Donaghmore/Ashbourne 1-16
Moynalvey 0-16

Andrew Tormey scored 1-7 as Donaghmore Ashbourne opened their hoganstand.com SFC Group A campaign with a narrow win over Moynalvey at Skryne on Friday night.

It was Tormey's 26th minute fisted goal that proved decisive and cushioned Sean Kelly's charges against the best efforts of last year's IFC winners.

Apart from a brief spell in the opening quarter, Donaghmore/Ashbourne were never headed. The manner in which they responded to going 0-1 to 0-3 in arrears suggested a wider winning margin.

Tormey's goal left it 1-8 to 0-6 and the team from the county's second largest urban centre led by five points on eight occasions subsequently.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne put six points between themselves and Alan Kelly's men three times, the final time being in the 47th minute when John Broderick pointed to leave it 1-15 to 0-12.

Moynalvey outscored Donaghmore/Ashbourne by 0-4 to 0-1 over the remainder of the game but couldn't conjure up the goal require to salvage something from this fixture.

Brothers Mark and Cillian O'Sullivan carried the bulk of Moynalvey's scoring threat with the former getting the game's final score.

Broderick was particularly impressive in the early stages and had the game's opening score within 15 seconds of the off.

Moynalvey's response was impressive with Cillian O'Sullivan, Stephen Donoghue and James Kelly getting off the mark to leave it 0-3 to 0-1 five minutes in.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne hit back with seven points on the bounce and one of them could have been a goal but Moynalvey 'keeper Ollie Regan turned a Tormey attempt over his own bar 12 minutes in.

With the O'Sullivans leading the charge, Moynalvey enjoyed a good spell getting the deficit down to two points before Tormey's goal, for which Niall Farrell provided the assist.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne moved six points clear when corner-back Sean Curran pointed, but Stephen Donoghue had the final score of the half to leave it 1-10 to 0-8 to Donaghmore/Ashbourne at the break.

Within a minute of the restart Tormey landed a free and when the same player sent over an exemplary effort from play it was 1-13 to 0-10 with 43 minutes on the clock.

Then came an exciting finale but last year's beaten SFC semi-finalists had enough in hand to see them over the line here.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne - A. Colgan; C. McGill, B. Menton, S. Curran (0-1); C. Ellis, D. Morgan, E. Riordan; R. O'Connor, K. Lanigan; C. Field, E. Reilly (0-1), J. Broderick (0-3); C. Beirne, N. Farrell (0-2), A. Tormey (1-7, 0-5 fs). Subs - S. Melia (0-2) for Beirne (18), J. P. Casserly for O'Connor (51).

Moynalvey - O. Regan; R. Kiernan, P. Weldon, P. Donoghue; A. Forde, B. O'Keefe, D. Treacy (0-1); J. Donoghue, S. Donoghue (0-4); C. O'Sullivan (0-4, 3 fs), D. Donoghue, D. Brennan (0-1); M. O'Sullivan (0-5, 3fs), K. Hyland, J. Kelly (0-1). Subs - D. Smith for D. Donoghue (46), R. Ryan for Kelly (48).

Referee - J. Curley (Moynalty). Tweet

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