon (Clonguish); Senan Buckley (Clonguish, 1-0), James Hagan (Clonguish, 0-9, 3 frees), Diarmuid O’Brien (Longford Slashers).

Sub:- Oisin McHugh (Grattans) for S Buckley (46 mins). 

MALAHIDE CS: Finn Beirne (0-1, ‘45); Ross O’Brien, Adam Rooney, Killian Dunne; Jack Robinson, PJ O’Toole, James Grogan; Shane Wogan, Cian Cummings (0-1); Adam Leonard (0-1), Brian McCafferty, Matthew Ashett (1-0); Hugo Lynch, Oran Mollaghan (0-1, free), Liam Sheahan. 

Referee: Mark Glancy (Rathcline).