Moorefield snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in trademark style
Aaron Masterson Moorefield get past Matthew Diamond Maynooth Photo: Michael Anderson
It must have been all too familiar to Ross Glavin. Moorefield through and through and seemingly on the way to putting his old charges out of the championship. But of all people, Glavin, the Maynooth manager, would have feared the sting in the tail. He was once the stinger after all.
Moorefield are still Moorefield. An older Moorefield perhaps but the heart is clearly strong.
Maynooth were composed and full of running all through and this reporter may have had the word “toothless” ready to describe the Moorefield attack. Allegedly.
With nine minutes left of the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship Preliminary Quarter Final, Glavin’s Maynooth were five points clear. The manager had sprung Neil Flynn after he hadn’t taken any part in the warm-up. Had that been a ruse perhaps? Who knows?
Suddenly a Flynn who seemed to be limping and togged in a tracksuit looked lively and capable when called upon seven minutes after half-time and picked off a neat point as Maynooth looked to see out a game they dominated for so long.
But Moorefield dug deep as only Moorefield do, and they suckered their prey.
Adam Tyrrell, rolling back the years these last few weeks, took advantage of a darting run from Dan Hanniffy to point to make it 0-12 to 1-5 but still they still had one hell of a climb ahead.
Crucial to their eventual ascent was Evan O’Brien, the lightening quick corner-forward. With a minute left of normal time O’Brien arrowed over a two-pointer. Still two points in it but Moorefield sensed yet another famous comeback. The crowd did too.
O’Brien was suddenly everywhere, and he picked up Mark Donnellan’s kick out to send Moores attacking again. They won a free on the stand side and Seán Dempsey was put into a shooting position by Tyrrell. He dropped his effort tantalisingly short, and Donnellan punched it out to the right corner back position, seemingly to safety.
Substitute Luke Sweeney reacted first, though, and like many a Moorefield hero before him, buried his chance. No second thoughts, just low and hard to Donnellan’s net. “Toothless” my backside.
Maynooth were caught up in a maelstrom, suddenly down by a point and they never figured a way out of it. Another substitute Dan O’Callaghan might have added another goal, but O’Brien snatched another kick out to keep the momentum going one way.
That particular move ended with Hanniffy drawing a brilliant diving save from Donnellan at the expense of a ’45. Mark Murray, with his first shot at the posts all night, converted and the long whistle sounded with Moores two clear.
Moorefield had made the perfect start when, four minutes in as Tyrrell blasted a goal past former county goalkeeper Mark Donnellan after a pin-point delivery from Ryan Moore.
But, in driving rain, and with the breeze behind them (it died when Moorefield should have had it behind them), Maynooth settled quickly and began to out-run and out-pass Moorefield as they dominated possession for the remainder of the half.
Three points in as many minutes from Paddy Hever, Chris Canning and Paddy Mahoney, the latter an outstanding effort off the outside of his boot, put the sides level after nine minutes and Maynooth went two ahead when Matthew Diamond, also off the outside of the boot, nailed a two-pointer.
Moorefield, who had Aaron Masterson back from injury, suffered a blow when an innocuous push in the back on Liam Healy saw him fall awkwardly and he was led away clutching his arm after 14 minutes.
Despite a couple of wayward attempts, Maynooth were still dominant at that stage and centre back Niall O’Sullivan ventured forward to raise their second orange flag and stretch their lead to four.
But Moorefield finished the half strongly and after dangerman O’Brien was denied by a fine block by the tight-marking Cathal Quinn, the Moorefield corner forward took advantage of a fine catch by Masterson from Ciaran Kelly’s long ball to score his side’s first point of the game two minutes from half-time.
O’Brien looked to have levelled matters when a classic backdoor cut saw him put through by Eoin Meehan but his powerful attempt on goal just went to the right of the posts as his side went in trailing by three points (0-7 to 1-1) at the interval.
Maynooth hit four of the first five scores of the second half through to further stretch their lead with Canning, Fionn Ó Giolláin, Flynn and Paddy Maguire hitting the target but crucially, as it turned out, Moorefield’s one contribution to the scoreboard in that period was a two-pointer from Ryan Moore. It just about kept them in touch at 0-11 to 1-3.
Both sides missed clearcut goal chances in that third quarter with Paddy Hever blasting to the right of the posts before being whipped off for Flynn while O’Brien was perhaps caught by surprise when the workaholic Kevin Murnaghan retrieved a wayward Kelly effort to set him up straight in front of the posts. O’Brien scuffed his effort. He would have the last laugh.
Tyrell and Paul Maguire, the latter dancing through a tired looking Moorefield defence, exchanged points early in the final quarter to make it 0-12 to 1-4 with 51 minutes on the clock as the game seemed set to ramble to its inevitable conclusion.
But as the exchanges grew tetchier, it was Moorefield who gained energy. Older bodies perhaps but clearer minds. Muscle memory kicked in perhaps, and we were suddenly in Moorefield’s comfort zone. Maynooth, younger, talented no doubt, and led by someone who should and probably did see it coming. But helpless to stop it, nonetheless.
Celbridge be warned.
Tom Kinsella; Liam Callaghan, Mark Dempsey, Liam Healy; Sean Dempsey, Kevin Murnaghan, Dan Hanniffy; Ryan Moore 0-2 (tp), Aaron Masterson; Eoin Meehan, Ciaran Kelly, James Murray; Evan O'Brien 0-3 (1tp), Adam Tyrrell 1-2, Mark Murray 0-1 (’45). Subs: Dylan Cosgrove for Healy 15, Luke Sweeney 1-0 for Moore 44, Dan O’Callaghan for Kelly 48, Jason Phillips for Meehan 54.
Mark Donnellan; Cathal Quinn, Sean Higgins, Darren Maguire; Callum McCabe, Niall O'Sullivan 0-2 (tp), Fionn O Giollain 0-1; Paul Maguire 0-1, Ciaran Flanagan; Paul O'Dea, Paddy Maguire 0-1, Paddy Hever 0-1; Paddy Mahoney 0-1, Matthew Diamond 0-2 (tp), Chris Canning 0-2. Subs: Neil Flynn 0-1 for P Hever 37, Eoin Donnellan for Canning 40, Conor O’Grady for D Maguire 48, Matthew Eustace for McCabe 52.
Paddy McDermott
