Monivea-Abbey take spoils despite making a bad start

MONIVEA-ABBEY 0-14

MOYCULLEN 1-9

BY ALAN DOOLEY AT TUAM STADIUM

WHEN Saturday evening’s game was in the melting pot late on and Peter Cooke looked like being the potential match-winner for Moycullen after kicking his sixth point, Monivea-Abbey responded with some clinical finishing when it mattered, kicking three unanswered points to claim their first win in Group C of the senior football championship.

Where Moycullen were perhaps over-reliant on Cooke, in particular,and Seán Kelly to guide them to victory in Gareth Bradshaw’s enforced absence, Monivea-Abbey had plenty of players that stepped up to the mark in the closing stages, with Trevor Mullins, Cillian McDaid, Paddy Mullins, Craig Kennedy, Brian Moran and Barry McDonagh all playing their part.

A draw looked the most likely outcome when Cooke’s fourth from play was equalised by McDaid’s second score in-a-row for Monivea-Abbey, the fifth time the sides had been level in the half, but after Mark Lydon appeared to have taken command at midfield for Moycullen, Trevor Mullins powered into the game with a number of important possessions.

With the elements in their favour, Monivea-Abbey were able to work scoring positions for both McDonagh and Brian Moran, while Moycullen were unable to take advantage of Brian Flaherty’s late dismissal after a lengthy flare-up in front of the stand.

The result leaves both teams with a win apiece in a tightly matched group where four teams now sit on two points, but in the early stages it looked as if Moycullen were destined to remain unbeaten as they racked up 1-1 in quick time. Dessie Conneely kicked a fine point into the Town goal within 20 seconds of the throw-in, before Seán Kelly fed Conor Bohan in their next attack and he burst through at pace before rifling a shot to the bottom corner.

Monivea-Abbey reacted well without over-working the scoreboard operator, as Moran kicked their only score of the opening quarter on nine minutes. They were dominating the possession stakes, but four attempts went either wide or short, while Tom Gilson made a timely block on a Paddy Mullins effort.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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