Moynalvey lost out to Ballinlough by five points in this entertaining Div. 5 Minor Football Championship played under lights at Dunganny on Wednesday evening 11th October.
Moynalvey 3-11
Ballinlough 5-10
This free-flowing game of football ebbed and flowed from end to end with eight goals, twenty one points, wides, balls dropped short, saves, cards, injuries – it had it all!
Goals were the order of the evening in the first half, with six of the game’s eight green flags coming in the first half, five of them being scored in the last ten minutes of the half.
Early on it was Ballinlough who started brightest with a brilliant individual score from joint captain centre back Jack Harte who carved the Moynalvey defence open with a mazy run from the 45-yard line. Soon after the ‘Lough doubled their advantage with another score, two points to no score after three minutes.
Moynalvey opened their account in the 5th minute through a Jack Dunne free and thirty seconds later the side in maroon took the lead with the game’s first goal coming from full forward Scott Williams, leaving it 1-1 to 0-2.
Neither side could muster a score within the next ten minutes, with Moynalvey in particular guilty of wayward shooting and dropping several balls short into the arms of Ballinlough ‘keeper Cullum Reilly.
The game’s next score arrived on the quarter hour mark from a Cian Wiliams free to leave the goal between the sides. Two Ballinlough points within two minutes from Ryan Corcoran and Dan O’Brien left the minimum between the sides, 1-2 to 0-4, with seventeen minutes gone.
The final ten minutes saw the flurry of five goals, three to Ballinlough and two for Moynalvey.
The first of the goals scored by Dan O’Brien, which was followed by a brace of goals from joint captain Ryan Corcoran to leave the ‘Lough eight points up with two minutes of normal time remaining, 3-4 to 1-2.
There was still time for another two Moynalvey goals with a well taken goal by Shane Dabek and then Moynalvey captain Cian Williams somehow found the Ballinlough net when under severe pressure to leave the half time score 3-4 to 3-2 in favour of Ballinlough.
Within ninety seconds of the restart scores were level for the first time in the game when the Williams brothers Cian and Scott sent over points to make it 3-4 apiece.
A brilliant point from Ballinlough wing forward Adam Darcy was followed by a Ryan Corcoran point, Moynalvey countered with a Cian Willams free to leave a point between the sides again, 3-6 to 3-5, five minutes in to the second half.
A minute later, Ballinlough struck for their fourth goal, this time Dan O’Brien finding Moynalvey ‘keeper Dean Heapes net. Cian Williams pointed in the 40th minute, which was countered by a Dan O’Brien point sixty seconds later leaving a goal between the sides, 4-6 to 3-6.
Moynalvey corner back David Clarke raided forward to excellently point from distance, before the turning point for Moynalvey came with the loss of influential captain and midfielder Cian Williams on the three quarter hour mark with a serious knee injury after shipping a heavy tackle.
Soon after Moynalvey lost another of their shining lights Cian’s brother Scott to an injury also.
In the aftermath of these losses Ballinlough drove on to dominate the final quarter to score 1-3 without reply and take a commanding nine point lead with five minutes remaining, 5-10 to 3-7.
1-1 from top scorer Ryan Corcoran and points from Dan O’Brien and James Brooks.
But credit to Moynalvey, their heads never dropped and four points in the final five minutes from Evan Lawless, Aaron McCabe and substitutes Oran Conneely and Niall Sweeney narrowed the deficit to five points before referee Stephan Cregan’s final whistle to the jubilation of Ballinlough players, management and supporters alike.
While not Moynalvey’s night, well done lads, an achievement to get to the final.
It was their first time wearing their new jerseys kindly sponsored by manager David Dunne of WD Electrical for the final.
Finally, we wish Cian Williams a speedy recovery from what looked like a serious injury!
Moynalvey’s best performers in this final were David Clarke, Jamie Ashe, Cian Williams, Jack Dunne and Scott Wiliams.
Moynalvey team and scorers:
Dean Heapes, David Clarke (0-1), Thade McCarthy, Cathal Byrne, Jamie Ashe, Sam Dunne, Cathal Byrne, Cian Williams (1-4, 3f), Evan Lawless (0-1), Aaron McCabe (0-1), Jack Dunne (0-1f), Shane Dabek (1-0), Alex Fagan, Scott Williams (1-1), Padraig Deegan.
Subs: Michael Kane, Niall Sweeney (0-1), Oran Conneely (0-1), Liam Hussey.
U-15 Lads wearing their WD Electrical jerseys for the first time
in last night's Div. 5 Championship Final
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