Moynalvey got the better of Blackhall Gaels in the final round of the 2014 Division 2 A League in this game played at Kilmore Park Moynalvey on Bank Holiday Monday evening August 4th.
Moynalvey 2-8 Blackhall Gaels 1-10
It was home side Moynalvey who came out on top in the battle of the neighbours as they ran out one point winners over fellow Senior side Blackhall Gaels who were already qualified for the Division 2 league final and promoted to Division 1 football next year prior to this game. Both sides welcomed back county players, with Donncha Tobin lining out at centre half back for the Gaels and Mark O’Sullivan at midfield for Moynalvey.
Blackhall Gaels opened the scoring in the 5th minute, with Moynalvey opening their account in the 8th minute from a Mark O’Sullivan free kick after he had been fouled. Moynalvey took the lead for the first time in the 13th minute when Dan Treacy pointed and doubled their lead two minutes later when John Donoghue sent over the first of his two points. By the 18th minute the sides were level following a free from Blackhall’s Tadhg Brosnan and a point from play from Sean Whelan. The sides traded points once more in the 27th and 29th minutes with Moynalvey’s John Donoghue sending over his second point and Tadhg Brosnan converting his second free kick leaving it 0-4 apiece. The game’s first goal arrived in the 30th minute when a scything run by Moynalvey’s Shane Lenehan set up Daniel Treacy for a shot at goal who made no mistake rattling the back of Blackhall goalkeeper Tomas Dalton’s net. Deep into injury time Blackhall’s Brosnan pointed his third free of the evening, leaving two between the sides on a 1-4 to 0-5 score line at the break.
Four minutes into the second period O’Sullivan converted his second free kick from close range as a result of Blackhall dissent which also resulted in the Gaels having a man dismissed and play out the second half with 14 men. Despite this set back the Batterstown/Kilcloon combination took a two point lead when hitting 1-2 without reply, the goal coming from Dermot Carty and the points from a Brosnan free and Sean Dalton. Moynalvey retook the lead in the 53rd minute with an Anthony Forde point, following points from an O’Sullivan free and Ciaran Ennis in the 41st and 45th minutes respectively, leaving it 1-8 to 0-7 in favour of the home side. County player Donncha Tobin drew the sides’ level in the 54th minute when splitting the uprights from distance. A minute later Moynalvey took the upper hand again when David Reilly palmed to the back of the Blackhall net after his initial effort at goal was saved by Tomas Dalton, giving Moynalvey a three point lead with five minutes remaining. Fourteen men Blackhall were unlucky not to snatch a draw as a brace of points from another Brosnan free and a Blackhall point from play reduced the deficit to just a point. Blackhall’s Brosnan saw an effort at a point slip just left of the posts with the final attack of the game seeing Moynalvey hold out for a one point victory against their already promoted neighbours on a 2-8 to 1-10 score line.
Moynalvey: Ray Ryan, Brian Harnan, Paul Weldon, Anthony Brien, Anthony Forde (0-1), Stephen Donoghue, Fearghal McCabe, Mark O’Sullivan (0-3), Donal Smith, David Reilly (1-0), John Donoghue (0-2), Dan Treacy (1-1), Shane Lenehan, Ciaran Ennis (0-1), Barry O’Keeffe.
Subs: Darren Brennan for Brien, Eamonn Walsh for Treacy, Brian Conneely for O’Keeffe.
