Mullen on form as Mountmellick strike late to see off Annanough

Annanough 0-11 Mountmellick 2-11 
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Mountmellick are through to the quarter final of the intermediate football championship following a hard-fought victory over Annanough in Stradbally tonight.

They were pushed all the way by an Annanough side who had been well beaten by The Rock in Round 1 but led by two points as we entered the final quarter.

However, they would only add one more score in the time that remaining as Mountmellick scored two goals – the second coming from man of the match Niall Mullen who finished proceedings with 1-7.

It was a much improved performance from Annanough though with Damien McCaul, Killian Horgan, Simon Shortall and Johnny Fennelly particularly impressive but they will contest the relegation final against the losers of O’Dempsey’s and Timahoe in two weeks time.

Annanough began the game like a train and had five points on the board after 12 minutes.

Damien McCaul and Killian Horgan both kicked a brace and Elliott Scully grabbed the fifth but he was desperately unlucky not to have a goal as his shot cannoned off the crossbar and went over.

Niall Mullen opened Mountmellick’s scoring and that was followed by points from himself and Colm Coss before Annanough kicked on again.

Horgan and McCaul once again found their range to leave Annanough 0-7 to 0-3 ahead at the break.

They faded a bit after that with a McCaul point their only score before half time as Mullen slotted four to leave the minimum between them at half time – 0-8 to 0-7 in Annanough’s favour.

Annanough picked things up again at the start of the second half with two more McCaul points moving them three ahead once more.

But their hopes were dashed either side of the water break. Niall Mullen cut the gap to two and then when Annanough lost possession in midfield from the resulting kick-out, Mountmellick counter attacked with David Kelly cutting in from the angle and smashing a shot into the corner of the net.

Mountmellick now led for the first time and it got even better for them after the water break when a long ball found Niall Mullen and he shrugged off Rory Stapleton before rolling the ball into the bottom corner.

There was no way back for Annanough from there and although McCaul did take his tally to seven, Mountmellick made the win safe with points from Redmond McEvoy, John Noonan and Mullen before the end.

SCORERS – Annanough: Damien McCaul 0-7 (three frees), Killian Horgan 0-3 (one free), Eliott Scully 0-1 Mountmellick: Niall Mullen 1-8 (three frees), David Kelly 1-0, Colm Coss, John Noonan and Redmond McEvoy 0-1 each

ANNANOUGH: Conor Hanley; Marty Stapleton, Rory Stapleton, Marcus Shortall; Ronan Stapleton, John Scully, Conor Donlon; Donal Miller, Shane Stapleton; Johnny Fennelly, Killian Horgan, Simon Shortall; Elliott Scully, James Miller, Damien McCaul. Subs: John Heffernan for Stapleton (41), Colin Miller for J Miller and Cathal Kelliher for M Shortall (both 58)

MOUNTMELLICK: Eoghan Keogh; Cian Thompson, Gearoid Hanrahan, Ethan Lawlor; Darren Fitzpatrick, Mark Dowling, Redmond McEvoy; David Kelly, Cian McCann; Eddie Melia, Colm Coss, Darren McDermott; John Connolly, Steven Lynch, Niall Mullen. Subs: Curtis Lee for Melia and John Noonan for Connolly (both ht), Darragh Hanlon for Lynch (45), Laurence Kenny for Fitzpatrick (58)

Referee: Seamus O’Shea (Crettyard)

SEE ALSO – Check out all our Laois SFC coverage here

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