Moynalvey 0-10
Donaghmore /Ashbourne 1-13

Moynalvey were edged out by Donaghmore /Ashbourne in front of a large crowd at the well presented Dunsany pitch in the first round of the 2014 Hoganstand.com Senior Football Championship on Sunday afternoon April 13th.

This game was a much tighter affair than the six point margin between the sides suggests, with three minutes of normal playing time remaining only two points separated the sides. The bookmakers seldom get it wrong, but anyone with money on hot favourites Donaghmore/Ashbourne were made sweat right up until the final whistle as underdogs Moynalvey proved a handful for one of the bookies favourites for the Senior Championship.

Apart from at the final whistle little separated the sides throughout this contest, with only a point between the sides at the interval. Moynalvey were first to trouble the score keepers when centre half forward Dan Treacy split the uprights in the 3rd minute, with Donaghmore/Ashbourne opening their account sixty seconds later. Mark O'Sullivan clipped over his first of seven points in the 7th minute from a free kick after Shane Lenehan was fouled, with Donaghmore/Ashbourne responding three minutes later. An exquisite left footed point from O'Sullivan near the touchline at the road end of the pitch in the 16th minute was undoubtedly one of the scores of the opening period. Dublin U-21 footballer Michael Deegan opened his account for the afternoon in the 20th minute, restoring parity between the sides once again before the town side took the lead for the first time in the 22nd minute. Good Work from David Reilly around centre field resulted in Fearghal McCabe playing the ball into full forward O'Sullivan who split the uprights, leaving the sides level once again, 0-4 apiece. For the first time in the game more than a point separated the sides when both Donaghmore/Ashbourne wing backs Ciaran Ellis and Paul Gilligan pointed in the 27th and 29th minutes respectively. A Moynalvey point from county player Padraic Harnan in the first minute of additional time of the opening half left just a kick of the ball between the sides at the break as Donaghmore/Ashbourne led 0-6 to 0-5.

Within a minute of the restart Donaghmore/Ashbourne's Deegan fired over his second point of the game, extending Ashbourne's advantage to two once again. Moynalvey retook the lead in the 42nd minute when the excellent O'Sullivan sent over three points in a row, two of which were from play, leaving the score board reading 0-8 to 0-7 to Moynalvey. Having been well marshalled by Moynalvey full back Paul Weldon county footballer Andrew Tormey registered his first point of the game in the 43rd minute, leaving the sides tied for the 6th time in the game. A brace of Donaghmore/Ashbourne points from wing forward Aidan Hughes and corner forward Michael Deegan gave the Moors a two point cushion on the three quarter hour mark. Donaghmore/Ashbourne extended their lead to three points in the 50th minute, before Moynalvey wing half back Anthony Forde foraged forward to fire over the black spot. In reply to Forde's effort his opposite number five Ciaran Ellis broke up the field sixty seconds later restoring Ashbourne's three point advantage. With three minutes of normal playing time remaining Moynalvey were still very much in this contest as only two points separated the teams when O'Sullivan sent over his fourth point from play and seventh in total. On the stroke of full time Andrew Tormey flicked a high ball into the danger area to the Moynalvey net adding that extra bit of gloss to Donaghmore/Ashbourne's victory margin. However it could well have been the men in maroon and white who raised the first green flag of the game when Padraic Harnan was denied by a superb block on the goal line by Jason Boland in the second half.

Despite the six point margin between the sides at the final whistle Moynalvey will be disappointed that they did not take something from this game but have many positives to take forward to their second round clash with Rathkenny in Pairc Tailteann next Sunday afternoon.

Moynalvey: R. Ryan, C. McCabe, P. Weldon, P. Donoghue, A. Forde (0-1), D. Brennan, D. Donoghue, P. Harnan (0-1), S. Donoghue, F. McCabe, D. Treacy (0-1), D. Reilly, S. Lenehan, M. O'Sullivan (0-7), J. Kelly. Subs used: B. Harnan for P. Donoghue, J. Weldon for J. Kelly. Tweet

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