Moynalvey secured their second win of the 2017 Div. 1 A League when overcoming visitors Seneschalstown on a 3-15 to 0-8 score line at Moynalvey on Saturday evening April 8th.
Moynalvey 3-15 Seneschalstown 0-8
With just 2 points on the board from their first four league games, a win was badly needed by Moynalvey going into this tie. This was a somewhat easier than expected win over the Beauparc men, with only three separating the sides at half time, but the visitors failed to register in the second period, with Moynalvey adding 1-10 during that dominant second half. With the sides drawn against each other in the first round of the championship, a much tighter affair is sure to be on the cards on that occasion.
Moynalvey welcomed back their county football & hurling contingent, seven in total, with Mark O’Sullivan fresh from his exploits with the small ball last weekend lining out for Moynalvey for the first time this year.
County footballer Padraic Harnan opened the scoring with a point in the 2nd minute, with Joe Sheridan replying for Seneschalstown a minute later. Seneschalstown points from Niall Groome and Robert Wogan put them two up, before Harnan was once again on the score sheet, this time finding the back of David Gordon’s net for the first of the game’s three goals to put Moynalvey 1-1 to 0-3 ahead after seven minutes, a lead they weren’t to relinquish again.
Two Anthony Forde scores, one either side of a Fearghal McCabe point, the first a point and the second a goal, put six between the sides after 17 minutes. Three Seneschalstown points in as many minutes, two frees and a Niall Groome effort had the deficit reduced to three after 20 minutes of play. Both sides added 0-2 apiece before the half time whistle, with Moynalvey’s points coming from James Weldon & Mark O’Sullivan, to leave three between the sides at the break, 2-5 to 0-8.
A dominant second half display saw the home side outscore their opponents 1-10 to no score, David McLoughlin split the uprights nine minutes after the restart for his first score of the game and his side’s first score of the second half. Substitute James O’Neill pointed a free on the three quarter hour mark, followed by points from Cillian O’Sullivan & McLoughlin. The game’s 3rd green flag was raised when O’Neill drifted in to fist home a John Donoghue point attempt which was dropping short.
Further points from Cillian O’Sullivan (2f), James Kelly, John Donoghue and Mark O’Sullivan rounded off Moynalvey’s second half scoring. The winning margin may have been more, only for a large number of first half wides; and the woodwork denying Moynalvey scores on four occasions, two of them goal chances. A total of 10 different scorers found the target during the hour for the side in maroon and white, with all bar three of their 3-15 coming from play.
Best for Moynalvey were Conor Harnan, Robert Lawless, Stephen Donoghue, John Donoghue, Padraic Harnan and Cillian O’Sullivan.
Moynalvey: Ray Ryan, Conor Harnan, Robert Lawless, Brian O’Reilly, Anthony Forde (1-1), Stephen Donoghue, Cathal McCabe, John Donoghue (0-1), Mark O’Sullivan (0-2), Cillian O’Sullivan (0-4, 2f), Padraic Harnan (1-1), Fearghal McCabe (0-1), David McLoughlin (0-2), James Weldon (0-1), James Kelly (0-1).
Subs: David Reilly for F. McCabe, James O’Neill (1-1, 1f) for P. Harnan, D. Branigan for Lawless.
