Saturday, 22 February 2025 – Phoenix Centre, Carrickmacross
Carrick Cruisers 82 – 85 Maigh Cuilinn (OT)

Maigh Cuilinn survived a second-half onslaught from Carrick Cruisers to grind out a dramatic 85-82 overtime victory in Monaghan on Saturday night. What looked like a comfortable road win turned into a tense battle, but Paul O’Brien’s side showed their composure when it mattered most to claim their fifth straight victory and move into third place in the Southern Conference.

The visitors started strong, dictating the tempo early and punishing Carrick’s defensive lapses. A dominant first quarter saw Maigh Cuilinn jump out to a 23-13 lead, with Grant Olsson and Aitor Perez finding success inside. The second quarter followed a similar pattern, as Antonio Molina and Dylan Cunningham kept the scoreboard ticking over, extending the advantage to 40-26 at halftime.

When Maigh Cuilinn stretched their lead to 20 points with just over a minute left in the third quarter, it seemed they were in complete control. However, Carrick Cruisers, fueled by a raucous home crowd, staged a furious comeback. A 10-0 run bridging the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters brought the deficit to just 10 points (64-54), setting up a tense finish.

Despite a brief stabilizing effort from Eoin Cleary and Molina, Maigh Cuilinn went ice cold for four crucial minutes, failing to register a single point. Carrick took full advantage, completing their comeback with a fast-break layup that gave them their first lead of the night at 70-68. From there, the game became a tense back-and-forth affair, with neither side able to land the knockout blow. Olsson, as he so often does, led the way for Maigh Cuilinn down the stretch, keeping them in the fight. Both teams had opportunities to snatch victory in regulation, but neither could convert, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Maigh Cuilinn’s experience at this level proved decisive. While the game remained tight, it was youngster Cian Walsh who made the biggest impact, scoring four crucial points from the free-throw line. Maigh Cuilinn, who had struggled from long range all night (just 25% from three-point land), made up for it with clutch free-throw shooting, finishing 17 of 20 from the line, including a perfect six-for-six in overtime. That accuracy proved the difference in a game where Carrick’s momentum had threatened to complete a remarkable comeback.

The narrow win moves Maigh Cuilinn into third place in the Southern Conference, just one spot and one victory behind their Galway rivals, Titans. With another crucial road game next weekend against Titans in Ballinfoyle, Maigh Cuilinn have put themselves in a strong position to continue their playoff push.

Maigh Cuilinn Scorers:
Grant Olsson 25, Aitor Perez 15, Antonio Molina 14, Dylan Cunningham 10, Cian Walsh 9, Liam Moloney 4, Eoin Cleary 4, Donagh McDonagh 2, John Hynes, Rory O’Sullivan, Rhys Plower.

Categories: News