Mullinavat got the better of Shandonagh to advance into the next round of the Intermediate championship.
The south Kilkenny side booked their place in the Leinster intermediate football championship semi-final following a 3-09 to 0-15 defeat of Westmeath side Shandonagh on Saturday. Speaking to Scoreline after the game manager Micheal Alyward was delighted with the fast start, that put them in good stead for the rest of the game;
See also: Mullinavat and Clonmore progress to Leinster club football semi-finals, will play at home again
“The lads worked hard, put it on the scoreboard, and got the result, and now we go again the next day and try to do the same again.”
“We started a lot better than we did against Brackenagh. We got the goal at the right time, they did not get too much ahead of us, at least it was only one score. it was still level at halftime and it was all to play for in the second half.”
“We had gone a good bit behind the last day, and it took a good effort in the second half to get it going. Against Shandonagh we did very well in the first half, converting chances we had not done against Brackenagh. The second half started 1-05 to 8 points, it was a level game starts, a couple of early goals and good scores seemed to knock the wind out of them. We prevented them from getting goals, and that was important.”
Further action from last Saturday’s @AIB_GAA Leinster GAA Intermediate Club Football Championship Quarter Final
— Mullinavat GAA (@GAAMullinavat) November 7, 2022
Mullinavat 3-09
Shandonagh 0-15
(Photo Credits Andy Walshe – Shandonagh FB)#LeinsterClub222 pic.twitter.com/IsGvPQEsXC
Micheal Alyward had been vocal about the lack of respect shown toward football in the Marble City and pointed out the pride his players take in representing their county and club at the provincial level regardless of the code;
“Any player, hurling, football, camogie, and ladies football, once you put on a jersey in Kilkenny you are as proud as anybody.”
“Once you put on a Kilkenny jersey that is great, but anybody once they are playing with their own club they will fight tooth and nail for it and that is what it is about.”
It of course has been a banner year for football in Kilkenny, with Mullinavat’s own Micheal Malone captaining Kilkenny to an All-Ireland victory in Croke Park earlier this year. This along with Mullinavats charge is slowly changing the perception of football in the county;
“There are people outside the club that wants us to do well. The Kilkenny county secretary, Pat Mulrooney, is in talking to the lads as if it’s his own club. That is a man from Clara, that has a passion for football and is keen about what these lads can do. There is plenty of people around the county.”
“It is about a bit of enjoyment, it brings a feel-good factor.”
Fethard bested Greystones in their Leinster tie, which sets up a clash with the Kilkenny champions. Alyward alluded to the fact that although they may have the underdog tag, that will not matter much to them;
“They have been playing senior the last number of years, just relegated last year. They will be strong, we will probably go in as underdogs. At the start of the game it will be zero, zero on the scoreboard, but whatever is on it at the end of the game will prove who was favourite.”
Listen back to the full interview on Scoreline Extra below: