Moloney inspires Celbridge to victory in last game of glittering career
Former Kildare star Mark Moloney scored eight points in his last game before hanging up his hurl and helmet Photo: Sean Brilly
Celbridge raised this season’s UPMC Reserve A Hurling Championship title after a second-half surge, that featured goals from Cillian Treacy and Niall Hynes, saw them outgun 14-man Éire Óg Corra Choill in Manguard Park on Friday night.
Eight points from former Kildare star Mark Moloney were also key as he added one last piece of silverware to his glittering CV in his last game.
Looking to avenge their only loss in the group phase of the 2026 competition, which came at the hands of their Caragh rivals back in July, Celbridge were made work for this victory despite their opponents losing half back, Gary Johnson to a red card just 16 minutes into proceedings.
Indeed, the tremendous free-taking ability of Liam Dempsey kept Éire Óg in the hunt, the impressive half forward accounting for all but one of their first-half scores, as the two sides headed in at the break deadlocked at 10 points apiece.
But, apart from a very brief spell at the outset of second half when Dempsey edged them in front, Éire Óg were left playing catch-up for the rest of this decider, as Treacy and Hynes both found the back of the net, while Moloney took his game tally to eight points.
Only five points had separated the two teams at the end of their previous encounter earlier this summer, and it looked like it would, again, be a game of small margins, as the two sides found themselves level on three occasions before Johnson was sent to the sideline for his fierce challenge on Shuban Thoppe.
Celbridge capitalised immediately on their numerical advantage by opening up a five-point lead, as Treacy, Moloney, Hynes and Johnny Owens all struck over.
But Éire Óg were certainly not going down without a fight, playing with an intensity that forced their opponents to cough up four frees in the closing six minutes of the half, all of which were converted by Dempsey before Shane Malone added a late point that squared the match 0-10 to 0-10 by the interval.
The Celbridge faithful may have been wondering if their side and learnt any lessons from the first half in not affording Dempsey any opportunity to go for the posts, as the Éire Óg talisman despatched yet another free in the opening minute of the second half.
But that was the prove the last score for Pa Freeman’s outfit for the following 15 minutes, in which time, Celbridge served un an uninterrupted run of 1-4 to take control of this game, Treacy delivering the first of their two goals on 33 minutes when he broke on to a great ball in by David Daly and batted home.
Moloney kept the points coming for Celbridge, both from play and frees, and, while their opponents did recover some ground by way of three quick points from Dempsey, Celbridge regained a tight grip on proceedings when Andy Shanagher’s dangerous high ball into the Éire Óg goalmouth was not adequately dealt with, and Hynes raced in to send the loose ball to the back of the net on 51 minutes.
That served to put Celbridge back in front by five, and this time, they closed out the game thanks to a string of brilliant points down the stretch from Daly and Treacy.
M Moloney 0-8 (0-5f), C Treacy 1-4, N Hynes 1-2, D Daly 0-3, J Owens 0-1.
L Dempsey 0-14 (0-12f, 0-1 65), S Malone 0-1, O Dwane 0-1.
Billy White, Jack O’Brien, Alan Walsh, Tom Wright, Tomás Gallagher, Niall Ó Muineacháin, David Daly, Shuban Thoppe, Kieran Rubotham, Andy Shanagher, Johnny Owens, Mark Moloney, Niall Hynes, Gavin O’Reilly, Cillian Treacy. Subs: James Murphy for O’Reilly (37), Conor Hogan for Shanagher (59), Matty Gallagher for Tomás Gallagher (60+2) and Eoghan Lynch for Wright (60+4).
Paul Dermody, Sean Merrigan, Tim Hennessy, Kieran Moran, Ruadh Curran, Gary Johnson, Gary Dempsey, Shane Malone, Aaron Manders, Liam Dempsey, Daragh O’Shaughnessy, Simon Connolly, Kevin Connor, Brian Fitzpatrick, Pa Freeman. Subs: Oisin Dwane for Curran (28), Paul Kennedy for Freeman (35), Rian Duane for Connolly (39), Luke Smith for Moran (42) and Richie Whelan for O’Shaughnessy (44).
Eamonn Kelly.
