Moyle Rovers overpower Arravale in Tipperary county senior football quarter-final

Moyle Rovers 0-14 Arravale Rovers 0-5

Moyle Rovers, who last won the title in 2018, continued their unbeaten run when overcoming the challenge of Arravale Rovers in the quarter-final of the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship at New Inn on Saturday.

Their impressive form continued as they booked a place in the last four for the tenth successive year when seeing off the challenge of Arravale Rovers.

Following their unbeaten run through the county league, South championship and the group stages, they were hotly fancied to advance to the semis and certainly justified this favouritism on Saturday.

Following a lacklustre opening seven minutes, the South champions pushed on and dictated the remainder of the opening period, before going in at the break leading by five, 0-7 to 0-2. They were never really in danger of losing this game, as they bid to add the county championship to the county league and South championship double earlier in the season.

However, they will have taken very little from this game, other than the expected place in the semi-final. They were never in danger of being on the wrong end of a shock defeat and also had the luxury of kicking eleven wides, nine from play.

The downside to this victory was the loss of Stephen Quirke to a hamstring injury during the opening period. Quirke had been operating at the edge of the square and was causing problems for the Arravale defence.

Despite conceding two early points after the restart, Moyle continued to dictate the terms of engagement without really ever moving out of third gear. And with Riain Quigley continuing to control the middle third, the outcome was never in doubt.

Arravale’s only reply was a converted free from goalkeeper Darren Heuston with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Arravale’s Eoghan Lonergan got the scoreboard moving after two minutes when he latched onto a breaking ball and skimmed the crossbar from a ground kick, which could have as easily ended in the net. This gave the Tipperary Town side the lead for what was to be the only time, as the Powerstown/Lisronagh team settled and went about their business.

Liam Boland got them off the mark from a placed ball after seven minutes and Stephen Quirke eased them in front from a mark following a long ball from Cathal McKeown.

Liam Boland added his second from a fifty metre free after Brian McKeown was fouled. It would get worse for Arravale as they were beginning to play second fiddle, despite the efforts of Eoin Doocey around midfield. Their attack failed to make any inroads as the Moyle defence dominated.

Riain Quigley summed up the Moyle dominance with two penetrating unchallenged runs from midfield around the quarter- hour mark before splitting the posts on each occasion. Stephen Quirke intercepted a kick out, his last contribution before going off injured, and found Dean English, who pointed to put Moyle five up, without them really breaking a sweat.

A big run from Luke Boland out of defence added to the Arravale woes as he found the target with ease. Eoin Doocey had the final say of a lacklustre opening half when he pulled one back from a close-range free to leave the half-time score Moyle Rovers 0-7, Arravale Rovers 0-2.

Arravale enjoyed a bright start to the second half, with Micheál Lowry coming up field and pointing inside the opening minute in their first attack. Eoin Doocey followed up with a converted placed ball from out around the 45 metre line. Was there a comeback on the way? The answer was in the negative, as it proved to be a false dawn.

Moyle had cancelled out these early scores by the eighth minute after Liam Boland punished an indiscretion on Ben Owens to chalk up his third point of the day. Dean English then set up Riain Quigley for his third score from open play, following another run at the defence. This happened after Arravale had kicked three wides in a row.

By this time the South champions were firmly in the driving seat and manager John McGrath was in the happy position of being able to give game time to some of his bench. Liam Boland continued to punish any Arravale indiscretions from placed balls and Ger O’Sullivan, who was having a quiet game, put eight between the sides with ten minutes remaining.

The game was well and truly over for the closing ten minutes, with Moyle consolidating their position as any Arravale comeback faltered. Liam Boland kicked his sixth score from placed balls with five minutes remaining. Arravale had one final movement of the scoreboard when goalkeeper Darren Heuston come upfield to kick a free but Brian McKeown had the last say of this mediocre contest when he found the target, having been set up by Diarmuid Foley in the closing minute.

John McGrath will be happy overall with his team’s performance as they went through the motions, regardless of the opposition’s performance. They are back in the semi-final once more with good performances from Luke Boland, Ben Owens, Cathal McKeown and Liam Boland.

However it was Riain Quigley who caught the eye with his man of the match performance.

Arravale Rovers are in the process of rebuilding, with some young talent coming through. They are still a good way off the top three or four within the county, having gone down to both Commercials and now Moyle Rovers during this campaign.

Moyle Rovers: Shane Ryan, Killian Butler, Conor McGrath, Cathal McKeown, Cian O’Sullivan, Luke Boland (0-1), Brian McKeown (0-1), Ben Owens, Riain Quigley (0-3), Rory Collins, Liam Boland (captain, 0-6 frees), Dara Ryan, Dean English (0-1), Stephen Quirke (0-1 mark), Shane Foley.

Subs: Ger O’Sullivan (0-1) for Stephen Quirke (20), Richard Power for Dean English (47), Michael O’Reilly for Cian O’Sullivan (52), Diarmuid Foley for Ger O’Sullivan (54).

Arravale Rovers: Darren Heuston (0-1 free), Tommy Lowry (captain), Darren Lowry, Jack Lowry, Micheál Lowry (0-1), Shane Leahy, Johnny Ryan, Eoin Doocey (0-2 frees), Mathew Moroney, Niall Sharpe, Paddy Dalton, Brendan Delaney, AlexWebster, Eoghan Lonergan (0-1), Cian Ryan.

Subs: Orrin Jones (34), Tony Byrnes for Mathew Moroney (37), Raymond Kelly for Micheál Lowry (49), Michael Bowes for Niall Sharpe (49), Caleb Hickey for Alex Webster (57).

Referee: Tom Loughnane (Gortnahoe Glengoole).