A strong final quarter from home side Moynalvey secured the two points on offer in this keenly contested Div. 3 B League game against Cortown played at Kilmore Park Moynalvey on Monday 25th July.
Moynalvey 1-16 Cortown 0-12
Little separated the sides throughout the contest, the game’s only goal in the 47th minute proved to be the main deciding factor with Moynalvey pushing on to record a seven point victory, while the visitors failed to score since the 11th minute of the second half.
The first score of the game arrived after just 40 seconds when Stephen Cummins and Ray Ryan combined well to set up Sean Duggan for the game’s opening score. Ray Ryan converted a ’45 in the third minute and sixty seconds later Duggan pointed again to leave Moynalvey three points to the good after four minutes.
Cortown opened their account in the 6th minute, followed by two more points in the 7th & 12th minutes to leave the sides level for the first time, 0-3 apiece after 12 minutes of play. The sides were level once again in the 21st minute when Moynalvey’s James O’Neill converted frees either side of a couple of Cortown points.
Points from both club stalwarts, Moynalvey’s John Donoghue and Cortown’s Glen Loughran left it 0-6 apiece after 24 minutes. A Cortown point from play was followed by another O’Neill free for Moynalvey, proving the sides were inseparable throughout the first 25 minutes. Cortown gained a slight upper hand to lead by two at the break having reeled off three points in a row, with O’Neill replying for the home side just on the stroke of half time, to leave the score reading 0-10 to 0-8 in favour of the visitors at half time.
Thirty seconds after the restart the deficit was reduced to the minimum when a Ray Ryan effort at goal saw possession recycled back to Sean Duggan who fisted over for his third point of the evening. The next 12 minutes turned out to be the James O’Neill vs Glen Loughran shootout, Loughran sent over two massive points from distance, one from a free and one from play, with all three of O’Neill’s points coming from play, leaving the sides level for a fifth time in the 42nd minute, 0-12 apiece.
Over the remaining 18 minutes Moynalvey would hit another 1-4 without reply. Duggan pointed his fourth of the evening, before the game’s only green flag was raised when a Ciaran Ennis ’45 landed into the danger area and it was O’Neill who was quickest to react to the loose ball fisting home from close range. Three more points from David Donoghue, Brian O’Reilly and O’Neill saw the home side claim victory with a seven point winning margin on a 1-16 to 0-12 score line.
Moynalvey: C. Ennis, E. Mitchell, P. Donoghue, J. Munnelly, C. Harnan, A. Brien, D. Branigan, P. Conneely, D. Donoghue (0-1), B. O’Reilly (0-1), J. Donoghue (0-1), J. O’Neill (1-8, 4f), R. Ryan (0-1, ’45), S. Duggan (0-4), S. Cummins.
Subs: G. Crowley for Duggan, Duggan for O’Reilly.
