Moynalvey lost out to Ratoath by three points in Round 7 of the A League played at Sean Eiffe Park Ratoath on Wednesday evening 24th April.
Ratoath 1-12
Moynalvey 1-9
Without a win from seven outings Moynalvey remain rooted to the bottom of the Div. 1 A League table along with Syddan on a point each following their first round draw against each other.
In a competitive game played in difficult underfoot conditions it was Moynalvey who held a slender one point half time lead, but were outscored 1-5 to 0-4 in the second half by the home side.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring in the first minute with a David McLoughlin point, with the home side replying three minutes later through Ben McGowan.
Ratoath points from Eoghan McMahon and Cian Rogers with Moynalvey responding through Shane Lenehan left it 0-3 to 0-2 in favour of Ratoath with nine minutes played.
A further three pointed frees from Eoghan McMahon put Ratoath four points in front on the quarter hour mark, 0-6 to 0-2.
A minute later the margin between the sides was reduced to the minimum when somehow Ciaran Harnan found enough space to fire to the Ratoath net through a group of bodies.
A point from Moynalvey midfielder Stephen Donoghue in the 20th minute drew the sides level and a Darren Brennan point two minutes later had the visitors ahead for the first time, 1-4 to 0-6.
Ratoath’s Padraic Byrne tied it up again, but it was Moynalvey who held that one point half time lead with a ’45 from David McLoughlin, 1-5 to 0-7 in favour of Moynalvey at half time.
A McLoughlin free three minutes into the second half extended Moynalvey’s advantage.Three Ratoath points either side of a Shane Lenehan point for Moynalvey left it all square once again, 1-7 to 0-10 seven minutes in to the second half.
However, the half time introduction of five substitutes gave Ratoath the fresh legs to push on in the second half. A Jack Flynn points in the 42nd minute was followed six minutes later by the inevitable Ratoath goal, despite a fine game from Moynalvey ‘keeper Ray Ryan pulling off a number of good saves.
While Moynalvey rallied following the concession of that goal all they could muster in the final ten minutes were points from substitute Mark O’Sullivan and David McLoughlin to see Ratoath hold out for a three point win.
Next up in round 8 is for Moynalvey is Wolfe Tones, while Ratoath play Navan O’Mahonys.
Moynalvey:
Ray Ryan, Darren Brennan (0-1), Robert Lawless, Darragh Branigan, Fearghal McCabe, Brian Harnan, David Donoghue, Donal Smith, Stephen Donoghue (0-1), Padraig Kelly, Adam Murphy, Sean Duggan, Ciaran Harnan (1-0), David McLoughlin (0-4, 2f
& ‘45), Shane Lenehan (0-2).
Sub used: Mark O’Sullivan (0-1) for C. Harnan.
