Dunboyne…4-15
Moynalvey…0-10
Chances are yours truly wasn’t the only one in these parts – or Moynalvey – in absolutely no mood for football on Friday night. How could either place be, with the heart and soul having been ripped out of both communities when Damien O’Reilly was taken from us long, long before his time, what is, unbelievably, a week ago already?
For as deep as the devastation and numbness leaving a crater in life in Dunboyne is, it must be remembered that, not only is Moynalvey within the Ratoath LEA which he devoted himself so selfless, he, Lisa and their family lived at the Mullagh, in Moynalvey parish and, as if all of the above wasn’t poignant enough, Damien’s stepson, Kyle, was among the subs on Caoimhin King’s maroon and white brigade.
With a mixture of emotional determination to honour Damien’s memory and, I suspect, severe frustration at finding themselves in the position which the fixture under the Batterstown lights resided, the black and ambers quickly showed they were in no mood to hang around.
David McEntee got the scoreboard in motion right from the off and when the man in the opposite corner, Cathal Lacey, netted shortly thereafter it gave Ger Robinson’s side a buffer they would never surrender.
Stuart Lowndes also prompted a green flag and, with impressive centre field duo Jack Kinlough and Ronan Jones pointing and Conor Doran, Lacey again and Donal Lenihan doing likewise the pre match favourites an interval advantage of 2-08 to 0-06.
A David McLaughlin free gave King’s crew the first score of the second half, but, with the Friday night talk shows back for the winter season, regardless of who Jay Leno might have on with him, our Donal was certainly the headline act of the second half.
During a week when his brother Darragh also hit the net as Middlesbrough strive to ignite their season, the older brother grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck as it entered its final furlongs.
His goal just putting the final gloss on a virtuoso performance after substitute Luke Carolan had also raised a green flag. Frustrated relief would, I suspect, be the dominant feeling for the victors, but, in reality, the last week put football mishaps into perspective.
DUNBOYNE – D. Gallagher; S. Ryan, J. Scannell, J. McLoughlin; M. Furlong, S. McEntee, C. Doran (0-1); R. Jones (0-2), J. Donnelly; S. Lowndes (1-0), J. Kinlough (0-2), M. Murphy; C. Lacey (1-1), D. Lenihan (1-8), D. McEntee (0-1).
SUB – L. Carolan (1-0) for Donnelly.
Referee: David Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels)
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