Moynalvey recorded a thrilling victory in the U14 Div 3 Championship final at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening. In a tightly contested game Moynalvey overcame a gallant Rathkenny team by 2 points.
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Moynalvey 3-11 Rathkenny 3-09
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Pictured are Moynalvey joint captains Daragh Brannigan & Eamon Walsh recieving the cup from Lorraine McMahon (of sponsors Super Valu) & Peter O’Halloran (Secretary Meath Juvenile Board)
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Moynalvey started brightly recording 1-01 before their opposition got on the score sheet, the goal came from Fergal McCabe. However they could only manage one more score for the first half as Rathkenny came to terms with the strong breeze blowing in their favour and they went in at half time 9 points to the good on a score line of 2-08 to 1-02. The management team of Tom McCabe, Padraig Donoghue and David McLoughlin switched Conor Harnan and Robert Lawless at half time and this proved vital to the outcome of the game, with Lawless tightening up the defence and Harnan giving some extra guile to the forwards.
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Within 5 mintutes of the restart Moynalvey reduced the deficit to 3 points with a goal from Darragh Walsh and points from Harnan and 2 from John Francis Martin. By the half way point of the second half Moynalvey had tied the game with further points from Hughie Sullivan and David McLoughlin. However Rathkenny were not willing to roll over just yet, and broke down field to record a three pointer and restore their lead. As the breeze died down the game flowed from end to end and looked to be just out of Moynalvey grasp until Walsh popped up to record his second goal, this along with points from Martin and Eamon Walsh gave Moynalvey a two point lead coming into the closing stages. But there was time for one last Rathkenny attack from which David Shilder made a tremendous save to deny Rathkenny.
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Overall this was a great team performance from a well coached Moynalvey side, for whom joint captains Daragh Brannigan and Eamon Walsh accepted the cup.
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Team & scorers: D Shilder, J Munnelly, E Mitchell, C Harnan (0-1), C Shirren, D Brannigan, S T Kiernan, B Harnan, E Walsh (0-1), R Lawless, J F Martin (0-4) F McCabe (1-1), H Sullivan (0-2), D McLoughlin (0-2), D Walsh (2-0) Subs: B O’ Reilly for Kiernan, P Dowling for D Walsh, A Jackson, C O’ Connor, M Burke, J Martin
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