Gaeil Colmcille issue serious title threat

Gaeil Colmcille3-15

Moynalvey2-7

When Cillian O'Sullivan edged Moynalvey into a one-point lead 11 minutes into the second-half Gaeil Colmcille looked under pressure and were staring down the barrel of possible early elimination from the SFC.

However, when their resolve was questioned Lar Wall's side came up with all the right answers as they outscored Moynalvey by 3-4 to 0-1 in the closing 19 minutes to get their Keegan Cup bid back on track with a 3-15 to 2-7 win at Trim this afternoon..

Moynalvey goalkeeper Chris O'Malley's unfortunate error was just the boost Gaeil Colmcille needed and it lead directly to an easy goal for Fionn Reilly and 90 seconds later Evan Sheridan danced his way in along the end line before pirouetting and swinging a nonchalant lob into the net to make it 2-12 to 0-6.

Those quickfire goals knocked the stuffing out of Moynalvey and the remainder was a procession with Brian Hanlon adding a third goal from a 55th minute penalty to put further gloss on Gaeil Colmcille's victory.

While it was Gaeil Colmcille goals that helped them pull clear, it was goals from Cillian O'Sullivan that sustained Moynalvey in a contest that threatened to get away from them several times before it did.

Two points from Ryan Farnham and a free from Seamus Mattimoe boosted Gaeil Colmcille to an early 0-3 to 0-0 lead, but Moynalvey's goal threat meant they were still in the game as Ciaran Harnan was denied by a goalline save by Paul Tormay.

David McLoughlin opened Moynalvey's account from a 13th minute free and after Philly Ward restored Gaeil Colmcille's three-point cushion, Moynalvey responded with a converted free from Cillian O'Sullivan before the Meath player added a goal after Adam Murphy was denied by Justin Carry-Lynch to make it 1-2 to 0-4.

Gaeil Colmcille's response was impressive with Hanlon landing a 46 metre free and Mattimoe on target to make it 0-6 to 1-2.

Murphy did level it up again, but in the closing seven minutes of the half two more frees from Hanlon and points from Ward and Farnham boosted Gaeil Colmcille to a 0-10 to 1-3 interval lead.

Sheridan extended that advantage 20 seconds after the restart, but then Moynalvey hit their purple patch with two points from McLoughlin (one free) and one from Cillian O'Sullivan (free) followed by Cillian O'Sullivan's second goal which made it 2-6 to 0-11.

However, that was as good as it got for Moynalvey.

Farnham fisted over an equaliser after O'Malley produced a fine save to deny Fionn Ferguson before the goals from Reilly and Sheridan put the issue beyond doubt.

SCORERS

Gaeil Colmcille - Brian Hanlon 1-5 1-0 penalty, five frees; Evan Sheridan 1-1; Ryan Farnham 0-4; Fionn Reilly 1-1; Seamus Mattimoe 0-2 one frees; Philly Ward 0-2.

Moynalvey - Cillian O'Sullivan 2-2 two frees; David McLoughlin 0-3 two frees; Adam Murphy 0-1; Mark O'Sullivan 0-1 free.

TEAMS

Gaeil Colmcille - Justin Carry-Lynch; Johnny Quigley, Paul Tormay, James Reilly; Liam Ferguson, Jordan Muldoon, Seanie Curran; Philly Ward, Fionn Reilly; Conal Courtney, Seamus Mattimoe, Evan Sheridan; Martin Barrett, Ryan Farnham, Brian Hanlon. Subs - Fionn Ferguson for Mattimoe half-time, Adam Donnelly for Quigley 52 mins, Danny McGovern for Barrett 55m, Aaron Browne for Farnham, Ahmed Lawal for Ward both 59m.

Moynalvey - Chris O'Malley; Conor Harnan, Brian Harnan, Brian O'Reilly; Conor Shirren, Padraic Harnan, Darren Brennan; Donal Smith, David Reilly; Cillian O'Sullivan, Mark O'Sullivan, Sean Duggan; David McLoughlin, Adam Murphy, Ciaran Harnan. Subs - Cathal McCabe for O'Reilly 20 mins, Fearghal McCabe for Duggan half-time, Michael Brady for Smith 50m, James Kelly for Murphy 52m.

Referee - Kieran Olwill (Moynalty).