Moorefield dig deep to grind out well deserved win

MOOREFIELD 2-10 MAYNOOTH 1-11 

Write off Moorefield at your peril!

The ten times county champions were unfancied by many beforehand but withstood a ferocious comeback from Maynooth to edge home by two points in this Group D Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship encounter in Manguard Park on Saturday evening.

Having given themselves the boost of a third minute goal from Jason Phillips and going in at the break four points ahead, a goal six minutes after the restart by Harry O’Connor seemed to signal a comfortable finish for the Newbridge side who led by 2-6 to 0-5 at that point.

But battling Maynooth, with county hurler Cathal McCabe in outstanding form with a five-point haul from play, fought back and a penalty created and converted by substitute Kevin Donovan after 46 minutes set up a grandstand finish.

Maynooth pulled the gap back to the minimum four minutes from the end but in the final minute of normal time, corner back Dylan Cosgrave’s superb run from the back set up veteran substitute Adam Tyrrell to round off the scoring and secure a crucial win in what is expected to be a highly competitive group.

Phillips had given the perfect early boost, the towering full-forward getting on the end of Ryan Moore’s long delivery to finish neatly past Mark Donnellan, and Moorefield’s height advantage proved a constant weapon.

Maynooth stayed in touch with McCabe registering two of their points as they went in four points behind at the break (1-5 to 0-4).

After Evan O’Brien and Chris Canning exchanged points early in the second half, Kevin Murnaghan crossed and O’Connor looked second favourite in a 50/50 with towering Kildare goalkeeper Mark Donnellan but the Moorefield man somehow turned the ball into the net, though he had to depart having taken a knock in the process.

Donovan’s introduction sparked Maynooth. He angled over a point and then used his lightening pace to outstrip the Moorefield defence in the left corner and finish to the net from a tight angle, but referee Owen Murphy had already whistled for a foul. Donovan had the confidence to take the spot kick and sent Tom Kinsella the wrong way.

With ten minutes remaining Moorefield hit back with an Eoin Meehan point but successive score from Seán Hever and a brace from McCabe brought the gap to a single point with four minutes left (2-9 to 1-11).

Then came Tyrrell’s clincher although Maynooth still put the Moores under severe pressure in almost six minutes of injury-time, but Frank Hannify’s side held out to win by two to put themselves well in contention for a place in the knock-out stages.

MOOREFIELD: Tom Kinsella; Dylan Cosgrave, Mark Dempsey, Liam Healy; Pádraig Cribbin, James Murray, Ryan Houlihan 0-1; Ryan Moore, Aaron Masterson; Eoin Meehan 0-1, Kevin Murnaghan, Harry O’Connor 1-0; Evan O’Brien 0-2 (1m), Jason Phillips 1-0, Mark Murray 0-4 (2fs). SUBS: Anthony Durney for Cribbin 8, Adam Sweeney for Houlihan 0-1 (temp) 11-12 and O’Connor 37, Dan O’Callaghan for Phillips 41, Liam Callaghan for Healy 50, Adam Tyrrell 0-1 for Murnaghan 50

MAYNOOTH: Mark Donnellan; Daniel O’Meara, Niall O’Sullivan, Darren Maguire; Matthew Eustace, Paddy Brady, Seán Mahon; Paul Maguire, Ciaran Flanagan; John Flattery, Fionn Ó Giolláin, Seán Creevy 0-1; Paddy Mahoney 0-2, Chris Canning 0-1, Cathal McCabe 0-5. SUBS: Kevin Donovan 1-1 (1-0 pen) for Creevy HT, Cillian Geraghty for Flattery HT, Callum McCabe for P Maguire 45, Sean Hever 0-1 for Canning 50, John McAndrew for Eustace 58.

REFEREE: Owen Murphy