A twelve point win for Moynalvey over Syddan in this J.M Food Services Div. 2 Relegation Playoff played at Kilmore Park Moynalvey on Thursday evening 18th July means Moynalvey retain their Division Two League status for 2025.

Moynalvey 3-20 Syddan 1-14

A re-match of the final round game just two weeks ago, this open high scoring game which yielded thirty eight scores, it was the men in maroon who prevailed by twelve points to retain their Division Two status, while the loss means Syddan drop down a division next year.

No coincidence that since the return of players of the calibre of Cillian O’Sullivan and David McLoughlin to their forward line that Moynalvey’s scoring ratio has improved in the second half of the league the men in maroon picked up four wins and a draw in their last five games.

It was the home side Moynalvey who got off to a blistering start, with 1-2 on the board within two minutes, the goal from Vinny Walsh as early as the 20th second and the points from a Cillian O’Sullivan mark and William Harnan.

Daire Rowe opened Syddan’s account with mark in the third minute, soon followed with a point from midfielder Sean Clare to make it 1-2 to 0-2 with nine minutes played.

A brilliant turnover near the sideline on his own twenty-one from Keelan Taylor saw him find Barry Walsh who raced forward to send over his side’s third point. Syddan responded with a pair of Ben Blakemore points, the first from a free and second from play to leave two between the sides with fourteen minutes played, 1-3 to 0-4.

A brace of points for both Cillian O’Sullivan and David McLoughlin either side of a Daire Rowe point for the visitors meant the score board read 1-7 to 0-5 with twenty five minutes gone.

A neat finish from Cormac Rowe which saw him tap over the oncoming Conor Egan into an empty Moynalvey net brough Syddan right into the game again, 1-7 to 1-5 in the 30th minute.

There was still time for  a Cillian O’Sullivan point and a Barry Walsh to fist home to the net after a goalmouth scramble just before referee Stephen Cregan’s half time whistle, a timely boost for Moynalvey but a sucker punch for the Syddan men, meaning the half time score board read 2-8 to 1-5 to Moynalvey.

Adding to his four opening half points, Cillian O’Sullivan fired over within thirty seconds for the second half’s first score. Syddan responded with points from Ben Blakemore and Daire Rowe making it 2-9 to 1-7 three minutes into the half.

O’Sullivan and Daire Rowe traded a brace of points, Rowe’s first an effort which looked to be  looping in over Conor Egan to the net, but for  goal line finger tip save by Keelan Taylor which made its way over the bar.

Points from McLoughlin, David Reilly and Ciaran Harnan gave Moynalvey an eight point advantage, 2-14 to 1-9, at the three quarter hour mark.

Syddan rattled off their own trio of points with lively corner forward Ben Blakemore accounting for all three, narrowing the deficit to five with fifty two minutes played, 2-14 to 1-12.

Moynalvey’s dominance in the final ten minutes boosted by the bench and in particular the influence of Donal Smith and Stephen Donoghue around the middle third saw them lay the platform to outscore Syddan 1-6 to 0-2 in those final minutes.

Points from Stephen Donoghue, O’Sullivan and McLoughlin (2), with a Daire Rowe point in response for Syddan left it 2-18 to 1-13 with ninety seconds remaining.

Padraic Harnan made a burst forward to unselfishly offload across the face of goal for the onrushing Luke O’Halloran to put that extra bit of gloss of the score line with Moynalvey’s third goal of the evening. 

Another Syddan point was followed up late into additional time by points from O’Sullivan and a score from a third Moynalvey substitute Donal Smith, his side’s tenth scorer of the evening to round off the game’s scoring for a twelve point Moynalvey win and safety ensured for Caoimhin King’s side on a full time score line of 3-20 to 1-14. 

Best for the winners here were Keelan Taylor, Cathal McCabe, David Reilly, Barry Walsh, David McLoughlin and top scorer Cillian O’Sullivan.

Moynalvey team and scorers: Conor Egan, Keelan Taylor, Cathal McCabe, Darragh Branigan, Fearghal McCabe, Michael Brady, Paul Corcoran, Padraic Harnan, David Reilly (0-1), Barry Walsh (1-1), Ciaran Harnan (0-1), Vinny Walsh (1-0), David McLoughlin (0-5, 2f), Cillian O’Sullivan (0-9, 3f), William Harnan (0-1).

Subs used: Donal Smith (0-1) for Corcoran, Conor Quinn for Branigan, Stephen Donoghue (0-1) for B. Walsh, Charlie McCormack for Taylor, David Donoghue for F. McCabe, Luke O’Halloran (1-0) for C. Harnan, Eoin Corrigan for Reilly. 
 

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