A great team performance ensured Moynalvey overcame St Mary's Rochfortbridge with 6 points to spare after this exciting final played in Rochfortbridge on Sunday, December 7th, thus adding the Leinster club championship trophy to the Meath junior crown won earlier this year.
President of Moynalvey GFC Eddie Kelly celebrates Leinster final win!!
St Mary's Rochfortbridge 0 - 5 Moynalvey 0 - 11
A huge crowd gathered in Rochfortbridge for what was expected a to be a very tight affair and so it proved for the majority of this game before Moynalvey pulled clear in the last 15 minutes to record a famous win.
The home side opened the scoring in the second minute through a David Mitchell free before Cathal Sheridan made amends for missing a kickable free a few moments earlier by pointing from play. Brian Gilsenan then rounded his man to fist a point and a Sheridan free pushed Moynalvey 0 - 3 to 0 - 1 ahead after 15 minutes. St Mary's rallied to draw level before Stephen Donoghue kicked a massive point from 50 yards to restore Moynalvey's lead. Moynalvey's defence was proving watertight at this stage with David Kane giving a huge performance at corner back. However, the team had goalkeeper Ollie Regan to thank when he made a fine point blank save just before the interval. This save inspired the team around him and from the resultant play, Moynalvey worked the ball up the field and earned a free which Sheridan pointed to leave the half time score at 0 - 5 to 0 - 3.
St Mary's were expected to come out all guns blazing at the start of the second half but instead it was Moynalvey who upped the tempo. 17 year old Mark O'Sullivan rounded his man to shoot a fine point and he followed this up a couple of minutes later with another fine score to push the men in maroon 0 - 7 to 0 - 3 clear. Rochfortbridge did respond however with a pointed free and a score from play to reduce the margin to 2 with 15 minutes remaining.
A nerve racking final quarter was anticipated but Moynalvey had other ideas and they went on to dominate the remainder of the game. With Stephen and John Donoghue and Ger Fagan commanding the midfield sector, Rochfortbridge struggled to get the ball past the half way line and further scores from Sheridan (3 including 2 frees) and Gilsenan ensured Moynalvey ran out worthy winners by 0 - 11 to 0 - 5.
This was a great team performance by all involved and captain Padraig Donoghue accepted the Leinster cup on the club's behalf in front of large travelling Moynalvey support. Moynalvey will now look forward to an all Ireland quarter final meeting with John Mitchells of Liverpool on Sunday, January 11th.
Team & scorers - O Regan, R Kiernan, P Donoghue, D Kane, P Weldon, D Dixon, D Donoghue, S Donoghue (0 - 1), G Fagan, J Donoghue, C Sheridan (0 - 6, 0 - 4 frees), R Quinlan, B Gilsenan (0 - 2), W Byrne, M O'Sullivan (0 - 2). Subs - S Reilly for R Quinlan, B Conneely for G Fagan & PJ Walsh for C Sheridan.
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