MSL soccer: Champions Midleton sign off league campaign with draw as St Mary’s make their point and stay up

Midleton 0

St Mary’s 0

Beamish Stout Premier Division champions Midleton brought the curtain down on their campaign after a scoreless draw over St Mary’s at Knockgriffin Park on Wednesday.

Close to 12 months on from when they won the 2024 title, the Magpies retained their crown in different circumstances.

The sun was shining, as it was in that final game with Cobh Wanderers last year, but manager Kevin Murray and his players were a lot more chilled going into this game having clinched the title last weekend following Ringmahon Rangers’ 1-1 draw with College Corinthians.

There was a carnival atmosphere about Knockgriffin Park — music belting out over the Tannoy, an overhead drone capturing the celebratory mood, before Mary’s applauded the champions onto the pitch, while at half-time the club introduced members of five other teams that won their respective leagues in the last week or so — the U17 premier and first division teams, the U16 premier side and the U17 and U16 girls teams, a sure sign that the club is in good hands for the future.

While the result meant little or nothing to Midleton, it was an important night for their visitors who avoided a three-way play off to determine who would be relegated and who would contest the promotion /relegation play-off against Castleview who finished third in the first division.

The point earned by the Saints ensured that the play-off would be between Douglas Hall and UCC following results elsewhere on the night.

Mary’s were certainly worth their point and played with a lot of energy and positivity and should have led at half-time.

They had an early goal by Scott O’Callaghan ruled out following an offside in the build-up, and midway through the half Midleton keeper Shane Hallahan had to stretch to his right to turn Robert Rourke’s header around the post for a corner following a Ronan Murphy free kick.

Just after the half-hour mark Hallahan was in action again, this time saving from Craig Doherty-O’Callaghan’s shot at the expense of a corner from which Cian McCarthy’s header was saved on the line.

Midleton weren’t without their chances — Jake Hegarty broke from midfield and had a goalbound shot blocked for a corner and shortly afterwards there was a goalmouth scramble in the Saints’ box that needed to be cleared.

Mary’s continued to create the better chances, though, and when keeper Ryan Delaney’s kick-out was helped into the path of Kyle O’Callaghan in space with just Hallahan to beat, the keeper denied the Mary’s man with another fine block.

There was a scare in the Mary’s defence in injury-time when Midleton’s Christian Daly latched on to a short back-pass to Delaney, but the Saints keeper was quickly out to prevent the danger.

There were fewer chances in the second half, though Midleton upped their game and emptied their bench throughout the period.

Early on Hegarty went close with a free kick from the edge of the penalty area, while on the hour mark a Matthew O’Sullivan delivery from the right found Hegarty whose cushioned header into the path of James McCarthy forced Delaney into a fine save.

Mary’s managed to curtail any further threats, while not creating as many chances as they had in the first half, but as results from elsewhere came through at the finish, they knew they had done enough to say up.

MIDLETON: Shane O’Hanlon, Matthew O’Sullivan, Robert Walsh, John Keane, Robert O’Connor, Seamus Farrell, James McCarthy, Killian Murphy, Jake Hegarty, Jack O’Sullivan, Christian Daly.

Subs: Dylan Lyons for Daly (h/t), Jamie Collins for O’Sullivan (65), George Alamu and Darragh O’Brien for Farrell and O’Sullivan (both 75), Daniel Leonard for Hegarty (83).

ST MARY’S: Ryan Delaney, Ronan Murphy, Fionn Kelly, Robert Rourke, David Dunphy, Cian McCarthy, Kyle O’Callaghan, Jason Conway, Dylan Doherty-Corcoran, Shane Conway, Scott O’Callaghan.

Subs: Josh Lombardi for Doherty-Corcoran (76), Craig Mostyn for Kyle O’Callaghan (86), Cian Browne for Shane Conway (91).

Referee: Declan Fogarty, assistants Alan Belmadjoub, Bobby Coonan.