Moynalvey lost out to St. Vincent’s on a two point margin in the Quarter Final of the Seamus Connolly Catering sponsored Junior ‘B’ Football Championship at Ashbourne on Thursday night September 6^th.

Moynalvey 0-8 St. Vincent’s 1-7

With both teams wearing unaccustomed jerseys due to the clash of colours of the teams’ original jerseys it may have been difficult for the spectators to know which team was which. The game turned out to be an entertaining contest which flowed from end to end. It was Moynalvey who troubled the score board first when superb fielding by William Harnan and good interplay from Ciaran Collins and Robbie Quinlan set up Alan Donnelly to fire over the game’s opening score in the 2^nd minute. Moynalvey’s lead was short lived as sixty seconds later Vincent’s drew level when sending over their first score. Moynalvey settled the better of the two teams in the early stages and found themselves with a three point advantage, 0-4 to 0-1, after nine minutes following a Luke Duffy point and two frees from Ciaran Collins. Two minutes later the Ardcath men sent over their second score of the night to leave two between the sides. Thirteen minutes passed without a score before St. Vincent’s took the lead for the first time in the 24^th minute when they scored the only goal of the game. Moynalvey’s response was immediate as corner back Darragh Brannigan found himself in an unusual shooting position and coolly slotted over to level the sides 0-5 to 1-2. St. Vincent’s tagged on a point just before the half time whistle to take the lead once more, leaving the score board reading 1-3 to 0-5 in favour of St. Vincent’s at the break.

Thirty seconds after the restart St. Vincent’s got off to exactly the start they were looking for when they registered their fourth point of the game. Five minutes later another Vincent’s point left the goal between the sides after six minutes of the second period. Points from Cathal McCabe and William Harnan brought Moynalvey to within a point, but this was as close as Moynalvey got to their opponents. Moynalvey’s best chance to record a green flag of their own came in the 48^th minute when a  good run from Ciaran Collins set up Robbie Quinlan on goal only to see his effort skew wide of the target. Vincent’s pointed again in the 56^th minute to leave just the goal between the sides once again, 1-7 to 0-7. A tense final few minutes remained as a late effort at goal from distance by Brian Conneely was palmed over the cross bar by the Vincent’s keeper leaving two points between the sides. However time ran out for last year’s Junior ‘C’ Championship winners and St. Vincent’s held out for a well deserved victory to send them through to a semi-final meeting with Dunshaughlin.

Best for Moynalvey were David Kane, Stephen Whyte, Darragh Brannigan, Cathal McCabe and William Harnan.

Moynalvey: C. O’Malley, S. Whyte, D. Kane, D. Brannigan (0-1), A. Brien, P. Conneely, Anthony Donnelly, C. McCabe (0-1), B. Conneely (0-1), L. Duffy (0-1), W. Harnan (0-1), D. Durkan, R. Quinlan, C. Collins (0-2), Alan Donnelly (0-1). Subs B. Dixon for Durkan, J. Carey for Alan Donnelly.