Maigh Cuilinn 70
Drogheda Wolves 81
University of Galway Sports Arena – 23.11.2024

Maigh Cuilinn’s hopes of kickstarting a crucial three-game home stand with a victory fell short on Saturday night, as Drogheda Wolves earned a deserved 81-70 win at the University of Galway Kingfisher.

Despite a promising start, the home side struggled with the physicality and energy of the Wolves, particularly on the boards, where Drogheda dominated throughout. 

The opening quarter saw Maigh Cuilinn hold their own, edging into a narrow 20-17 lead. Grant Olsson and James Loughnane provided much of the scoring punch, but even at this stage, warning signs loomed. Drogheda’s aggressive rebounding created second-chance opportunities that kept them within touching distance.

The second quarter proved more challenging for the home side. As Maigh Cuilinn’s half-court offence faltered, the Wolves took advantage. Stephen Safo’s work on the glass was increasingly influential, while Christian Simmons continued to find mismatches in the post. Despite Olsson’s best efforts—scoring 20 of his game-high 30 points in the first half—Maigh Cuilinn trailed 44-34 at halftime after a turnover and buzzer-beating layup by Drogheda sealed a strong finish to the quarter for the visitors.

The third quarter was where the game slipped decisively out of Maigh Cuilinn’s reach. A pair of technical fouls for excessive back chat to the referees—one for Dylan Cunningham and another for Aitor Perez—symbolised the home side’s growing frustration and a lack of maturity in dealing with the Drogheda challenge. Simmons and Safo capitalised, helping Drogheda stretch their lead to as much as 20 points towards the end of what was a disastrous third quarter for Maigh Cuilinn.

While Olsson and Cunningham combined for some late baskets to offer a glimmer of hope, Maigh Cuilinn still faced a daunting 69-53 deficit heading into the final frame.

Unfortunately for the sizeable home crowd that had battled through some torrid weather conditions to make it in to the game, the fourth quarter lacked any dramatic turnaround. The Wolves maintained their composure and continued to dominate the turnover and rebounding battles. Despite some haphazard good effort from many of the Maigh Cuilinn’s players, they failed to find any sustained momentum, and the game petered out as Drogheda comfortably saw out an 81-70 victory.

The loss is a setback for Maigh Cuilinn, who must now regroup ahead of the next two games in their crucial home stand. They will face Waterford Vikings in Leitir Móir next Saturday at 5:00 PM before hosting Ulster University on 14 December at the Cappagh Park Community Centre in Knocknacarra. Both games are vital as Maigh Cuilinn looks to stay in the playoff hunt.

Maigh Cuilinn Scorers

Grant Olsson 30, James Loughnane 9, Aitor Perez 8, Liam Moloney 7, Antonio Molina 7, Rory O’Sullivan 3, Dylan Cunningham 3, Sean Candon 2, Rhys Plower 1, John Hynes, Cian Walsh

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