Unbeaten Moyle Rovers outfit march into county quarter-finals

FBD Insurance Senior Football Championship - Group 3 - Round 3

Moyle Rovers 0-13

Grangemockler Ballyneale 0-5

Moyle Rovers never had to hit top gear as they made it three wins from three in their FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship Group 3, Round 3 victory over Grangemockler Ballyneale at Fethard on Saturday evening.

Rovers are now into the county quarter-final, falling short of the scoring average of both Clonmel Commercials and Kilsheelan Kilcash to reach the semi-final, with Grangemockler Ballyneale into the relegation semi-final against Ballyporeen.

Despite the Monroe side building up a 0-3 to no score lead after nine minutes, the game became more competitive in the second quarter, and by the interval Rovers led by just two points, 0-6 to 0-4.

But just before the break, an injury to influential Grangemockler Ballyneale forward Mark O’Meara appeared to alter the course of the game. O’Meara took a heavy knock, and as he was being treated on the ground for an arm injury, referee Seamus Delaney blew the half-time whistle.

O’Meara failed to reappear for the second half, and in his absence, Grangemockler scored just a single point, and none for the final 27 minutes. Moyle Rovers added another seven, including a two-pointer from Paddy O’Keeffe, as they maintained their 100% record in the group.

In the absence of brothers Liam and Luke Boland, Liam through injury and Luke as his wife gave birth to a baby boy earlier in the day, the Rovers attack lacked some of its cutting edge, but players such as O’Keeffe, Riain Quigley and Dean English stepped up to the mark with impressive showings. Luke Boland was introduced late in the game and was just short with a two-point effort.

At the back, Richie Power, Cathal and Brian McKeown, and the tireless team captain Cian O’Sullivan kept a tight rein on the Grangemockler attack.

Grangemockler struggled to get shots off, but darting runs from Manus McFadden often created gaps in the Rovers defence, with Thomas Regan, Leon Kennedy, Ben Comerford and Paudie O’Shea alert to the chances created.

Moyle Rovers were unlikely to improve their scoring difference enough to go straight through to the county semi-final, but they started with that target in mind, and were 0-3 to no score up in nine minutes.

Patient build-up and possession retention were their approach, and that was rewarded with Riain Quigley’s opening score in the fifth minute, with Luke Foley pointing their second from a free two minutes later following a foul on Dean English.

One of Rovers’ few goal chances over the hour followed from the kick-out, when Quigley won possession and cut through for goal but lost control before getting his shot off. Another well-worked move saw Paddy O’Keeffe extend the lead to three.

Grangemockler were struggling to get through the Rovers defence, but one of their best moves saw Leon Kennedy and Thomas Regan involved before Paudie O’Shea opened their account in the 11th minute.

However, Moyle Rovers hit back with another three on the bounce, an immediate reply to O’Shea’s score with Dean English scoring, following good work from Cillian Butler and Quigley; a costly turnover then set Quigley up for a point; and Paddy O’Keeffe made it 0-6 to 0-1 in the 20th minute following the best move of the game. Dara Ryan was involved twice before a Quigley shot came back off the upright and Quigley was alert to tap over the rebound.

Grangemockler Ballyneale needed to steady the ship as a heavy defeat could have pushed them directly into the relegation final. And they did in fine style with three points of their own as they battled to retain their senior status.

Ben Comerford was just short with a two-point effort that dropped into the hands of Rovers goalkeeper Shane Ryan, but immediately they produced a flowing move that ended with Manus McFadden providing the pass for Leon Kennedy to shoot over five minutes from the break. They were now finding gaps in the defence and Kennedy kicked a second three minutes later.

With Luke Foley off target from a Quigley pass, and Paddy O’Keeffe penalised for over-carrying when a goal looked certain, Grangemockler capitalised on Rovers’ difficulties, and Mark O’Meara and Ben Comerford were involved in the move that led to a superb point from O’Shea to make it 0-6 to 0-4.

Unfortunately, that was the end of Mark O’Meara’s involvement, and his cutting edge was badly missed in the second half.

Brian McKeown pushed the lead out to three points one minute into the second half. And even though team captain Sean Daly hit a quick response, following another great run from Manus McFadden, that proved to be Grangemockler’s final score of the game.

They had the momentum at this stage and continued to take the game to Moyle Rovers, but just weren’t clinical enough when the chances came. Rovers stalled their progress by retaining possession and slowing the game down, and two scores inside a minute saw them regain the initiative.

A long passage of possession ended with cornerback Cathal McKeown coming forward to kick a point, and then O’Keeffe hit a fine two-pointer for a 0-10 to 0-5 lead entering the final quarter.

The final margin was pushed out to eight points with a Quigley point from a free following a Grangemockler technical breach, and late points from John Cronin and sub Shane Foley.

Scorers: Moyle Rovers: Paddy O’Keeffe (0-4, 1x2pt), Riain Quigley (0-3, 0-1f), Cathal McKeown, Brian McKeown, Dean English, Shane Foley, John Cronin all 0-1 each, Luke Foley 0-1f.

Grangemockler Ballyneale: Leon Kennedy, Paudie O’Shea 0-2 each, Sean Daly 0-1.

Moyle Rovers: Shane Ryan; Richie Power, Graham Vaughan, Cathal McKeown; Cian O’Sullivan, Conor McGrath, Brian McKeown; Luke Foley, Rory Collins; Riain Quigley, Dara Ryan, Paddy O’Keeffe; John Cronin, Dean English, Cillian Butler.

Subs used: Luke Boland for McGrath (50); Shane Foley for Quigley (52).

Grangemockler Ballyneale: David Power; John Lyons, Conor Hahessy, James Daly; Thomas Regan, Leon Kennedy, Sean O’Meara; Brian Walsh, Ben Comerford; Manus McFadden, Sean Daly, Darragh Shelly; Jack Bourke, Mark O’Meara, Paudie O’Shea.

Subs used: Conor McGuire for Mark O’Meara (HT, inj); James O’Meara for Shelly (61); Callum McFadden for O’Shea (61); Tom Brett for Bourke (61).

Referee: Seamus Delaney (Loughmore Castleiney)