Moynalvey withstood a stern test from Seneschalstown in this Fairyhouse Steel Senior Championship Group B 1st Round game played at Trim on Friday night 19th May.
The Moynalvey Panel on duty for the 2017 Fairyhouse Steel SFC 1st Round vs Seneschalstown
Moynalvey 0-17 Seneschalstown 1-9
The sides had met in the League six weeks ago where there was a sixteen points difference between the sides. However the Championship is a different ball game altogether, with the low winning margins of most of the SFC first round games played over the past few days reflected in this game also.
Nothing could separate the sides in the first half as the sides went in level 1-5 to 0-8 at the break. Moynalvey clocked up an early three point lead with scores from David McLoughlin (3) and the impressive Anthony Forde. The game’s only goal came in the 15th minute when Joe Sheridan’s strength saw him hold off Moynalvey full back Rob Lawless with one hand while fielding the ball with the other, before rifling to the top corner of Moynalvey goalkeeper Conor Egan’s net from an acute angle. Both sides’s added 0-4 apiece before the half time whistle, with Moynalvey’s points coming from Cillian O’Sullivan (2), Anthony Forde & David McLoughlin, while Joe Sheridan (3) and Bryan Clarke accounted for Seneschalstown’s scores.
Brian Sheridan edged David Hosie’s men in front again when pointing three minutes after the restart, however this proved to be Seneschalstown’s last score until the 58th minute as Moynalvey scored seven points without reply during this period. Moynalvey’s scorers were Padraic Harnan, Fearghal McCabe, Anthony Forde, David McLoughlin (2) and Mark O’Sullivan (2) with two booming points from way out on the right wing. Joe Sheridan eventually broke the Seneschalstown scoring drought in the 58th minute with a snap shot while surrounded by Moynalvey defenders which just cleared the cross bar. Two more points saw them come within a single score of Moynalvey, 0-15 to 1-9 just as the hour mark passed.
Robert Lawless and Cathal McCabe coped with any aerial threat Seneschalstown threw at the them in the final minutes as the Yellow Furze men went in search of that elusive second goal, especially the two Sheridan brothers Joe & Brian, who had accounted for 1-6 of their side’s 1-9 total. Another huge point from Mark O’Sullivan and one from substitute Adam Murphy, which just as easily could have gone underneath the crossbar as over saw Moynalvey wrap up the two points to record their first win in an opening round Group game in the SFC since returning to the Senior Grade in 2012.
Best for the winners were Cathal McCabe, Robert Lawless, Anthony Forde, David McLoughlin and Adam Murphy.
Moynalvey: Conor Egan, Conor Harnan, Robert Lawless, Cathal McCabe, Padraic Harnan (0-1), Stephen Donoghue, Anthony Forde (0-3), Donal Smith, John Donoghue, Mark O’Sullivan (0-3), Daniel Treacy, Cillian O’Sullivan (0-2, 2f), David McLoughlin (0-6, 3f), Fearghal McCabe (0-1), Darren Brennan.
Subs used: Eamon Walsh for J. Donoghue, Adam Murphy (0-1) for Treacy.
