Moynalvey bow out of Leinster as O Raghallaighs prove too strong
by Fergal Lynch Updated: Wednesday, 26th October, 2011 4:52pm
O Raghallaighs 0-14, Moynalvey 0-8
Moynalvey's John Donoghue in determined mood during Sunday's Leinster Club IFC game against O Raghallaighs.
Sunday's trip to Drogheda proved to be a bridge too far for Moynalvey as their quest for Leinster Club IFC honours ended at the first hurdle against Louth champions O Raghallaighs.
Played in dreadful weather the game closer resembled an ice skating competition than a football match as both sides struggled to cope with the terrible underfoot conditions and the soaplike ball that everyone had trouble handling.
To make matters worse for Moynalvey they couldn't make much of an impact against a side that had to slog through the final 12 minutes with only 14 players following the dismissal of Graham Murray for a second yellow card.
A slog is the best way to describe the contest. Both sides gave their all and made little of the conditions to produce an entertaining contest that was low on skill because of the weather, but high on excitement value as the hosts made most of the running.
Notoriously slow starters Moynalvey were true to form in the early stages and fell behind, but their normal extraordinary powers of recovery failed to revive them as O Raghallaighs stuck to their game plan, got plenty of players behind the ball and suffocated the normally sparkling Moynalvey attack.
Forced to field without two of their more potent attacking threats in Cillian O'Sullivan and Padraig Harnan, Moynalvey were hindered from the off and failed to reach the attacking heights that they are normally capable of.
The Meath champions managed just four points from play and despite getting in for a couple of decent goal chances they struggled to breakdown the determined O Raghallaighs rearguard.
There was hardly an individual battle that Moynalvey can claim to have won. They looked leg-weary from their IFC exertions and while O Raghallaighs were also without their best player, Barry Flanagan, they rarely looked in too much trouble as Robert Mulroy dominated midfield.
The Moynalvey defence were stretched throughout with Bernard Rogan causing countless problems and Ruairi Moore's invention cutting them open with percision passing and clever running.
The Louth champions, who defeated Dundalk's Clann na nGael in the IFC final, were the more cohesive outfit.
They had their homework done and quickly snuffed out any potential threat from Mark O'Sullivan, James Kelly, John Donoghue and David Donoghue.
Once again it was Moynalvey's slow start that left them with a mountain to climb, but on this occasion they couldn't scale those heady heights.
A sweeping move that involved Moore and Anthony McGee set up the excellent Rogan for the opening score inside two minutes. Dean Byrne galloped forward to double that advantage a couple of minutes later and soon after Moynalvey found themselves three points adrift when Moore was once again the tormenter with a fine score.
A serious leg injury forced Keith Hughes out of the game after only nine minutes and the introduction of former St Mary's player Tony Grifferty for the Drogheda club, but once play resumed Ciaran Collins got Moynalvey off the mark for a 13-metre free.
Rogan replicated that score four minutes later to restore a three-point cushion for O Raghallaighs and early in the second-quarter Chris Smith made it 0-5 to 0-1.
Moynalvey eventually found their form for the final 10 minutes of the half, but they struggled to make their supremacy count.
A James Kelly pointed free after O'Sullivan was fouled was followed by a goal chance for O'Sullivan, but his close range effort was well blocked by Joseph Flanagan.
Moynalvey's best move of the game saw John Donoghue and Stephen Donoghue combine to set up David Donoghue for an excellent score which narrowed the gap to two points, but O Raghallaighs closed the first-half scoring when Rogan added another free to make it 0-6 to 0-3 at the break.
Any hope of a bright start to the second-half for Moynalvey disappeared when Rogan stretched O Raghallaighs lead to four points within 35 seconds and Smith made it 0-8 to 0-3 to leave Moynalvey with a mountain to climb.
John Donoghue picked out O'Sullivan with a clever '45' to give Moynalvey hope, but O Raghallaighs still looked more threatening as Rogan went close to netting.
A Kelly free and a Stephen Donoghue point after he intercepted Grifferty's poor pass closed the deficit to 0-6 to 0-8, but again O Raghallaighs settled into their counter-attacking style and restored their four-point lead when Moore (free) and Ciaran Brassil pointed.
O'Sullivan saw another goal chance flash across the face of the O Raghallaighs goal, but it was the hosts who continued to pile on the pressure with Moore pointing a free to make it 0-11 to 0-6.
With 11 minutes remaining Murray saw red after his second foul on O'Sullivan, but that didn't knock the Louth champions out of their stride as they still managed to out-score Moynalvey in the closing minutes.
Even goalkeeper Flanagan got in on the scoring act when he converted a '45'. Raymond Ryan tagged on a free for Moynalvey, but they needed goals. However, they weren't coming as Alan Doyle and Rogan closed out the O Raghallaighs scoring before a late point from O'Sullivan brought the curtain down on a miserable afternoon for Moynalvey.
O Raghallaighs - J Flanagan (0-1 '45'); S Murphy, J Moonan, G Leech; D Byrne (0-1), G Murray, A Doyle (0-1); R Mulroy, C Brassil (0-1); R Moore (0-3 two frees), C McEntaggart, K Hughes; B Rogan (0-5 two frees), C Smith (0-2), A McGee. Subs - T Grifferty for Hughes nine mins, A Rogan for Mulroy 41m, J Rogan for Grifferty 52m, J Morgan for Byrne 59m, D Hoey for McEntaggart 59m,
Moynalvey - O Regan; R Kiernan, P Weldon, P Donoghue; A Forde, B O'Keeffe, W Mahady; J Donoghue, S Donoghue (0-1); D Donoghue (0-1), M O'Sullivan (0-2), D Treacy; W Byrne, C Collins (0-1 free), J Kelly (0-2 frees). Subs - K Hyland for Mahady 24 mins, J Weldon for Byrne 38m, B Conneely for Collins 53m, R Ryan (0-1 free) for Kelly 53m,
Referee - Ronnie Malone (Dublin).
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