Moynalvey lost out to pre-championship favourites Ratoath by a four point margin at the Quarter Final stage of the U-21 Championship on a 1-16 to 2-9 score line at Ashbourne on Friday night October 31^st.

Moynalvey 2-9 Ratoath 1-16

As it was three years ago when these two teams contested the Minor Championship final it was Ratoath who came out on top, this time the 2013 U-21 Champions had four points to spare, double their margin of victory of that Delaney cup Final of 2011.

Ratoath settled the quicker of the two sides and three converted frees from county player Bryan McMahon saw them take an early 0-3 to 0-00 lead after 7 minutes. Moynalvey’s opening score was also a free kick with full forward James Kelly converting in the 8^th minute. The margin between the sides was reduced to the minimum when the game’s first point from open play came when Moynalvey centre back Anthony Forde split the uprights. The men in maroon and white took the lead for the first time in the 12^th minute when a superp burst forward from Darren Brennan set up Shane Lenihan who rifled the ball across the Ratoath goalkeeper to the side of the net for the game’s opening goal. Moynalvey extended their lead  to five points in the 16^th minute when corner forward Fearghal McCabe rose highest when a high ball came into the goalmouth to flick to the Ratoath net for his side’s second goal. Two minutes later a well worked Ratoath move resulted in them raising a green flag of their own. The sides were level for the first time in the 25^th minute following a brace of Ratoath points, leaving it 2-2 to 1-5. Moynalvey corner forward David McLoughlin sent over the point of the first half in the 27^th minute when the county minor slotted over from an acute angle on the right wing. Two Ratoath points in the 31^st and 32^nd minutes respectively put them a point ahead again, but a brace of points from Moynalvey’s McLoughlin deep into injury time left Denis O’Shea’s charges a point to the good 2-5 to 1-7 as the sides headed for the dressing rooms at the half time whistle.

Two minutes after the restart the sides were level for a second time when Ratoath’s centre forward Bobby O’Brien pointed. The lively McLoughlin pushed Moynalvey ahead again in the 4^th minute and two minutes later two points separated the sides when McLoughlin fired over the black spot for his 4^th point from play after good build up play from Anthony Forde and Padraic Harnan. Calamitous scenes were to follow as Ratoath must wonder how the ball didn’t cross the line as a goalmouth scramble resulted in the ball being cleared from the Moynalvey goal line five or six times. Moynalvey found second half scores hard to come by and a fifteen minute saw Ratoath hit five unanswered points, all from play, before Moynalvey’s next score arrived in the 52^nd minute courtesy of a McLoughlin free, leaving it 1-13 to 2-8 in favour of the town side. Ratoath pointed in the 54^th minute with Moynalvey’s county player Padraic Harnan converting a free kick off the ground from circa 45 yards two minutes later leaving two between the sides once again with four minutes remaining. Raotath added two more points before the final whistle leaving their complete second half tally of nine points all coming from play to ensure the 2013 champions progressed to the semi-final stage of this year’s competition.

Best for Moynalvey were Anthony Forde, Padraic Harnan, Shane Lenihan and David McLoughlin.

Moynalvey: Conor Shirren, Brian Harnan, Cathal McCabe, Shane Browne, Darren Brennan, Anthony Forde (0-1), Darragh Branigan, Padraic Harnan (0-1), Eamonn Walsh, David Reilly, Shane Lenihan (1-0), James Reilly, Fearghal McCbae (1-0), James Kelly (0-1), David McLoughlin (0-6). Subs: Robert Lawless for James Reilly, Sean Duggan for James Kelly, Joseph Munnelly for David Reilly.