Moynalvey lost out to joint table toppers Walterstown in Division 2 of the All County A League on a 1-12 to 1-8 score line in Walterstown on sunny Saturday evening May 31st.
Walterstown 1-12 Moynalvey 1-8
A somewhat makeshift Moynalvey outfit lost out to host side Walterstown by four points in this round seven tie of the A Leagues. Having come out of retirement veteran Cathal Sheridan found himself lining out in his fourth game in eight days, David Donoghue was playing his second game in five hours as earlier in the day he had lined out for 70 minutes of inter county hurling against Kildare in the Christy Ring Cup Semi-Final, Barry O’Keeffe also came out of semi retirement and 17 year old Eoghan Mitchell more accustomed to a defensive position started his first A League game at corner forward.
It was the Blacks who got off to the better start opening up a three point lead after five minutes. The sides were level after nine minutes when Shane Lenehan grabbed Moynalvey’s first score of the game, turning his man 25 yards from the posts and surging forward to blast to the back of Ciaran Lyden’s net. Five minutes later Moynalvey took the lead for the first time when Cathal Sheridan expertly fired over a ’45. The sides were level for a second time on the quarter hour mark, before Sheridan restored Moynalvey’s one point advantage in the 18th minute. Walterstown’s Paul Donellan sent over a ’45 into the clubhouse end goals to leave the sides tied for the third time on a 1-2 to 0-5 score line in the 23rd minute. The Blacks then produced a spell that yielded three unanswered points from Robbie McDonnell, Paul Donellan and Cormac Madden, leaving them three points to the good at the interval on a 0-8 to 1-2 score line.
Two Cathal Sheridan frees in the 2nd and 3rd minutes of the second half left just the minimum between the sides; however this was as close as the visitors would get to their opponents. A Paul Donellan goal in the 39th minute followed two minutes later by a point from the Blacks No. 13 put five between the sides, 1-9 to 1-4. A Moynalvey point reduced the deficit to a point again in the 46th minute; two minutes later Moynalvey ‘keeper Ray Ryan pulled off a fine save to deny Walterstown a second goal. Between the 53rd and 55th minutes the home side reeled off three points without reply from midfielders Alban Crosbie & Colin O’Sullivan and another Paul Donnellan strike, pushing them into a seven point lead. Moynalvey finished the game strongly but a trio of points from John Donoghue, Cathal Sheridan and Stephen Donoghue were merely consolation scores as the home side won out on a 1-12 to 1-8 score line.
Moynalvey: Ray Ryan, Anthony Brien, Cathal McCabe, Darragh Branigan, David Reilly, Darren Brennan, Fearghal McCabe, Paul Conneely, Stephen Donoghue (0-1), David Donoghue, Barry O’Keeffe, John Donoghue (0-1), Shane Lenehan (1-1), Cathal Sheridan (0-5), Eoghan Mitchell.
Subs: Johnny Carey for David Donoghue, David Donoghue for O’Keeffe, Padraig Donoghue for Conneely.
