Moyle Rovers do enough to get over initial hurdle in Tipperary football championship

Moyle Rovers ----------------- 0-16

Arravale Rovers ---------------- 0-12

Moyle Rovers overcame a stern challenge on Saturday evening, against Arravale Rovers, as they finished the much stronger team to secure the all important win to get their championship campaign off to a positive start.

The group had already seen a shock result with Moycarkey defeating Eire Og but Moyle Rovers proved too strong in New Inn to make sure no other shocks were recorded.

Arravale Rovers, despite strong performances at the beginning of both halves, faded in the closing ten minutes as Moyle Rovers finally shrugged off a resilient challenge in an entertaining contest.

After Matthew Moroney scored an excellent point with ten minutes left there were only two points between the teams with everything to play for.

It was Moyle Rovers, however, who upped their game to see off the challenge of Arravale with crucial scores from Liam Boland, who put in a strong second half display, seeing them over the line.

Two Liam Boland frees and a beautiful score from play in a four minute spell was enough to seal the victory.

A consolation score in injury time from the excellent Mikey O'Dwyer for Arravale Rovers narrowed the gap to four points before the final whistle went.

In the first half, scores in the opening minutes from Johnny Ryan and Mikey O'Dwyer gave Arravale great encouragement.

Moyle Rovers responded in fine fashion playing some excellent football with great deliveries being sent in from midfield and the half back line to pick out the excellent runs of Riain Quigley and Stephen Quirke.

Moyle Rovers scored five points without reply, with a brace from Stephen Quirke and points from Liam Boland, Tadgh Fitzgerald and Shane Foley to put them in a strong position.

The south team were unlucky not to embellish the scoreboard further as Stephen Quirke,who struck to the net after pouncing on a rebound from a Riain Quigley shot, saw his goal disallowed.

Donough Leahy, another top performer for Arravale Rovers, picked off one of the scores of the game with a superb effort after he made the most of excellent build up play from Cian Ryan.

It was a much needed score for Arravale but it was quickly cancelled out by another Shane Foley point.

Mikey O'Dwyer scored his second of the half with a free to bring Arravale to within two points of Moyle Rovers midway through the half.

Moyle Rovers, however, continued to create the better chances in front of goal and were unfortunate not to raise a green flag on two occasions as they pressed to make their dominance count on the scoreboard.

Danny Owens, who formed an effective midfield pairing with his younger brother Ben, blasted a shot off the post while a goalbound effort from Shane Foley was bravely blocked by captain Niall Fitzgerald to keep Arravale Rovers in the hunt.

Despite enjoying the greater share of possession Moyle Rovers were finding it hard to put some distance between the teams and when Donough Leahy scored his second point of the first half there were just two points between the teams with six minutes left in the first half.

Johnny Lowry reduced the deficit to just a solitary score for Arravale but that was to be the last score of the half for Arravale as Moyle Rovers picked off three scores, two from Stephen Quirke who had an excellent first half, and a point from play from Liam Boland to give Moyle Rovers a four point cushion at the break.

Had any of those three glorious first half goal chances been taken by Moyle Rovers, Arravale would have had an awful lot to do.

With just four points to make up, Arravale set about their task at the start of the second half with great determination. They dominated the opening ten minutes and had Moyle Rovers pinned back in their own half as they picked off four points in succession, all coming from the boot of Mikey O'Dwyer.

The teams were level at ten points apiece with all to play for in an absorbing contest.

An excellent point from Riain Quigley twelve minutes into the second half came at the right time for Moyle Rovers and two fouls on Liam Boland resulted in Boland converting both to punish Arravale Rovers.

Within four minutes of having drawn level Arravale were now three points behind and struggling to keep into Moyle Rovers.

Matthew Moroney pulled one back for Arravale Rovers but Moyle Rovers went on to score three in a row all from the boot of Liam Boland(two frees and one from play) to see out the game.

Mikey O'Dwyer scored his seventh of the game in injury time but his team had ran out of steam at that stage as Moyle Rovers recorded a four point victory.

Moyle Rovers

Ciaran Kenrick, Cillian Crowe, Darragh Dwyer, Jack Harney, Tadgh Fitzgerald, Alan Campbell, David McGrath, Danny Owens, Ben Owens, Dara Ryan, Liam Boland, Diarmuid Foley, Shane Foley, Riain Quigley, Stephen Quirke.

Subs

Luke Boland for Diarmuid Foley

Aidan McGrath for Dara Ryan.

Scorers – Liam Boland 0-8,,Stephen Quirke 0-4, Shane Foley 0-2 and Tadgh Fitzgerald and Riain Quigley 0-1 each.

Arravale Rovers

Nicky Cummins,Johnny Ryan, Darren Lowry, Niall Fitzgerald, Shane Leahy, Seamus Kinnane, Cian Ryan, Darren O'Dwyer, Matthew Moroney, Tommy Lowry, Johny Lowry, Mikey O'Dwyer,

Jack Lowry, Donough Leahy, David Kelly.

Subs-Niall Donovan for Seamus Kinnane, Darragh Coughlan for David Kelly, Donough Hickey for Darren O'Dwyer, Niall Sharpe for Johnny Lowry

Scorers – Mikey O'Dwyer 0-7,Johnny Lowry 0-2,Donough Leahy 0-2, Matthew Moroney 0-1.

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