A blistering second half from St. Patricks saw them pick up their second win from as many outings in the JM Food Services Division 2 Football League with this ten point win over host side Moynalvey on Easter Saturday.
Moynalvey 1-9
St. Patricks 3-13
Despite the first half being an evenly contested affair with Moynalvey heading for the dressing rooms at half time a point up, the Stamullen side upped the ante in the second half to outscore the host side 3-6 to 0-4 and run out comfortable ten point winners.
Nothing separated the sides in the first half with the sides trading point for point in the opening half right up until it was five points apiece after 24 minutes.
It was St. Pats who opened the scoring with a close range fisted point from Ben Sullivan in the fourth minute. Moynalvey responded with a brace of Vinny Walsh points, the first from a free after Michael Brady was fouled as he was about to pull the trigger on goal and the second from play, with St. Pat’s Donal Landy levelling matters, leaving it two points each with six mutes played.
The sides continued to trade points with Vinny Walsh, Ben Sullivan, Michael Brady and Donal Landy all splitting the uprights to leave it four points each with twelve minutes played.
Two minutes later, the game’s first clear cut goal chance came when a Moynalvey turnover saw good interplay between Vinny Walsh and Mark O’Sullivan resulting in the latter being placed in on goal only to see his goal attempt skid across the face of goal from an acute angle and behind to the relief of St. Pats ‘keeper Darragh Sullivan.
Four minutes later it was Moynalvey goalkeeper Conor Egan who was the relieved one when a long ball in was knocked back into play by Ben Sulivan to Shane Landy who volleyed wide across Egan’s goal. The other Landy, Donal, also almost found the net also when he rounded Egan a few minutes later only to see his soccer style effort hit the butt of the post.
The first chink of daylight between the sides was when Shane Landy landed a pair of points, one from play and one from a free, to leave it 0-7 to 0-5 to the visitors with 28 minutes played.
The last score of the half was the result of a quick free played by Michael Brady to Padraic Harnan, who in turn fed the onrushing Barry Walsh who blasted to Ben Sulivan’s net for the game’s first goal, meaning the men in maroon retreated to the dressing room a point up at half time, 1-5 to 0-7.
Moynalvey’s lead was doubled when the early second half introduction of substitute Darren Brennan in place of Luke O’Halloran paid immediate dividends with Brennan chipping over from the right wing with almost his first touch.
However, that early two point lead was as good as it got for Caoimhin King’s outfit in the second half. From the 8th to the 17th minute of the half, St. Pats reeled off 3-3 without reply to effectively seal the win.
That Pats scoring spree started with a Shane Landy free and a John Curtis point, before St. Pats blitzed Moynalvey for three goals in the next seven minutes.
The first of those goals coming when the lively Ben Sullivan turned two Moynalvey defenders out on the wing and raced forward to bury past Conor Egan in the Moynalvey goals. The second was the result of a long ball in which looked a routine catch for Egan only for a handling error allowing St. Pats to tap in for their second goal and the hattrick of goals was completed when Donal Landy buried low across Egan from an angle to leave the Ronan Kearns/Daithi Whyte managed side ten points up midway through the second half.
Ray Ryan hit Moynalvey’s second point of the half in the 53rd minute, with Donal Landy replying for the visitors. Having bet two or three men a brilliant individual score from Mark O’Sullivan was followed by a Padraic Harnan point, but that was as close as Moynalvey got to St. Patricks as a further pair of points sealed their ten point victory on a score line of 3-13 to 1-9.
The result sees St. Patricks sit joint top of the division two table with four points, while Moynalvey remain rooted to the bottom of the table with two rounds played.
Next up in round three is a trip for Moynalvey to play Duleek/Bellewstown next Saturday 6th April.
Moynalvey Team & Scorers:
Conor Egan, Cillian Kelly, Fearghal McCabe, Conor Quinn, Keelan Taylor, Cathal McCabe, Darragh Branigan, Padraic Harnan (0-1), Michael Brady (0-1f), Barry Walsh (1-0), William Harnan, Vinny Walsh (0-4, 2f), Mark O’Sullivan (0-1), Ray Ryan (0-1), Luke O’Halloran.
Subs used: Darren Brennan (0-1) for O’Halloran, Charlie Benson for Branigan, Patrick Roddy for F. McCabe, Ronan Thompson for Ryan.
