Moynalvey’s journey to Donore on Friday evening 30th July saw them lose out to St. Mary’s by the minimum in round three of the Div. 3 Premier Championship.
St. Marys 2-14
Moynalvey 4-7
The age-old adage of goals win games wasn’t to be in this game as St. Marys’ outscored their visitors sixteen scores to eleven to hold out for a one point win, one that clearly meant a lot to the home side with their first championship win in a long time.
The first half must have set some sort of record with referee Liam Reddy awarding five penalties in the opening 30 minutes, four of those coming in the first quarter alone, three of those to Moynalvey and two to St. Marys.
It was Moynalvey who opened the scoring with a Ciaran Harnan free, the home side responding with their opening score from Sam Victory with less than ninety seconds played.
Moynalvey’s top scorer Ciaran Harnan was causing all sorts of problems for the St. Marys’ defence in the opening quarter with his direct running seeing him winning and converting three penalties and a free in the opening 16 minutes.
Penalties for each side saw Harnan and Sam Victory convert to leave it equal scores 1-1 apiece after five minutes.
A brilliantly executed point from Sean Duggan off his left foot was countered by a free six minutes later from St. Marys’ Robert Callaghan levelling matters again after 12 minutes.
St. Marys’ goalkeeper Adam Byrne must have been sick of the sight of Ciaran Harnan lining up in front of him from the penalty spot as Harnan converted his second and third penalties in the 14th & 16th minutes, the third the sweetest of the three strikes to the top corner to leave the score 3-2 to 1-2 to the visitors at the first water break.
Immediately after the water break Sean Duggan clipped over his second point, but the next three points went the way of the determined home side from Robert Callaghan (2) and Liam O’Neill Sheridan to reduce the deficit to four, 3-3 to 1-5.
Moynalvey points from Harnan and Sean Duggan left the two goals between the sides 3-5 to 1-5 with 28 minutes played. There was still time for another goal, Robert Callaghan finding the back of Moynalvey ‘keeper Ray Rayan’s net to leave the half time score 3-5 to 2-5. But for a penalty save from Ray Ryan immediately before Callaghan’s goal the sides would have been level at half time.
The home side enjoyed plenty of second half possession and with the introduction of fresh legs from their bench all making a difference they outscored the visitors 0-9 to 1-2 in the second half.
St. Marys’ hit four points without reply in the third quarter, before Ciaran Harnan eventually got his side’s first second half score in the 16th minute of the half to leave the teams level 2-9 to 3-6 at the second half water break.
Having been seven points down early on, the home side found them four points up after 54 minutes with another four unanswered points, 2-13 to 3-6.
Moynalvey drew the match level for a sixth time again with a Ciaran Harnan free and a Caragh O’Brien goal with five minutes remaining.
As the game looked to be heading for a share of the spoils, there was still time for more drama as St. Marys sent over their fourteenth point in the 58th minute to secure the one point win to the elation of the home side’s players, mentors and supporters at St. Marys Park.
Moynalvey:
Ray Ryan, Scott Tuite, Conor Egan, Darragh Branigan, Adam Rooney, Stephen Donoghue, Micheal Brady, Donal Smith, Eoin Corrigan, Caragh O’Brien (1-0), James Kelly, Padraig Kelly, Ciaran Harnan (3-4, 3p&4f), Andrew Jackson, Sean Duggan (0-3).
Subs: Anthony Brien for J. Kelly, Paul Brennan for Jackson, Aidan Gilsenan for Corrigan.
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