In sunny Dunshaughlin on Monday evening last in a nail-biting contest where everyone was holding their breaths for the last five minutes both teams managed to gain a point from this contest.
Moynalvey 2-10 Royal Gaels 3-7
Moynalvey ladies needed to upgrade their performance from the previous two championship outings. A challenge they accepted with great courage and commitment. From the first whistle they hit the ground running but it was the home side that got the scoring underway with Emma Kennedy having some fine free-taking ability off the ground. Nicola Murphy got the away side off the mark with a superb run from midfield. Moynalvey showed determination and focus on the ball but will be disappointed with some of their shooting efforts. Jenny Kelly for the home side struck the ball with good direction and Mary Connelly could do nothing to stop it. Moynalvey could have dropped the heads but they held their own and two fine scores from Tara Smith and Aoife Weston respectively left the visitors trailing by just two points. The Dunshaughlin girls kept the scoreboard ticking over with a well struck point by Laura Murray. Louise Donoghue slotted over a point to bring down the deficit to one but Royal Gaels kept their composure and slotted over the next two scores to put three between the sides at half time 1-4 to 0-4.
Moynalvey came out all guns blazing in the second half. The visiting girls cut the deficit to one with points from Aoife Weston and Tara Smith. But Emma Kennedy soon got the home side's spirits lifted when she was left unmarked (by me) and with help from Niamh Gallogly, Kennedy finished to the roof of the net. Moynalvey kept their heads and dominated play from midfield with Tara Smith and Nicola Murphy on fine form. Celine Harnan got her name on the scoreboard with a fine pointed free. Moynalvey got their stride back and Jen Mc Laughlin made a superb run in from wing forward and attempted to slot the ball past Orlagh Mc Laughlin but the effort struck off the upright before Celine Harnan struck on the rebound and Orlagh Mc Laughlin could only watch as the ball coasted into the back of the net. Rachel Pender in fine form slotted over the score of the match when her courage and conviction was no match for the Gaels defender. Some fine defending from Katie and Taylor Little and Aideen Smith had the Royal Gaels under severe pressure in the forward line. Laura Murray found her form and struck to the back of the net. This could have been the killer blow but Moynalvey gave as good as they got when a handpass across the goal line to Eileen Conneely where she punished the home side with a rasper of a shot hitting the roof of the net. Jen Mc Laughlin made sure she hit no posts this time and slotted over a fine point to bring the game level. And once again Weston stood up for the away side and took what looked like it could have been the winning point but Gaels fought back and after a quick free was taking Laura Murray made no mistake and kept her team in it for the draw. In a tough contest between two nearly neighbouring teams both teams will have to be content with one point each out of this championship encounter.
Moynalvey: M. Conneely, C. Mallee, A. Smith, K. Little, C. Donoghue, T. Little, K. Lawless, T. Smith (0-2), N. Murphy (0-1), J. Mc Loughlin (0-1), E. Conneely (1-0), A. Weston (0-3), L. Donoghue (0-1), C. Harnan (1-1), R. Pender (0-1)
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