U16 Div 4 Cup final: Honours for Moynalvey

Moynalvey defeated Bective in the Under 16 Division 4 final at Ballinlough

Moynalvey claimed O’Reilly Solicitors Div. 4 Championship Cup honours when overcoming Bective by the minimum in the Final played at Ballinlough on Sunday afternoon 4th October.

Moynalvey 2-12
Bective 2-11

The U-16 boys made it a double for the weekend for Moynalvey, with the U-16 girls having claimed Div. 2 championship honours the day previous.

Ballinlough a fabulous venue for any game, although geographically a strange location to drag both Moynalvey and Bective to for a final.

The first half of this game largely belonged to Bective as they led by eight points to two after twenty five minutes.

It was Moynalvey who opened the scoring with a point from centre forward Soban Aziz with the help of a deflection after ninety seconds. Four points without response for Bective saw them lead 0-4 to 0-1 after ten minutes.

Moynalvey midfielder Sean Phelan made it a double scores game when sending over his side’s second score with the help of the Bective ‘keeper’s hand in the eleventh minute.

Three Bective scores in a row including a two pointer left it 0-8 to 0-2 with twenty five minutes played.

Then came the game’s first green flag when a Scott Williams point attempt fell short and fumbled by the Bective goalkeeper with Moynalvey full forward Conor Keogh on hand to follow in and finish to the net, leaving the margin between the sides at three, 0-8 to 1-2.

Bective had the perfect response to Keogh’s goal finding the net themselves within ninety seconds of the Moynalvey goal. A Scott Williams free left the half time score 1-8 to 1-3 in favour of Bective.

Whatever the Moynalvey management said to their players at the break had the desired effect as they outscored their opponents 1-8 to no score in the opening twenty minutes of the second half. In fact, it wasn’t until the 55th minute before Bective registered in the second half.

Of that 1-8, 1-2 came from Adam Dunne with points from Conor Keogh (2), Soban Aziz, Oran Conneely, Scott Williams and Cathal Byrne. Moynalvey now leading by six, 2-11 to 1-8 with nine minutes remaining.

Having lost Scott Williams to a black card, Bective’s numerical advantage began to count as they bid to mount a late comeback. A brace of Bective points were followed by a Scott Williams free for Moynalvey, but a further 1-1 for Bective left it for a tense final few minutes as just a point separated the sides two minutes into additional time, 2-12 to 2-11. 

But for a save from Moynalvey goalkeeper Edward O’O’Shea from an acute angle at the death, O’Shea having pulled off a couple of impressive saves throughout, Moynalvey held on for the slimmest of margin wins to be crowned Div. 4 FC Cup Champions on 2-12 to 2-11 score line.

After the celebrations Moynalvey captain Harry Mulvany accepted the Div. 4 Cup from referee Dessie Smyth.

In a work man like performance from all the lads in maroon, particularly impressive were Bobby Benson, Oran Conneely, Sean Phelan, Adam Dunne, Soban Aziz, Cathal Byrne, Conor Keogh, Scott Williams and a man of the match performance from Billy Black with an outstanding display at wing back.

Moynalvey team and scorers: Edward O’Shea, Harry Ryan, Harry Mulvany, Bobby Benson, Harry Quinlan, Oran Conneely (0-1), Billy Black, Frankie Gilsenan, Sean Phelan (0-1), Cathal Byrne (0-1), Soban Aziz (0-2), Adam Dunne (1-2), Adam Bannon, Conor Keogh (1-2), Michael Foley.

Subs used: Scott Williams (0-3, 1f), James Hanifin.
Other Subs:Turlough Purcell, Liam Judge, Nathan O'Connor, James Byrne, Robert Walsh, Sean Mongey, Sean Kelly.