Moynalvey made a fine start to their SFC with an eight point victory over Curraha at Fr. McManus Park Skryne on Saturday evening 6th August.
The first half of this Fairyhouse Steel Meath Senior Football Championship Group B game was a cagey affair with scores at a minimum as the sides were sussing each other out in the early stages.
The half time score read 0-5 to 0-2 to Moynalvey, with the winners outscoring their opponents by double scores ten points to five in the second half to run out eight point winners on a 0-15 to 0-7 score line.
It was Curraha’s Diarmuid Moriarty who opened the scoring in the second minute, with David McLoughlin opening Moynalvey’s account four minutes later.
The sides were level again in the 18th minute with McLoughlin and Gavin Coyle trading scores.
Curraha failed to score again in the opening half, with Cillian O’Sullivan adding a trio of points to Moynalvey’s tally leaving the half time score read 0-5 to 0-2.
County player James McEntee opened the second half scoring within forty seconds of the restart.
Anthony Forde and Diarmuid Moriarty pointed for their teams to leave the score 0-6 to 0-4 with 38 minutes played.
A brace of Cillian O’Sullivan points left it double scores 0-8 to 0-4 with 13 minutes of the second half played.
James McEntee fired over the second of his three second half points leaving the score 0-8 to 0-5 at the three quarter hour mark.
Three Moynalvey points in a row, the first a fisted effort from substitute Donal Smith followed by points from the two David’s, Reilly and McLoughlin extended Moynalvey’s advantage out to six points, 0-11 to 0-5, with ten minutes remaining.
James McEntee sent over the third of his three superb second half points, followed by the third of Diarmuid Moriarty’s points in the 54th minute which proved to be the last of Curraha’s scores.
Four more Moynalvey points from Cillian O’Sullivan (2), Mark O’Sullivan and David McLoughlin meant the full time score board read 0-15 to 0-7 in favour of the men in maroon.
In a game where there were no goals, Moynalvey ‘keeper Ray Ryan wasn’t tested throughout the hour, while at the other end Moynalvey should have raised a couple of green flags but for a couple of spurned goal chances including a late penalty miss from top scorer Cillian O’Sullivan.
A solid defensive unit marshalled by Conor Harnan and the excellent Brian O’Reilly limited Curraha to just seven points, while at the other end the excellent Cillian O’Sullivan finished with eight points to his name.
Best for Moynalvey in a fine all round performance were Brian O’Reilly, David Reilly, Cillian O’Sullivan and David McLoughlin.
Next up in round two is former Moynalvey manager Darren Fay’s Navan O’Mahony’s on Sunday week August 21st.
Moynalvey Team & Scorers:
Ray Ryan, Scott Tuite, Conor Harnan, Cathal McCabe, Brian O’Reilly, Darren Brennan, Anthony Forde (0-1), Padraic Harnan, David Reilly (0-1), Cillian O’Sullivan (0-8, 2f), Mark O’Sullivan (0-1), Sean Duggan, David McLoughlin (0-3, 2f), Adam Murphy, Vinny Walsh.
Subs used: Donal Smith (0-1) for Walsh, Michael Brady for Duggan, Conor Shirren for M. O’Sullivan.
