Moynalvey maintained their good start to the Div. 4 Premier Football Championship with a 2nd round win over neighbours Blackhall Gaels at Kilmore Park Moynalvey on Saturday evening 16th April.
Moynalvey 4-11
Blackhall Gaels 0-10
Backing up their opening round win over Seneschalstown, Moynalvey made it two wins from two with a 13 point win over Blackhall Gaels to put them sitting joint top of the division 4 table alongside Ballivor after two rounds.
As the cliché goes, goals win games. Moynalvey raised four green flags in contrast to their opponent who failed to find the net, with Moynalvey ‘keeper Ray Ryan only having to make one meaningful save in the second half.
Three of Moynalvey’s four goals came in the first half giving the home side a commanding 3-7 to 0-5 half time lead. Any hope of a second half Blackhall comeback were quashed within a minute of the restart when half-time substitute Stephen Donoghue fired to Mark Nicholson’s net.
The first score of the game was the first of Moynalvey’s goals when Ciaran Harnan had the task of finishing to the net from close range in the 3rd minute after good build up play. Thirty seconds later Blackhall midfielder Charlie Staunton registered his side’s first point.
A brace of Moynalvey points from Donal Smith and Paul Corcoran were countered by a Blackhall score from full forward Andrew Brady. Two minutes later Ciaran Harnan struck for his second goal, leaving it 2-2 0-2 at the quarter hour mark.
Three Moynalvey points from Sean Duggan (2) and Donal Smith with a Fearghal Kiernan point for the visitors sandwiched in between left the score board reading 2-5 to 0-3 with 20 minutes played.
A goal for Caragh O’Brien and a second point of the game for Paul Corcoran extended Moynalvey’s advantage to eleven points, 3-5 to 0-3.
A pair of Blackhall Gaels points either side of a Shaun Deering point rounded off the first half scoring to leave the half time score board read 3-7 to 0-5.
The half wasn’t without its drama as the game was interrupted with what has now gone viral, the automower entering the field of play. Thankfully after a short pause it was safely removed and the game resumed.
With a healthy lead, Moynalvey utilized their bench to the full and possibly guilty of taking their foot off the gas, the second half was a slightly more even affair on the scoring front, 1-4 for Moynalvey compared to Blackhall’s 0-5 return.
Two excellently executed points from the outside of the right boot rom Ciaran Harnan along with points from Darren Brennan and Vinny Walsh and Stephen Donoghue’s early goal accounted for Moynalvey’s second half scoring to leave the full time score, 4-11 to 0-10.
Best for the winners were Padraig Kelly, Darren Brennan, Sean Duggan, Donal Smith, Paul Corcoran and Ciaran Harnan.
Moynalvey team & scorers:
Ray Ryan, Eoin Corrigan, Conor Egan, Darragh Branigan, Padraig Kelly, David Donoghue, Darren Brennan (0-1), Sean Duggan (0-2), Donal Smith (0-2), Paul Corcoran (0-2), Ciaran Harnan (2-2), Vinny Walsh (0-1), Caragh O’Brien (1-0), Shaun Deering (0-1), Paul Brennan.
Subs used: Stephen Donoghue (1-0) for Smith, Conor Quinn for Corrigan, Aidan Gilsenan for D. Brennan, Liam O’Reilly for P. Brennan, Andrew Jackson for Kelly.
