Home side Ballinabrackey got the better of visitors Moynalvey by two points on a 3-10 to 2-11 score line in this Div. 2 A League round 3 tie played at Boyne Park Ballinabrackey on Sunday afternoon 6th March.
Ballinabrackey 3-10 Moynalvey 2-11
Ballinabrackey matched fellow promotion side Meath Hill in overcoming Senior opposition in the A League at the weekend and in the process leapfrogged their opponents in the Div. 2 A League table. The Bracks looked like they would run away with victory at the break as a faltering Moynalvey outfit trailed their Intermediate opponents by nine points, with the visitors having registered a paltry three points in the opening 30 minutes.
By the time Moynalvey full forward Mark O’Sullivan opened their account in the 13th minute home side Ballinabrackey already had 0-4 on the score board. The score board looked even bleaker for Moynalvey three minutes later as a further 1-1 from the home side left the score board reading 1-5 to 0-1 after 16 minutes of play.
A Ballinabrackey point sandwiched between Moynalvey points from James O’Neill & Daniel Treacy prior to Moynalvey being hit with a further setback when the Bracks raised their second green flag of the game just on the stroke of half time when Danny Quinn netted, left Moynalvey trailing by a huge nine points at the interval, 2-6 to 0-3.
Moynalvey completed a second half Lazarus like comeback as after 18 minutes of the second period they had drawn level with their opponents, 2-7 apiece. Within six minutes of the restart the men in maroon and white had posted 1-1, both from placed balls, the first an O’Sullivan free and the second a coolly converted penalty from James Weldon after James O’Neill had been fouled when about to pull the trigger on goal. A huge Danny Quinn point from out the field brought in over the bar by the upright in the 37th minute was followed by an expertly finished goal from O’Sullivan and points from James Weldon, O’Sullivan and Donal Smith to complete the Moynalvey revival.
However having enjoyed their purple patch, Moynalvey were guilty of gifting their opponents possession in the 49th minute which resulted in the host’s third goal of the game and two minutes later found themselves four points adrift of the home side after they split the uprights once again. A brace of O’Sullivan frees left two between the sides with five minutes remaining, 3-8 to 2-9.
Two more points from Ballinabrackey, the second a massive free from out the field by former county player Damien Carroll looked to have made safe the two points on offer for the home side. However there was still time for late drama, as O’Sullivan pointed another free and then in the 4th minute of injury time with the last play of the game a high ball into the square found its way over the black spot from an unknown congestion of fists, leaving Ballinabrackey holding on for their 2nd win of the League campaign and condemning Moynalvey to their 1st defeat.
Moynalvey: C. Egan, R. Lawless, C. McCabe, S. Browne, F. McCabe, D. Brennan, D. Branigan, S. Donoghue, D. Smith (0-1), S. Lenehan, D. Treacy (0-1), J. Kelly, J. Weldon (1-1, 1p), M. O’Sullivan (1-6, 5f), J. O’Neill (0-1).
Subs: S. Duggan for Browne, J. Donoghue for O’Neill.
