Moynalvey and Gaeil Colmcille took a point apiece from this Division 2 A League game played at Grangegodden on Saturday afternoon February 23rd as the sides finished level on a 3-9 to 2-12 score line.
Having forfeited home advantage due to Moynalvey’s pitch being unplayable it was the away team who got off to the better start, racing into a 1-5 to 0-00 score lead after only 12 minutes. The scoring spree began with a James Weldon point as early as 20 seconds after the throw in, which was followed by a point from Padraig Donoghue and a William Harnan goal, along with a hat trick of points from Ciaran Ennis. Gaeil Colmcille’s opening score came in the 13th minute when they found the back of the Moynalvey net. Two Ennis points, one from a free and the other a ’45 pushed Moynalvey’s advantage to seven points with 18 minutes played. Seamus Mattimoe registered Gaeil Colmcille’s second score of the afternoon in the 20th minute, before the referee awarded a somewhat harsh penalty against Moynalvey full back Padraic Harnan, which Gaeil Colmcille converted to leave only a goal between the sides, 1-7 to 2-1. Sixty seconds later Mattimoe sent over his second point, this time from play, with Ciaran Ennis responding with a converted free kick for Moynalvey. The fourth goal of the game arrived in the 29th minute when a somewhat speculative effort at a point from Brian Byrne deceived the Gail Colmcille ‘keeper James Flanagan finding its way into the net. The final score of the opening period arrived in the final minute of the half when Gaeil Colmcille’s wing half back Stephen Reddy pointed, leaving the half time score reading 2-8 to 2-3 in favour of Moynalvey.
The Kells men pointed first upon the resumption, before Anthony Forde fired over for Moynalvey five minutes into the second half, restoring Moynalvey’s five point lead. A superb piece of fielding from Padraig Donoghue resulted in him being hauled to the ground, with Ennis sending over the resulting free kick, leaving six between the sides after 42 minutes. However Moynalvey would fail to score again until the 57th minute. Gaeil Colmcille began to dominate proceedings and in a 15 minute period hit Moynalvey for an unanswered 1-5, with the second goal coming from the penalty spot also. Following a Robert Flanagan point in the 52nd minute for the Kells men, Moynalvey suddenly found themselves two points in arrears, having dominated the opening period. Two late points from a Ciaran Ennis free and a point from play by substitute Ray Ryan left the sides inseparable at the full time whistle.
Best for Moynalvey were Donal Smith, Brendan Dixon, Darren Brennan and Ciaran Ennis.
Moynalvey: O. Regan, B. Byrne (1-0), P. Harnan, B. O’Keeffe, A. Forde (0-1), S. Donoghue, B. Dixon, J. Donoghue, D. Smith, D. Brennan, P. Donoghue (0-1), J. Weldon (0-1), C. Ennis (0-8), W. Harnan (1-0), C. Collins. Subs: R. Ryan (0-1) for Weldon, K. Hyland for W. Harnan, D. Durkan for Collins, L. Duffy for P. Donoghue, B. Conneely for Smith.
