Moynalvey picked up their first 2 points of the 2015 Senior Championship when defeating neighbours Summerhill on a 3-10 to 0-13 score line in this local derby second round tie played at St. Lomans Park Trim on Saturday evening April 25th.
Moynalvey 3-10 Summerhill 0-13
Moynalvey created a piece of history when defeating neighbours Summerhill for the first time in Senior championship football last Saturday evening. Going into this game Moynalvey were written off in most people’s eyes not least the bookmakers, but on a weekend of upsets in the Senior grade it was perhaps Moynalvey’s victory over the 2011 and 2013 Keegan Cup winners which may have raised most eyebrows.
Both sides took to the field without county men, Summerhill without Conor Gillespie and Moynalvey without Mark O’Sullivan. It was Moynalvey who coped better in the absence of their talisman and as the cliché goes goals win games, Moynalvey hit Summerhill for three, two of which came in the opening half, giving Moynalvey an eight point half time lead on a 2-6 to 0-4 score line. Moynalvey keeper Ray Ryan barely had a save to make throughout the hour as the Moynalvey back six all of whom are 21 years of age or younger limited Summerhill to six points from open play, with only one of those coming in the opening period.
The ‘Hill started the better of the two sides opening up an early two point lead in the opening five minutes with two converted frees, the first from Michael Byrne and the second from Brian Ennis. Two David McLoughlin frees restored parity between the sides after nine minutes of play. Sixty seconds later McLoughlin raised the games first green flag when Shane Lenehan unselfishly laid the ball off to McLoughlin who fired past Summerhill goalie Tony McDonnell. Summerhill’s only first half score from open play came when Brian Ennis pointed in the 11th minute. A McLoughlin free and a superb point from the right wing by David Donoghue left Moynalvey four points to the good after 21 minutes, 1-4 to 0-3. Ennis clipped over another close range free to narrow the gap to just the goal, but thirty seconds later the ball was in the back of the Summerhill net for a second time, this time Dan Treacy executing the finish superbly. Three minutes later Treacy registered again, this time splitting the uprights and McLoughlin’s third converted free in the 26th minute rounded off the 1st half scoring, leaving Moynalvey with a commanding eight point lead as the teams left the field for the interval.
As expected the Summerhill fightback commenced right from the start of the second period as they scored three unanswered points, all from frees, two from Michael Byrne and one from Brian Ennis. Moynalvey’s Shane Lenehan opened his account in the 37th minute, leaving the two goals between the sides, 2-7 to 0-7. Summerhill wing half back Eamonn McDonnell reduced the deficit to five, before Moynalvey substitute William Harnan broke a high ball in from John Donoghue down to Shane Lenehan who coolly slotted home for the game’s third goal. Summerhill replied with a Barry Dardis ’45 and a Kevin Ryan point, before they were reduced to 14 men with the dismissal of their midfielder Damien Byrne for a second bookable offence. Two more Summerhill points from Paul Rispin and Kevin Ryan narrowed the margin to four on the three quarter hour mark. A brace of Moynalvey points from the boot of David McLoughlin steadied the ship extending their advantage to six points with five minutes remaining.
Six points remained between the sides at the full time whistle as Stephen Donoghue traded points with Paul Rispin, handing Moynalvey manager Barry O’Keeffe and his troops a memorable first Senior championship win over their neighbours.
Moynalvey: Ray Ryan, Cathal McCabe, Darren Brennan, Darragh Branigan, Anthony Forde, Padraic Harnan, David Reilly, Donal Smith, Stephen Donoghue (0-1), John Donoghue, Dan Treacy (1-1), James Weldon, David McLoughlin (1-6, 3f), Shane Lenehan (1-1), David Donoghue (0-1).
Subs: James O’Neill for Weldon, William Harnan for O’Neill (Black Card).
