All-Whites sing the blues despite strong second half performance
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Shandonagh 1-12 Moate All-Whites 2-7.
THE game looked well and truly over as a contest after Kevin Boyle blasted to the back of the Moate net on the half hour before the teams made their way to the dressing rooms, opening a seven point gap for Shandonagh.
Two further points would follow in the opening ten minutes of the second half and with a cold westerly wind blowing from the village across the field, many would have been forgiven for being tempted to return to warmer accommodation.
However for the remainder of the game Moate would outscore the opposition by 2-3 to 0-2.
The introduction of Damien Phelan in the second half paid dividends and although drafted into defence the latter decided to go forward and added pace to an attack that was sadly lacking.
By the second minute of injury time Gareth Murray had found the All-White's second goal and the gap was down to two but the clock had beaten them.
It is a worrying factor too for Shandonagh. Three years ago they entered an intermediate final as red hot favourites only to shoot twenty-five wides and suffer a county final defeat at the hands of Ballinagore, and they had to wait to the last game of last season before they saved themselves from relegation by condemning Milltownpass to the junior ranks.
Last time out their second half performance also suffered as they recorded just a single second half score before losing out to Caulry in Tubberclair.
Moate had a chance to open the scoring but Niall Mackey's free dropped short into the hands of the hands of the Shandonagh goalkeeper. David Mackey in the Moate goal came to the rescue when David Duffy took a quick free to Michael Boyle, but the goalkeeper punched his effort away.
After four and a half minutes Duffy opened the Shandonagh account after Michael Boyle was fouled, from thirty meters. To their credit Moate were back on level terms four minutes later after Alan Claffey cleaned up the broken ball before soloing and registering a point.
But Shandonagh hit back with four points in a space of seven minutes. Philip Smith slipped his marker and raised the white flag, and when David Duffy was fouled the latter added to the account and Smith was on target once more, before Michael Boyle brought his side's tally to five.
With the game beginning to drift away from Moate an almighty effort was needed to steady the ship. Niall Mackey had his shot blocked down on front of goal by the full back David Murray but when Gareth Murray was fouled Mark Ennis converted.
Eoin Dalton set up Niall Mackey who was fouled and Ennis added another. A free at the other end from David Duffy brought his side's tally to the half dozen but Gareth Murray was unlucky when his effort from twenty-five meters chose the wrong side of the post.
James Gillivan had Moate's last score of the half with four minutes remaining but Shandonagh would return three unanswered points in as many minutes. Michael Boyle had five defenders inside him when he registered his point, Alan Hickey pointed from the wing and on the half hour Kevin Boyle drove past the Moate goalkeeper and the molehill was beginning to look like a mountain. The whistle sounded with the scoreboard reading 1-6 to 0-4.
As the second half got under way Moate brought in Damien Phelan for Shane Kelly, and Declan Whelan for Damien Keenaghan with the two corner back position now changed.
David Duffy split the posts with a free but Moate were beginning to play with more confidence as Niall Mackey shot across the Shandonagh goal. Nigel Adamson was called into the forwards but David Duffy had another point after ten and a half minutes of the second half.
However the Moate revival began a minute later. Eamon McDermott set up Gareth Murray who didn't disappoint and thirty seconds later he pointed another. Nigel Adamson sent over a free from all of forty-seven meters.
Kevin Boyle had a Shansonagh point from play but Niall Mackey opened a door of opportunity for Moate with seven minutes remaining, with a well taken goal. Murray was unlucky not to have added a point as it shaved the outside of the post. Shandonagh had their last point on the hour but Moate continued to fight on and when Gareth Murray soloed he decided he had nothing to lose and drove on and found Moate's second goal.
Perhaps it may ignite the All-White's challenge. After all they were impressive in the opening half against Caulry but lost out to their near neighbours who refused to settle for second best. However they have yet to play Bunbrosna who are tipped by many to return to the senior ranks now that a number of players have returned. It will be a hard slog but nothing comes easy in championship football not just in Westmeath but in any county in Ireland.
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