Moynalvey rounded off their 2016 Div. 3 B League campaign with their 8th win from nine outings, defeating Ballinlough on a 1-15 to 1-5 score line played under lights in Ballinlough on Monday evening 12th August.
Ballinlough 1-5 Moynalvey 1-15
The win sees Moynalvey guaranteed top spot in the Division, along with a place in the League Final against Oldcastle and promotion to Division 2 next year, while the game was a good run out for Ballinlough ahead of their Junior ‘D’ Championship Final next Saturday evening.
From the start it was visitors Moynalvey who were in control, holding a 0-4 to 0-00 score lead after eight minutes and ahead by 0-8 to 0-1 after 18 minutes. Moynalvey’s first quartet of points came from Anthony Forde (2) & Ciaran Ennis (2), before Ballinlough broke their scoring duck when James O’Higgins pointed in the 10th minute. Moynalvey’s second four points of that seven point lead came from Sean Duggan (2), Ennis and Forde.
The home side hit three points in a row in the 22nd, 24th, and 25th minutes with the scores coming from Jack Tunney (2) and James O’Higgins, to reduce the deficit by half, 0-8 to 0-4. Moynalvey’s Conor Shirren rounded off the first half scoring when being placed through by Ennis to leave the visitors five points to the good at half time.
Moynalvey got off to the perfect start to the second period when Sean Duggan found the back of Keith McGuninness’ net within 30 seconds of the restart. An Ennis free and a fourth point from Forde extended Moynalvey’s lead to ten points, 1-11 to 0-4 with 42 minutes played. A goal from full forward James O’Higgins and a pointed free from Jack Tunney reduced the margin to seven; however these proved to be the home side’s last scores. Moynalvey reeled off a further four points from Ennis (2), Forde and Conor Shirren to run out ten point winners on a 1-15 to 1-5 score line.
While the championship has been somewhat of a letdown for Moynalvey, the league form sees them in both the Div. 2 A & Div. 3 B League Finals and promotion to Div. 1 and Div.2 for each team next year.
Moynalvey: Padraig Donoghue, Darragh Branigan, Shane Browne, Anthony Brien, Johnny Carey, David Donoghue, Anthony Forde (0-5), Paul Conneely, Dominic O’Brien, Sean Duggan (1-2), John Donoghue, Ciaran Ennis (0-6), Stephen Cummins, Shaun Deering, Conor Sheerin (0-2).
Subs: Brian Conneely for Shirren, Shirren for Paul Conneely.
