Coolrite Junior B Football Championship Group B Round 4

Moynalty v Carnaross

In the fourth round of the Coolrite Junior B Football Championship, a highly anticipated match took place between neighbouring rivals Moynalty and Carnaross at Grangegodden, Kells, on Saturday evening past.

The match began with a bang with Carnaross racing into a 1-01 lead thanks to a fortuitous or un-fortuitous goal depending on the colours you were wearing. A free kick, which fell short, somehow managed to find its way into the back of the Moynalty net.

However, Moynalty dusted themselves down netting 2-02 in reply. These scores were contributed by four different players: John Brogan, Joey Gilsenan, Kian Lynch, and Cormac Kearney. John Brogan with the first goal after great work by Christy Cahill and Kian Lynch's penalty conversion, after a foul in the square, allowed Moynalty to take a four-point lead.

The half maintained its competitive nature with no one able to predict what was to happen next as Carnaross retaliated with a goal and a point, keeping the contest evenly poised. The local rivalry and the desire for bragging rights seemed to intensify the atmosphere on the pitch. Carnaross appeared to have the upper hand in certain aspects of the game, particularly on kick outs and with the ability to capitalize on playing against the wind.

Approaching halftime, Carnaross managed to score four points compared to Moynalty's one, resulting in a halftime score of Moynalty 2:05, Carnaross 2:06.

The second half continued in a similar fashion, with tensions escalating. The result of the game held significant importance for both teams. A win for Carnaross would mark their first victory in the campaign, while a Moynalty victory would secure their passage to the next round and potentially a top of the group position.

But, once again, Carnaross began the second half strongly. Moynalty found themselves playing catch-up for a significant portion of the game and struggled to find scores against the wind. Both teams exchanged the initial three scores, but then Carnaross went on to score three consecutive points, extending their lead to four points. This would not be reeled in.

With time running out, Moynalty needed to secure scores to salvage a win. Despite managing to score 5 points, Carnaross responded with three of their own which was enough to keep Moynalty at bay. Final score stood at, Moynalty 2:13, Carnaross 2:15.

There were good performances from Adrian Maguire, Joey Gilsenan and Paddy Byrne.

The game showcased the intensity of local rivalries in Meath and the determination of both these teams in particular, making it a memorable fixture in the championship for this year.

Carnaross will look back at this win with a sense of pride and maybe a tinge of regret that the results in their 2 other big fixtures in the group did not go their way as they certainly have the ability as was shown on Saturday.

For the Moynalty men, it is head up chest out from now on. The final positioning of the group is firmly in their own hands. A win against Boardsmilll in the final round in 2 weeks will see them top the group and go straight into a Semi Final slot.

TEAM: Johnny Lynch, Adrian Maguire, Ronan Mc Mahon, Liam Brogan, Richie Gilsenan, Cormac Kearney 0:01, Niall O' Connor, Anthony Nevin 0:01, Adam Reilly 0:01, Joey Gilsenan 0:03, Paddy Byrne 0:05, John Brogan 1:00, Christy Cahill, Kian Lynch 1:00, Ronan Lynch 0:02

SUBS: Jude Gilsenan for Richie Gilsenan, Ollie Sheridan for Kian Lynch, Cathal Reilly for Ronan Lynch