Donaghmore/Ashbourne did just enough in this dire low scoring Group B final round game to ensure qualification from the group in third place and guarantee a preliminary Quarter Final place in this year’s Fairyhouse Steel Meath Senior Football Championship.
Moynalvey 0-6
Donaghmore/Ashbourne 0-7
Of the thirteen scores in the game just four were from play in the almost 70 minutes of football. By the time the game’s first score came in the 16th minute from a converted free by county goal keeper Andrew Colgan the sides had amassed eight wides, five of those from Moynalvey.
Darragh McGovern doubled Donaghmore/Ashbourne’s lead in the 20th minute and it wasn’t until the 22nd minute that Moynalvey opened their account with a Mark O’Sullivan free, which was immediately countered by an Andrew Tormey free for Donaghmore/Ashbourne. Two minutes later Mark O’Sullivan was unlucky not to find the Ashbourne net when he fielded a long delivery in from Padraic Harnan and unleashed a rasping shot past Andrew Colgan but to see his effort rebound off the cross bar.
O’Sullivan pointed his second free of the game in the 30th minute, but once gain Donaghmore/Ashbourne countered with a Tormey free within sixty seconds. A third Mark O’Sullivan free in the 34th minute left the score board reading 0-4 to 0-3 in favour of the town side at half time.
Again at the start of the second half there was a scoring lull with the first score of the second half coming from Stephen Carton 11 minutes in. County players Cillian O’Sullivan and Andrew Colgan traded frees within a minute of each other to leave the score 0-6 to 0-4 in favour of Donaghmore/Ashbourne with eight minutes of normal time remaining.
The last twelve minutes or so saw two Moynalvey goal chances, the first from Darren Brennan shooting with the outside of his right boot lacking any real conviction which was saved by Andrew Colgan and the second a chance for David McLoughlin which cleared the cross bar when shooting off balance.
An Andrew Tormey free in the 31st minute gave Donaghmore/Ashbourne a three point cushion but there was still time for Moynalvey to apply pressure with a couple of scores, the first that McLoughlin effort which was Moynalvey’s sole score from play and the second a Cillian O’Sullivan free, leaving Donaghmore/Ashbourne scraping over the line with a one point win in this low scoring affair, 0-7 to 0-6.
A tense low scoring game with neither side setting the score board alight with both sides knowing qualification to the knock out stages was on the line. It was Gabriel Brannigan’s charges who narrowly came out on top to clinch that third qualifying place from the group, while for Gerry Smith’s Moynalvey it’s all over for another year.
Best for Moynalvey in this contest were Conor Harnan, Brian Harnan, Darren Brennan and Adam Murphy.
While the year is over for many of our footballers, we wish our dual players the best of luck with Kiltale and Drumree in the Senior and Intermediate hurling championships.
Moynalvey:
Ray Ryan, Conor Harnan, Brian Harnan, Fearghal McCabe, Cathal McCabe, Stephen Donoghue, Darren Brennan, Donal Smith, Padraic Harnan, Brian O’Reilly, Cillian O’Sullivan (0-2, 2f), Adam Murphy, David McLoughlin, Mark O’Sullivan (0-3, 3f), David McLoughlin (0-1).
Subs used: David Donoghue for O’Reilly, David Reilly for S. Donoghue, Ciaran Harnan for Lenehan.
