Moynalvey maintained their unbeaten start to the J.M Food Services Div. 2 league with this hard fought five point win over Simonstown in round five played in Simonstown on Saturday evening 24th April.
Simonstown 2-14
Moynalvey 3-16
Little separated the sides throughout, especially at half time as the sides were inseparable at 2-6 apiece.
It was visiting side Moynalvey who got off to a dream start, leading 2-1 to 0-0 after thirteen minutes. Shane Lenehan scored the point, while Adam Murphy and Cillian O’Sullivan accounted for the goals.
However, the home side kicked into gear in the next four and a half minutes with 1-3 of their own without reply, the goal coming from Aaron Farrelly, leaving the minimum between the sides after 18 minutes, 2-1 to 1-3.
A David McLoughlin point extended Moynalvey’s advantage to two, but his opposite number Padraig McKeever fired over a brace to leave the sides level, 2-2 to 1-5, with twenty minutes played.
A Two pointed free from David McLoughlin pushed Moynalvey’s lead out to two again, but Simonstown responded with 1-1 to take the lead for the first time, the point from Sean Conlon and a second goal for Aaron Farrelly to make it 2-6 to 2-4 with twenty six minutes played.
The final two scores of the half went Moynalvey’s way through David McLoughlin and Adam Murphy frees to leave the half time score board read 2-6 apiece when referee Cormac Reilly blew for half time.
Half Times Score:
Simonstown 2-6
Moynalvey 2-6
Moynalvey were quickest off the mark within forty seconds of the restart with Adam Murphy splitting the uprights, but Simonstown responded with a trio of Padraig McKeever frees to lead by two, 2-9 to 2-7, eight minutes into the second half.
McLoughlin fired over a free for the visitors, but Moynalvey found themselves three points adrift of their opponents two minutes later when Padraig McKeever converted a two point free, to leave it 2-11 to 2-8 after forty one minutes.
Moynalvey then endured a purple patch between the 44th and 50th minutes whereby they reeled off 1-4 without reply, the goal coming from a William Harnan knock down into the palms of Craig Gilsenan who finished low past Ben Hoey in the Simonstown goal and the points coming from Harnan, Cillian O’Sullivan (2) and McLoughlin, leaving the men in maroon four points up, 3-12 to 2-11, with ten minutes remaining.
A Padraig McKeever free briefly broke the Moynalvey scoring momentum, but a further pair of David McLoughlin points for Barry O’Keeffe’s side left them five points up, 3-14 to 2-12, with four minutes remaining.
A Padraig McKeever two point free reduced the margin to just a kick of the ball, but Moynalvey wrapped up the two points on offer with points from corner back David Regan who raided forward for a score and McLoughlin rounding off proceedings to see Moynalvey defeat the senior side by five points, 3-16 to 2-14.
The result sees Moynalvey joint top of the Div. 2 table alongside Trim after five rounds. Next up for Moynalvey is a round six tie against Duleek/Bellewstown.
Moynalvey team and scorers:
Conor Egan, Charlie McCormack, Conor Harnan, David Regan (0-1), Darren Brennan, Brian O’Reilly, Ciaran Harnan, Craig Gilsenan (1-0), Padraic Harnan, Barry Walsh, Adam Murphy (1-2: 1f), Shane Lenehan (0-1), David McLoughlin (0-9: 4f and 1 x 2pt free), Cillian O’Sullivan (1-2: 1f), Vinny Walsh.
Subs used: William Harnan (0-1) for V. Walsh, Conor Quinn for Lenehan, Evan Drum for McLoughlin.
