Moynalvey picked up their first win of the 2014 Seamus Connolly Catering Junior ‘B’ Football Championship when overcoming St. Colmcilles with three points to spare on a 2-10 to 1-10 score line in a highly entertaining game played at Slane last Friday evening May 23rd.
Moynalvey 2-10 St. Colmcilles 1-10
Both sides entered this game with two points on the Group B Table of the Junior ‘B’ Championship, with St. Colmcilles’ points coming from victory over Ratoath, while Moynalvey’s two points were gained by the concession of a walkover by the same opposition.
Moynalvey were first to score after just 30 seconds when sixteen year old corner forward Sean Duggan split the uprights, with St. Colmcilles opening their account ninety seconds later. The first goal of the game arrived in the 4th minute when the experienced John Donoghue took a quick free to the unmarked Luke Duffy who was left with the simple task of firing to the Cilles net. However the East Meath men also found the back of the net two minutes later, drawing the sides level for what would be the first of four times throughout the game, 1-1 apiece after six minutes of play.
St. Colmcilles’ took the lead for the first time in the 7th minute with their full forward pointing. Two minutes later Moynalvey were unlucky not to have raised another green flag when the ball broke to Luke Duffy, whose palmed effort rebounded off the cross bar. The sides traded 0-2 apiece between the 10th and 14th minutes, with Moynalvey’s efforts coming from midfielder John Donoghue and wing back Johnny Carey, with the laters effort blazed over from five yards when it seemed easier to find the back of the net. Clear daylight appeared between the sides for the first time when St. Colmcilles hit four points without reply between the 18th and 27th minutes. A superb point from Moynalvey’s Ciaran Ennis just on the stroke of half time left four between the sides at the break, 1-8 to 1-4.
A minute into the second half superb pressure from Moynalvey’s Darragh Branigan resulted in the St. Colmcilles full back being penalised for overcarrying and Ennis duly fired over the resulting placed ball. Three minutes later Cilles restored their four point advantage when their corner forward also pointed from a free. Perhaps the changing point in the game arrived in the 37th minute when Moynalvey’s Luke Duffy was hauled down on the edge of the large rectangle, referee Gerry McGivney pointed to the spot and John Donoghue finished the resulting penalty kick to the back of the net, leaving just the minimum between the sides again, 2-5 to 1-9.
Throughout the final quarter hour the result was in the balance as little separated the sides at any stage and a draw looked to be on the cards. The sides were level for the third time in the contest at the 40th minute mark when Ennis converted a free and were level again in the 44th minute when Ennis fired over a superb ’45, with a Cilles point sandwiched in between. The introduction of veteran multi All Ireland winner Cathal Sheridan for the final 10 minutes gave Moynalvey the required experience to see them over the line. Sheridan entered the play into the full forward line where he lined up beside Sean Duggan twenty five years his junior for a brief spell, before Duggan was substituted. Points from Ciaran Ennis, Darragh Branigan and Sheridan in the final ten minutes saw Moynalvey run out three point winners on a 2-10 to 1-10 score line.
Best for the winners were: David Kane, Anthony Brien, Robert Lawless, Paul Conneely and Luke Duffy.
Moynalvey: Ollie Regan, David Durkan, David Kane, Anthony Brien, Robert Lawless, Paul Conneely, Johnny Carey (0-1), John Donoghue (1-1), Brian Conneely, Luke Duffy (1-0), Ken Hyland, Darragh Branigan (0-1), Sean Duggan (0-1), Ciaran Ennis (0-5), Robert Quinlan. Subs: James Reilly for Duffy, Cathal Sheridan (0-1) for Hyland, Ger Fagan for Duggan.
