Despite a brilliant second half come back, Moynalvey just fell short of taking something from this game with Meath Hill hanging on for a one point win in this JM Food Services Div. 2 league round six game played at Kilmore Park Moynalvey on Thursday evening May 16th.
Moynalvey 3-9
Meath Hill 2-13
The game started looking like it would be a keenly contested affair with the sides trading points early on, with the scores three points apiece after eight minutes.
It was the home side who opened the scoring through Vinny Walsh, with Pierce McCraith replying for Meath Hill’s opening score a minute later. Soon after the game’s first goal opportunity came to Keelan Taylor but his effort was smartly smothered by Meath Hill goalkeeper Dominic Yorke.
Vinny Walsh and Jake Gillen traded points, as did Craig Gilsenan and Jack Slavin to tie the scores for a third time in the eight minute, 0-3 apiece.
Meath Hill then put the first piece of light between the sides with 1-2 without reply, frees from Dominic Yorke and Gary Breslin, while the goal came from a shot which deflected off Barry Walsh into his own net, leaving it 1-5 to 0-3 to Meath Hill mid way though the half.
Padraic Harnan briefly interrupted Meath Hill’s scoring with a brilliantly struck point off the outside of the right boot from the right wing, but two minutes later Meath Hill struck for their second goal, a long ball in deceiving Conor Quinn with Gary Breslin happily awaiting behind to finish to Conor Egan’s net making it 2-5 to 0-4 with nineteen minutes gone.
Jack Slavin and Barry Walsh traded points and another pair of Meath Hill frees from Gary Breslin and Dominic Yorke left Moynalvey facing an uphill battle as they trailed by nine points when referee Robbie Barrett blew for half time, 2-8 to 0-5.
If the second quarter belonged to Meath Hill, the third quarter most definitely belonged to Moynalvey with the men in maroon completing an eleven point turnaround to lead by two ten minutes into the second half, having been nine down at half time.
Having looked dead and buried at half time, stern words from Caoimhin King ignited his charges immediately from the restart as the home side hit their opponents for 3-3 in the opening ten minutes of the half.
A Mark O’Sullivan point followed by a brilliantly dispatched Vinny Walsh penalty after Darren Brennan was hauled down on the end line kick started Moynalvey’s revival. Those scores were followed by another excellent O’Sullivan point with Meath Hill ‘keeper Dominic Yorke replying with a free proving almost flawless from placed balls sending over the third of his four pointed frees of the evening, leaving it 2-9 to 1-7 in favour of the North Meath men.
A Vinny Walsh point, followed by a superb Padraic Harnan goal blasted past Dominic Yorke at head height to the roof of the far corner of the net from the acutest of angles, as good a finish as you’ll see anywhere, followed thirty seconds later by a Craig Gilsenan goal meant Moynalvey now led by two, 3-8 to 2-9 with ten minutes of the second half played.
Meath Hill responded with a pair of points to draw the sides level for a fourth time at the three quarter hour mark, 3-8 to 2-11.
Vinny Walsh handed the advantage back to Moynalvey when striking for his fourth point of the evening in the 49th minute, what would prove to be Moynalvey’s last score of the game.
Despite their efforts in the final ten minutes Moynalvey failed to register again and Meath Hill added another brace to hold out for the one point win, 2-13 to 3-9.
Best for Moynalvey here were Craig Gilsenan, Padraic Harnan, Mark O’Sullivan and Vinny Walsh.
Next up for Moynalvey is a round seven game away to Dunshaughlin on Saturday afternoon 25th May.
Moynalvey Team & Scorers:
Conor Egan, Darragh Branigan, Cathal McCabe, Conor Quinn, Luke O’Halloran, David Reilly, Keelan Taylor, Padraic Harnan (1-1), Donal Smith, Barry Walsh (0-1), Mark O’Sullivan (0-2), Craig Gilsenan (1-1), Vinny Walsh (1-4, 1p& 2f), William Harnan, Darren Brennan.
Subs: Paul Corcoran for O’Halloran, Eoin Corrigan for B. Walsh.
