An under strength Moynalvey side suffered a sixteen point defeat at the hands of home side Ballinlough in Division 2 of the All County A League at Kilskyre on Sunday afternoon May 4th.
Ballinlough 3-15 Moynalvey 1-5
Moynalvey were fielding a side minus six of the starting side which defeated Rathkenny in the Hoganstand.com Senior Football Championship a fortnight ago, five of which were due to county football and hurling commitments. Bad enough to be down so many regular starters, Moynalvey lost midfielder Paul Conneely midway through the first half and full back Paul Weldon just before the half time whistle to injury, with sixteen year old Sean Duggan being thrown into the action replacing the later to make his A League debut. Ballinlough took full advantage of Moynalvey’s weaknesses and a minute into the second half had the two points on offer secured, when they bagged their 3rd goal to lead 3-10 to 1-4.
Ballinlough registered the first score of the game in the 3rd minute with their full forward sending over. Two minutes later Moynalvey’s James Kelly converted a free straight in front of the posts after James Weldon was fouled. This was to be the only time the sides were level, as Ballinlough hit 1-5 without reply to lead 1-6 to 0-1 mid way through the half. Kelly converted his second free, before the host side hit another 1-2 with former county player Peadar Byrne finding the net, leaving Ballinough ahead 2-8 to 0-2 after 18 minutes. The third green flag of the game was raised in the 20th minute when Moynalvey’s James Weldon found the back of the Ballinlough net with a rasping shot. Both sides added a further two points to their tallies before the half time whistle, with Moynalvey’s brace of points coming from the boots of substitute David Reilly and Shane Lenihan.
Boasting a 2-9 to 1-4 half time lead, Ballinlough made sure of the two points on offer a minute after the resumption when raising the third green flag of the game. All Moynalvey could muster in the second half was a solitary point from Daniel Treacy, with Ballinlough recording a facile sixteen point win on a 3-15 to 1-5 score line.
Moynalvey: O. Regan, D. Branigan, P. Weldon, P. Donoghue, C. McCabe, D. Brennan, A. Brien, D. Treacy (0-1), P. Conneely, F. McCabe, S. Lenihan (0-1), J. Weldon (1-0), L. Duffy, J. Kelly (0-2), R. Ryan.
Subs used: D. Reilly (0-1) for Duffy, L. Duffy for P. Conneely, S. Duggan for P. Weldon.
