Inside Track: Mairtíns relinquish their title and lose Mulroy to injury
Inside Track with Joe Carroll
Naomh Mairtín, in particular their talisman, Sam Mulroy, are the story of the senior championship so far. However, it doesn’t make very pleasant reading for the Monasterboice club.
The title-holders are out of the competition, having failed to qualify from the league section. They were beaten by St Joseph’s first time out, and by picking up just one point from their game with St Fechin’s over the weekend, are now among the also-rans.
That hasn’t been the competition’s only surprise. After routing St Mochta’s in the opening round, St Mary’s were shocked by Hunterstown Rovers in a local derby. That win, however, wasn’t a signpost to the knock-out stages for Rovers.
On Sunday night last, they were routed by Mochta’s, and like Mairtín’s are out of the competition.
It can’t be underestimated the damage that was done to Mairtín’s chances in the Joe’s game by the loss early on of Sam Mulroy. The ball had only been thrown in when he ended up on the deck.
It was no ordinary fall, however. The county team captain badly damaged his shoulder, and word is it might not be until next year before he sees further action.
The county’s outstanding performer of this decade, Mulroy has had a fair number of injuries to overcome – this one is by far the most serious.
Six teams were through to the quarter-finals going into last evening’s match between Dreadnots and Cooley Kickhams. Mary’s, Joe’s and Dundalk Gaels, the three group winners, are joined by St Fechin’s Mochta’s and St Patrick’s, while, if Cooley beat Dreadnots, they’ll head group 3, with Newtown Blues also making it through.
Dundalk Gaels followed their first round win over Roche Emmets with a defeat of St Patrick’s. That left Roche and Pat’s playing for the other group 4 qualifying spot at Haggardstown on Staurday night.
Showing much improved form, Pat’s took the honours, leaving them still with a chance of winning the Joe Ward Cup for the first time since 2015.