Moynalvey saw off St. Mary’s by three points in a low scoring first round game of Group A of the Seamus Connolly Catering sponsored Junior ‘B’ Football Championship played at Skryne on Sunday afternoon April 17th.
Moynalvey 0-8 St. Mary’s 0-5
With conditions perfect for football at a well presented Skryne venue, a Moynalvey side littered with experience picked up the club’s first adult championship first round win since 2011.
St.Mary’s were first to trouble the score keeper’s with a 7th minute point from corner forward Robert Callaghan, after a goal chance had been blocked by the Moynalvey defence. Moynalvey would have to wait until the 16th minute for their opening score when corner forward Shaun Deering clipped over a point from an acute angle.
The sides were level for a second time on the 19th minute following a Stephen Bishop point for the Donore outfit in the 18th minute, which was followed by the first of Conor Shirren’s two points for Moynalvey.
The men in maroon and white edged ahead of their Donore based opponents for the first time in the 23rd minute when Ciaran Ennis converted the first of his three frees, after Sean Duggan was fouled when in possession. Two minutes later Moynalvey’s advantage was doubled when John Donoghue split the posts, leaving the score board reading 0-4 to 0-2. A Robert Callaghan free three minutes before the half time whistle left the minimum between the sides at the break.
Having played at corner back with the Meath minor footballers the previous day, the half time introduction of Brian O’Reilly to the Moynalvey half forward line proved to be a constant thorn in the St. Mary’s rearguard with his speed and trickery.
Having been guilty of wastefulness in front of the posts in the opening period, St. Mary’s would have to wait until the 16th minute of the second half for their next score. In this period Moynalvey extended their lead by two points with Ciaran Ennis sending over a free and veteran substitute Cathal Sheridan finding the range. Peter Watters pointed for the Donore men in the 46th minute, with Moynalvey’s Conor Shirren sending over his second a minute later, leaving it 0-7 to 0-4.
Half time substitute Brian O’Reilly was, not for the first time, fouled while in possession in the 50th minute, resulting in St. Mary’s midfielder Luke Sullivan seeing the line for his second yellow card offence, with Ciaran Ennis stepping forward to convert his third free of the afternoon. The last score of the came the way of St. Mary’s courtesy of James Bell, however a late goal chance for the Mary’s was snuffed out by Moynalvey ‘Keeper Giles Drum, leaving three between the sides at the full time whistle.
Best for the winners were Shane Browne, Joseph Munnelly, Dominic O’Brien, Conor Shirren & Brian O’Reilly.
Moynalvey: G. Drum, E. Mitchell, D. Kane, S. Browne, J. Munnelly, P. Donoghue, D. Branigan, P. Conneely, D. O’Brien, S. Duggan, J. Donoghue (0-1), J. Carey, C. Shirren (0-2), C. Ennis (0-3, 3f), S. Deering (0-1).
Subs: B. O’Reilly for Carey, C. Sheridan (0-1) for Deering, C. O’Connor for Conneely, R. Kiernan for J. Donoghue, P. Kelly for Duggan.
