Magnificent Moorefield make light work of Maynooth
Maynooth's Cillian Price sizes up Moorefield's four-goal star, Conn Kehoe. Photo: Sean Brilly.
Four goals from Conn Kehoe and stand-out performances from Mark Tobin and Alex Bell gave Moorefield a remarkable victory over Maynooth on Friday night at a sparsely attended Manguard Park, Hawkfield.
The result secures Moorefield a place in the UPMC Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-finals, whilst also condemning Maynooth to relegation.
Both sides came into the game on the back of Round 4 defeats, with Moorefield reeling after their 23-point hammering at the hands of Leixlip. But Niall O'Donoghue's side were the ones dishing out a hiding on Friday night as they rattled off an astonishing eight goals.
Eoin Kelleher opened the scoring early on for Maynooth, but that was as good as it got for his team. Moorefield hit back with a vengeance as Tommy Walsh and Tobin each pointed before Niall Barry set up Kehoe for a goal in the fifth minute. Tobin pointed twice more followed by a free from Alex Bell to leave their side up 1-6 to 0-1 after ten minutes.
The onslaught continued courtesy of white flags from Paul Dawson, Bell and Barry, extending the Moorefield lead to ten points midway through the half.
Two frees from Michael Hogan finally moved the scoreboard again for Maynooth, but those were soon cancelled out by Tobin and Reece Gavin as it became clear that Geroid Harrington's side were simply out-classes and out-gunned in every area of the pitch.
Kevin McNeill landed a lovely score for Maynooth, but Kehoe then completed his hat-trick in under 60 seconds, rattling off goals in the 25th and 26th minutes to put the result beyond any doubt.
Maynooth landed four points before the interval - three from Kelleher and one from Ciaran Gorman; but those scores were wiped out by a point from Bell and one of the finest individual goals you'll see at an intermediate club game, with Mark Tobin solidifying his Man of the Match accolades with a sublime run through the defence and an amazing finish to match.
That left Moorefield in total control, up 4-12 to 0-8 at half time.
It was more of the same from the men in green after the break, adding 3-2 to their tally before Maynooth found their first score of the half in the 41st minute. The goals came from Oisin Kelly, Eoghan Corrigan and a fourth from Kehoe, with Corrigan's the pick of the bunch after a phenomenal assist from Muiris Curtin's unstoppable charge through the midfield.
Aaron Larkin, Jerry Molloy and a Michael Hogan free raised white flags for Maynooth, but Moorefield were busy as well, with points from Barry, Kelly and three frees from Bell bringing the score to 7-17 to 0-11 midway through the second half.
Hogan added two final frees for Maynooth before Moorefield rounded off the win with an unanswered 1-3 in the closing ten minutes. The goal was a thing of beauty thanks to Tommy Walsh, who also added a point, before Bell split the posts twice late on to close out a 31-point victory.
The semi-finals will take place on Saturday, October 10th, with Moorefield going up against Naas.
Eoin Carroll; Shane Delmer, Malvin Maloney, Cian Brannigan; Oisin Kelly 1-1, Sean Maher, Mark Tobin 1-4; Muiris Curtin, Reece Gavin 0-1; Paul Dawson 0-2, Alex Bell 0-8 (4f), Tommy Walsh 1-2; Eoghan Corrigan 1-0, Conn Kehoe 4-0, Niall Barry 0-2.
Conor Price for Delmer and Cormac O'Connor for Dawson (both 40), Graham Cregoe for Gavin (51).
Oran Duff; Kallum Gilligan, Willie Lamb, David Eustace; Cillian Price, Conall Knox, John Harpur; Fiachra Lohan, Kevin McNeill 0-1; Niall Coogan, Eoin Kelleher 0-4, Micheal Hogan 0-5 (5f); Ciaran Gorman 0-1, Joe Millett, Jerry Molloy 0-1.
Daniel Heaver for Molloy (HT), Aaron Larkin 0-1 for Knox (36), Conor Walsh for Harpur (40), Joe Harrington for Gorman (46), Sean Lobby for Price (54).
Alan La Grue.
