Dunmore MacHales overpower Mountbellew Moylough in Division two league semi-final

The home side set the tempo straight away, with Dylan Brady, Padraig Costello, Barry Murray and Daithi Reddington hitting the opening five points to push their side into an early lead. Mountbellew-Moylough finally got their first score of the half after 17 minutes through Leo Donnellan. Costello added a two-pointer followed by a free, along with a point from Matthew Reddington, who was involved with the Galway senior football panel earlier this year, to extend Dunmore MacHales’ lead to 0-9 to 0-1.

Barry McHugh replied with a two-point free on 22 minutes to keep the men in black and amber within touching distance. On 26 minutes, referee Curley sent McHugh off for an off-the-ball incident involving Cathal Meehan, who also picked up a yellow card.

Daithi Reddington and Thomas Gleeson combined to push the Shafts back into an eight-point lead, while Galway U20 hurler Michael Burke, who impressed in the number six role for Mountbellew-Moylough, hit back before Shane Mitchell and Matthew Reddington nailed efforts on the stroke of half-time as Dunmore MacHales led 0-13 to 0-4 at the interval.

Eoin Boyle took over the free-taking duties for Mountbellew-Moylough in the second half and landed a free on 32 minutes, but Michael Halliday’s charges soon took control after Matthew Reddington drilled a low shot past the Mountbellew-Moylough goalkeeper and, by the 37th minute, they were 1-15 to 0-5 clear.

However, Mountbellew-Moylough began to mount a comeback. Goalkeeper Michael Foley’s accuracy from two-point frees gave the 2021 county champions energy, while Boyle and Fionn Colleran helped reduce the deficit to 1-16 to 0-11 by the 48th minute. With 11 minutes remaining, they had worked themselves right back into the contest when Leo Donnellan raced down the wing and set up Colin Ryan, who finished from close range to leave just five points between the sides at 1-16 to 1-11.

On 59 minutes, Mountbellew-Moylough were reduced to 13 men when Colin Ryan received his second yellow card.

The winners began to close out the game impressively. Matthew Reddington was fouled inside the small square and Gleeson made no mistake from the penalty spot. Costello, Brady and Gleeson, along with a two-pointer from Sean Carr, saw the 2025 county quarter finalists ease to an 11-point win, although Mountbellew-Moylough did grab a late goal through substitute Eoin O’Loughlin.

DUNMORE MACHALES: Shane Geoghegan; Finian Cronin, Colin Comer, Cathal Meehan; Shane Mitchell (0-1), Sean Murray, Daithi Reddington (0-2); Matthew Reddington (1-2), Ruairi Walkin; Dylan Brady (0-4), Thomas Gleeson (1-2, 1-0 pen), Jake Slattery (0-1); Barry Murray (0-1), Padraig Costello (0-8, tpf, 0-4f), Niall Rattigan. SUBS: Conor Mitchell for Shane Mitchell (41), Danny Forde for Meehan (42), Padraig Martyn for Rattigan (48), Sean Carr (0-2, tp) for Daithi Reddington (58).

MOUNTBELLEW MOYLOUGH: Michael Foley (0-4, 2tpf); Adam Colleran, Brian Noone, Cian Fallon; Shea Fallon, Michael Burke (0-1), Fionn Colleran (0-2); Sean Kelly, Oran O’Reilly; Conor Mannion, Colin Ryan (1-0), Leo Donnellan (0-1); Tony Shields, Matthew Keane, Barry McHugh (0-2, tpf). SUBS: Eoin Boyle (0-2, 0-2f) for Matthew Keane (Half-time), Colm Mannion for Mannion, Eoin O’Loughlin (1-0) for Kelly (60), Tiernan Proulx for Cian Fallon (60)

REFEREE: Shane Curley.