IFC quarter final: Moynalvey disappoint in Ashbourne

Moynalvey's Darren Brennan with Neil O'Flaherty St. Pats during the IFC quarter final at Ashbourne

St. Patricks booked their place in the Meade Farm Intermediate football championship Semi-Finals with a comprehensive victory over a lethargic Moynalvey outfit under lights at Ashbourne on Saturday evening 19th September.

Moynalvey 0-9
St. Patricks 2-19

A disappointing Moynalvey display along with an impressive one from a slick St. Patricks outfit which you’d expect nothing more from a side under the tutorage of manager Colm Nally saw the East Meath side emphatically dump Moynalvey out of the championship at the quarter final stage.

For the third year in succession Moynalvey and St. Patricks met in the Intermediate Football Championship and at the third time of asking it was St. Patricks who eventually got the better of the men in maroon when it mattered most in the knockouts stages of the championship.

The game was preceded by a minutes silence as a mark of respect to St. Patricks player David McQuillan whose mother was laid to rest during the week.

St. Patricks could only have dreamt of the start they got off to, with Donal Landy having the ball in the back of the Moynalvey net after just sixty seconds. Landy’s goal was followed by points from Ben Sullivan, Jamie Murphy and another from Landy to leave them 1-3 to no score to the good after nine minutes.

Moynalvey eventually opened their account in the 11th minute through Adam Murphy, followed by a Vinny Walsh free after Cillian O’Sullivan was fouled. However, the next couple of minutes proved disastrous for the Barry O’Keeffe’s side, losing influential attacker Hugh O’Sullivan to injury and then being down a man for ten minutes with Michael Brady receiving a black card. 

St. Patricks punished Brady’s ten minute sin binning by adding 1-8 to their tally while Moynalvey were down a man. Those scores coming from a Jamie Murphy free, a ’45 and two whopping two point frees from distance with the wind at his back, a sweetly struck two pointer from Senan McKeown on the right wing and the second goal coming from Conor Black to place St. Pats in a commanding fifteen point lead 2-11 to 0-2 with three minutes of the opening half remaining.

Padraic Harnan rounded off the first half scoring to leave St. Patricks with a huge fourteen point lead and Moynalvey soul searching for answers as the teams retreated to the dressing rooms for the half time break, 2-11 to 0-3.

Barry Walsh and half time substitute David McLoughlin, McLoughlin’s a two pointer hit scores either side of a Ben Sullivan effort for St. Pats left it 2-12 to 0-6 ten minutes in to the second half.

However, a determined St. Patricks outfit had their homework done on Moynalvey and even having the luxury of replacing talisman Murphy twelve minutes into the second half drove on to add a further six points without response, points from substitute Shane Landy, Shane Dowling, Donal Landy (2) and a sweetly struck two point free off the ground from Senan McKeown leaving it 2-18 to 0-6 on the hour mark.

Padraic Harnan drove a two point free over Evan McDonnell’s crossbar more out of frustration of his side’s performance than anything, with Donal Landy and Cillian O’Sullivan trading late frees to see St. Patricks advance to the semi-final stage with this demolition of Moynalvey on a 2-19 to 0-9 score line when referee Andrew Smith blew his full time whistle.

Moynalvey team and scorers: Conor Egan, Sean McDonagh, Conor Harnan, Charlie McCormack, Brian O’Reilly, Darren Brennan, Michael Brady, Adam Murphy (0-1), Padraic Harnan (0-3: incl 1x2ptf), Barry Walsh (0-1), Hugh O’Sullivan, Craig Gilsenan, Vinny Walsh (0-1f), Mark O’Sullivan, Cillian O’Sullivan (0-1f).

Subs used: Sean Duggan for H. O’Sullivan, David McLoughlin (1x2pt) for McDonagh, David Regan for V. Walsh, Paul Corcoran for B. Walsh.