No mistakes this time

Sunday turned out to be a memorable day for teams from south Meath at Pairc Tailteann. Summerhill did the business in the opening game and Moynalvey followed suit in the JFC final. You would have to go back to 1981 for the last time Moynalvey claimed the JFC title and they always looked like they would end that particular drought in this encounter. Right from the start Moynalvey imposed themselves on the game, making the most of some slack play from their stage-struck opponents to hammer home their advantage. Manager PJ Cummins spoke about how his team had enjoyed little spells of luck in various games in the lead-up to the final. Every team needs a slice or two of good fortune to win a championship. They didn"t need it on this occasion as they put away their under-performing opponents in what was overall a lacklustre affair, lacking the drama and tight finish that would have injected some badly-needed excitement into the afternoon. Moynalvey won"t be too bothered by the texture of the play and why should they? They came to do a job and set about their task with the application and commitment that deservedly carried them to the winner"s platform. Once again Cathal Sheridan ended up their top scorer with six points, five from frees. This was almost certainly his last game at this level and this was a fitting way for him to draw the curtain down, although he could be tempted to have a run out at intermediate grade. Having won All-Ireland medals at various levels Sheridan has a sizeable collection of honours to look back on and he will savour this triumph as much as any other. He embellished his display on Sunday with a series of neat little passes, that created openings for colleagues. Ahead by 0-8 to 0-3 at the interval Moynalvey had to weather a mild-storm whipped up by Ratoath in the early stages of the second-half. They did that comfortably enough before pushing on to win with greater ease than the scoreline suggest. Moynalvey were far more clinical in front of the posts and when was the last time a team went through a final at adult level without getting a score from play? That"s one of the legacies Ratoath will leave from this occasion and that stark statistic tells volumes about their lack of a killer instinct when they found themselves in good scoring positions. It also says something significant about Moynalvey and the way they shut out a toothless Ratoath forward division. Once again Damien Dixon swept up around his own '40" winning plenty of ball in that area and kick-starting numerous attacking moves. Each side of him Paul Weldon and Anthony Brien effectively combined defensive and attacking duties. Weldon managed to forage upfield to loft over a point from play. One of Moynalvey"s most talented young players is Mark O"Sullivan and while he wore the number 15 jersey he had a free role. He helped his side claim a high percentage of the breakdown ball around midfield. O"Sullivan also powered forward at every opportunity and the teenager managed to slot over two points from play which included the opening score in the second minute. He cut in from the sideline before fisting over. Stephen Donoghue and John Donoghue also combined well in the central area displaying some impressive high-fielding skills. Then there was Willie Byrne, the experienced full-forward who contributed a unique feature to the game by scoring three of his four points with his fists. Robert Quinlan also powered through for two second-half points that helped relieve the pressure on his colleagues in defence. PJ Walsh came on to post over a late score. Moynalvey came closest to finding the net in the dying minutes. An adventurous, sweeping move which involved Weldon, Dixon and Sheridan ended with Byrne finding himself in front of goals. Only former Dublin custodian Davy Byrne stood between him and the net. The Ratoath goalkeeper made a superb stop, going full stretch to turn the ball around the post. His selection caused some raised eyebrows before the throw-in. At times the "keeper looked rusty and was fortunate not to concede a goal with wayward passes. That late stop went a long way to making up for earlier errors. This was a day to forget for Ratoath who lacked the necessary conviction in their play to trouble their opponents. They clocked up a series of bad wides, spoiling good approach work with shots that sailed the wrong side of the posts or fell into the waiting arms of Ollie Regan. The fact that Regan didn"t have a significant save to make also highlighted the lack of real impact in the Ratoath attack. They are much better than they showed in this display. Eoghan McMahon was one of their busier players and he top-scored for them with five points. Ger McCullagh and Fiacre Gaughan also lofted over a point apiece. Barry Crowley stood out with some pacy runs deep into enemy territory while Robbie Madden came on to make an impact. Ratoath controlled much of the second-half without translating territory into scores. Instead, the Moynalvey defence refused to yield and it was the south Meath side who went to reap a rich harvest. SCORERS Moynalvey - C Sheridan 0-6, five frees; W Byrne 0-4; M O"Sullivan 0-2; R Quinlan 0-2; P Weldon 0-1; P J Walsh 0-1. Ratoath - E McMahon 0-5, all frees; G McCullagh 0-1, free; F Gaughan 0-1, free. THE TEAMS Moynalvey - O Regan; R Kiernan, P Donoghue, D Kane; P Weldon, D Dixon, A Brien; S Donoghue, J Donoghue; D Donoghue, C Sheridan, R Quinlan; B Gilsenan, W Byrne, M O"Sullivan. Subs - S Reilly for D Donoghue 41 minutes; C Collins for Gilsenan 57m; D Durkan for Brien 60m; P J Walsh for Byrne 60m. Ratoath - D Byrne; C Killian, T McGuane, E Horan; S O"Brien, T Garvey, B Crowley; P Kirwin, A Hickey; E McMahon, G Clarke, G McCullagh; F Gaughran, M Conmey, C O"Brien. Subs - P Flaherty for Kirwin, 30 minutes; R Madden for O"Brien 30m; S McMahon for Conmey 40m; M Dorrigan for Gaughran 51m; C O"Brien for Clarke 48m. REFEREE Brendan Darby (Ballinabrackey).