Allenwood comfortably see out U23 'B' Title
Allenwood's Joey Cunninghan goes past Moorefield's Tommy McGrath. Photo: Sean Brilly.
Allenwood claimed the U23 ‘B’ title on a cold and gusty Saturday evening under the Hawkfield floodlights, as they defeated a Moorefield team that showed great resilience when the fight had seemed to be lost with not far over 10 minutes to go.
Allenwood held a three point lead at the interval after an uneventful opening to the contest. They seemed to have slain their opponents for a large period of the second-half, until a 47th minute goal from Tommy Rooney sparked new life into Moorefield.
A goal of their own seven minutes later steadied Allenwood, who shook off the green revival and put up a comfortable winning margin in the end.
Tommy Rooney would be first to point for Moorefield in the fourth minute, while a minute later, Allenwood goalkeeper Stephen Carey slotted over a 45. This was before he would land a superb two-pointed free on 10 minutes, striking the ball elegantly to reach its destination.
Moorefield tied proceedings through an Aaron Martin brace, which sandwiched a goal chance for Nathan Hanniffy Doyle in the 12th minute, who got to the breaking ball before the outrushing goalkeeper, but couldn’t steer the ball on target.
Allenwood finished the stronger of the two teams; Joey Cunningham scored a brace of his own, while Cormac Denagher put over a free. This would give John Doyle’s team a 0-6 to 0-3 half-time lead, though it could have been more when a goal chance presented itself to John Dee, who fired his attempt across goal and wide.
Another Joey Cunningham point and a brace of frees from Cormac Denagher pushed Allenwood six clear. What was also clear at this stage of the match was that Moorefield were now staring down the face of defeat with 20 minutes to go.
To everyone’s surprise, they were about to flip that notion on its head. On 47 minutes, Tommy Rooney got the final touch on Nathan Hanniffy Doyle’s kick towards goal, which was enough to spill beyond Stephen Carey and into the corner of the Allenwood wood net.
From the guts of defeat, Frank Hanniffy’s men now had a new spark of life jolted into them, and would come thundering back into the match. Aaron Martin’s brace and a free from Jack Butler would level up the teams by the 52nd minute, and the message was loud and clear. Game on.
Allenwood would deal the next significant blow though to suck the wind from their opponent’s sails. Eoin Bagnall’s effort from a tight-angle on 54 minutes dropped short, where Cormac Denagher was lurking.
The corner forward got his fist beyond an outrushing Cian Casey and into the net. Aaron Martin tapped over his and Moorefield’s final score of the game from a free two minutes from added time in response, but Allenwood would see out the game from here.
Jamie Gartland and Joey Cunningham’s points pushed the sky blues four clear by the 61st minute, when a minute after that, Finn Smullen successfully turned over an opposition kick-out, before trading the ball with Joey Cunningham and kicking the ball into the net to seal the deal.
Moorefield didn’t die out without a fight, but it was too little too late, and therefore the title was Allenwood’s to savour.
Stephen Carey 0-3 (0-1’45, 1two-pointer free); TJ Moore, Alex Lenehan, Ryan McManomon; Gavin Malone, Brendan Hanafey, Callum O’Reilly 0-1; John Dee, Jamie Gartland; Cormac Denagher 1-3 (0-3frees), Eoin Bagnall, Sean McLoughlin; Sean Dunne, Joey Cunningham 0-4, Jack O’Brien.
Aaron Lenehan for Sean McLoughlin (half-time), Finn Smullen 1-0 for Aaron Lenehan (45), James Moore for Jack O’Brien (57).
Cian Casey; Noah Gilroy, Conor Walsh, Ciaran Shiels Conlon; Karl Shelley, Tommy McGrath, Ethan Gilroy; Jack Butler 0-1 (0-1free), Jake Delmer; Eoin Meehan, Harry O’Connor, Darragh Booth; Tommy Rooney 1-1, Aaron Martin 0-5 (0-3free), Nathan Hanniffy Doyle.
Callum Duane for Darragh Booth (half-time), Padraig Cribben for Ciaran Shiels Conlon (42), Matthew Sherlock for Nathan Hanniffey Doyle (59).
