Historic soccer game for MDL

Historic occasion for the Meath & District League which next year will celebrate its 30th anniversary, but based on the evidence from Friday night"s Div 4 encounter, nothing much has changed since those first games way back in the Mid-Meath League in 1980. Nothing much in the sense of player welfare anyway. Friday"s low-key encounter between Trim side Knightsbrook and Drogheda outfit Grove Rangers was, perhaps, an ideal way to mark the first official game under the MDL"s new floodlights. Neither team is likely to rise much higher in the standings and any football that was played was produced by Knightsbrook as they coasted to a facile victory. The evidence that nothing much has changed arrived as early as the 13th minute when Knightsbrook centre-half Dom Martin was involved in an accidental clash and left the pitch with blood spurting from a serious head wound. The first aid kit was nowhere to be found. Someone sprinted to the dressing room, it had obviously been forgotten in the well-organised preparations and pre-match inspections. It didn"t make a lot of difference anyway as, when it arrived, no one seemed to know how to use it despite the fact that about 20 years ago a rule was passed which decreed that each club should have a qualified first aid person. Interestingly, the matter was discussed at this year"s annual general meeting, but, apparently, the jury is still out on that particular piece of legislation. It was a touch ironic that Martin should be the victim of this type of apathy amongst club officials. Martin played in that opening round of fixtures in the inaugural Mid-Meath League which took place on 23rd November 1980 with a local factory team, Turmec and he has campaigned successfully ever since with Railway Rovers, Trim Town and for about 15 seasons with Trim Celtic. Fortunately, former Trim Celtic manager Alan Kirwan was a spectator on Friday night and he provided assistance which included a trip to hospital for some emergency attention. Martin had scarcely departed when a Grove player sustained an injury and he had to be assisted from the pitch also. It was amusing, in one sense, as the Grove player lay on the ground and the first aid, the trusty plastic bottle of water appeared. It looked like a Seven Up bottle as it was green, but it never made it to the injured player as it was hi-jacked by the rest of team and by the time it got to him it was empty. He hopped off and play, if that"s not too misleading a description, resumed. Knightsbrook look fairly useful, but I fear for Grove who have only returned to the MDL this season after a short absence. Too many results like this and they may not make it across the finish line. Two first-half goals from Eddie Murray eased Knightsbrook into an interval lead. Mark Corrigan, TJ Garry, Alan O"Brien, James Moynihan and Gavin O"Neill added the second-half goals, but team manager Mick Craig will not get carried away by this result. Knightsbrook - Eugene Goulding; James Moynihan, Derek Fortune, Alan Gilbane, Dom Martin, Alex Geraghty, Mark Corrigan, TJ Garry, Alan O"Brien, Eddie Murray, Cillian Ryan. Subs - Darren Blaney for Martion, Seamus Rochford for Murray, Gavin O"Neill for Corrigan. Grove Rangers - Gary Reynolds; Gerard Cudden, Mark Curry, Andy Farrell, Jason Kerr, Michael Markey, Jason Campbell, Andy Smith, Gordon Owens, Richard Gregory, Vinny Churchill. Sub - Barry Gregory for Campbell. Referee - David Murphy (Meath Branch ISRS)