A ten point turnaround saw Moynalvey earn a one point victory over Kilbride on a 2-9 to 2-8 score line in this Seamus Connolly Catering sponsored Junior ‘B’ Football Championship Group A final round game played at Ratoath on Thursday evening 6th August.
Moynalvey 2-9 KIlbride 2-8
Having trailed by five at the break, any Moynalvey second half comeback looked out of reach as Kilbride hit Moynalvey for 1-1 within two minute of the restart, leaving Moynalvey with a nine point mountain to claw back.
However the Moynalvey never say die spirit proved to be well in existence. Having registered just 1-1 themselves in the opening period, Moynalvey held their opponents to just 1-2 after the break, two of those scores being those at the beginning of the half, while clocking up 1-8 themselves in the second period to emerge one point winners.
Kilbride were first to trouble the score board keeper when pointing after just 30 seconds. The game’s first goal came Moynalvey’s way in the 6th minute when full forward Ciaran Collins turned home a loose ball to the Kilbride net after a Ciaran Ennis goal attempt rebounded off the crossbar in the build up.
Two Kilbride scores from frees saw the sides level, 1-0 to 0-3 after 13 minutes and seven minutes later they took the lead again when they netted their first goal. Three points on the spin saw Kilbride take six point lead 1-6 to 1-0 with three minutes of the half remaining. A Ciaran Ennis point for Moynalvey on the stroke of half time left five between them at the break.
Having left the half time team talk with the instructions of gaining at least the first two scores of the second half it was the opposite that occurred, Kilbride hit 1-1 within two minutes of the restart leaving Moynalvey with a huge mountain to climb.
Moynalvey introduced Paul Weldon & Barry O’Keeffe at the break and not for the first time in this year’s Junior ‘B’ campaign the introduction of player/manager Barry O’Keeffe had an immediate impact as the pointed four minutes after entering the fray.
Seventeen year old Brian O’Reilly making his debut in adult football competition did the donkey work to earn a free in the 37th minute which Ciaran Ennis converted. Two minutes later O’Reilly clipped over a fine score after two of Moynalvey’s more seasoned campaigners Barry O’Keeffe & Padraig Donoghue combined to set him up.
Another infringement on young O’Reilly saw Ennis convert his second free of the evening in the 41st minute which was followed by a second O’Keeffe point leaving four between the sides on the three quarter hour mark, 2-7-1-6.
Kilbride scored their third score of the half which turned out to be their last in the 47th minute. Two minutes later a centre from the wing by substitute James Reilly was fisted to the Kilbride net by Moynalvey full forward Ciaran Collins for the game’s 4th goal, reducing the deficit to two.
Two Moynalvey scores from Ennis & Reilly in the 53rd & 56th minutes levelled the sides for only the second time in the game. Having endured one of his not so better evenings on free taking duties Ennis steeped forward to send over a huge free from distance in the 59th minute, completing an incredible Moynalvey comeback to snatch a one point victory, ensuring progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Moynalvey: Conor Egan, Shane Browne, David Kane, Robbie Kiernan, David Durkan, Padraig Donoghue, Joseph Munnelly, Paul Conneely, Brian Conneely, Sean Duggan, Ciaran Ennis (0-5, 3f), Colm O’Connor, James Kelly, Ciaran Collins (2-0), Shaun Deering.
Subs: Brian O’Reilly (0-1) for O’Connor, Paul Weldon for Durkan, Barry O’Keeffe (0-2) for Deering, James Reilly (0-1) for Munnelly, Johnny Carey for Duggan.
