Boyne Valley… 1-07
Moyfernagh… 1-02
My late father was of the opinion that a 0-0 draw in a soccer match was the most boring purgatory in the sporting world. An easy enough summation to concur with but easily deconstructed too with a little more nuanced analysis.
Granted, an occasion where both teams park the bus, have a sandwich and have more interest in a game on TV than going for their own does equate to a 90 minute snore-fest. However, if its an occasion where both teams are actually going for it but thwarted by a combination of good defending and bad luck it can still be a riveting watch.
To stray into other sports momentarily by way of comparison, if you take a low scoring game of rugby or American Football – which aren’t that far removed from each other – the trench warfare at the scrum, breakdown or line of scrimmage on the gridiron can be every bit as captivating and entertaining as if tries or touchdowns are raining from above.
So what has all that got to do with the Regional Championships in Dunganny, I hear you ask. Simply that, while there might not have been that many scores in the contest in question, but there was certainly plenty of bite to proceedings.
Which was, akin to some of the other matches referenced here during the week, a doughty vindication of the dual mandate of offering players from Junior and Intermediate clubs another avenue of representation whilst at the same time acting as auditions for the county team as preparations for the 2023 season increase in velocity.
Don’t let the fact that Ryan Moore was the only Moyfernagh man to trouble the tallymen cloud your judgement of the green group’s contribution to the tournament. The aforementioned Longwood forward has been one of the most consistent performers in Meath club football for some time and, like many players across all the teams, it’s great to see them getting the recognition and opportunities they deserve.
With the Championships entering their business end, hopefully there are still plenty of thrills and spills to be had.