Moynalvey’s hopes of progression to the knockout stages of the Intermediate Football Championship came to a shuddering halt in their final group game against Cortown played in Bective on Saturday September 19th last.
.
.
Moynalvey 1-10 Cortown 2-13
.
Last years junior champions hopes of progressing from their group came to an end with this 6 point defeat at the hands of last years Intermediate finalists. Moynalvey opened brightly racing into a commanding 4 point lead with scores from Cathal Sheridan & Willie Byrne (3) in the opening 10 minutes. Cortown added the next two points of the game, before Daniel Treacy further added to Moynalvey’s lead when winning a ball in the middle third of the field & soloing in on goal riffling over the cross bar. Meath minor Mark O’Sullivan pushed the difference between the sides to 4 points when receiving a short free kick and beating his man before splitting the posts in the 21st minute. Within 2 minutes Cortown had reduced the deficit to 3 points before a centre from Sheridan broke out to Brian Gilsenan who tapped the ball over from close range. Moynalvey’s lead was pushed to 7 points in the 27th minute when Gilsenan was dragged down when scything through on goal and Sheridan expertly converted the resulting penalty to the net. Cortown tagged on the final two points of the opening period to leave the score reading 1-7 to 0-5 at the interval.
.
Cortown opened the second period in determined mood & drew parity registering 1-2 within 4 minutes. However Moynalvey recovered from the disastrous opening and regained their lead in the 38th minute when a superb cross field pass from James Weldon found Stephen Donoghue, who played the ball into Gilsenan who fisted over. Two minutes later they tagged on another point when Damien Dixon fed Treacy, who once again drove forward to split the posts.
.
Over the last 20 minutes a combination of wasted Moynalvey opportunities and Cortown’s dominance of the middle third of the field resulted in Cortown hitting 1-5 without reply. Moynalvey could only muster a Sheridan free in response. The fact that nine of Moynalvey’s starting fifteen played three championship games in the space of six days took its toll in the end as Cortown ran out six point winners.
.
Team & scorers: O. Regan, R. Kiernan, P. Donoghue, D. Kane, S. Reilly, D. Dixon, B. Dixon, S. Donoghue, J. Weldon, M. O’Sullivan (0-1), D. Donoghue, D. Treacy (0-2), W. Byrne (0-3), C. Sheridan (1-2), B. Gilsenan (0-2) Subs used: G. Fagan for O’Sullivan, P. Durnin for Treacy.
