Moy Davitts have the Cian edge over neighbours
Cian McHale scored five two-pointers among his 0-14 contribution to Moy Davitts' quarter-final win against Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin in Foxford last Sunday. Picture: INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon
An absoluter belter of a championship derby attracted an enormous crowd to Foxford on Sunday afternoon and while one set of supporters were left bitterly disappointed at the result, absolutely nobody was shortchanged by the quality of the football served up by Moy Davitts and Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin.
The home side nudged through to the semi-finals of the intermediate championship after a titanic battle with their neighbours from across the divisional board border. Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin may well contend they left this game behind them and yet equally, Moy Davitts will feel they were full value for their win. That’s how tight were the margins.
Both teams struck five two-pointers, Cian McHale responsible for all Moy Davitts’ whereas Cathal Keaveney, Evan Walsh and Darragh Reilly shared the load for the visitors. Mayo attacker McHale was in sensational form, scoring fourteen points in total and central to so much more of his side’s attacking excellence, but just as critical to the home side’s victory was the performance of their goalkeeper Chris McGlynn.
The Donegal native produced point blank saves to deny Jack McLoughlin and Cian Donohoe from shaking the net during an opening quarter that still ended with Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin three points in front. And the West Mayo side were now three points behind with stoppage time fast approaching when McGlynn again came to Moy Davitts’ rescue, preventing an equalising goal after Darragh Neary had come like a train through the middle and looked certain to score.
It’s a game that will have offered onlooking Mayo manager Andy Moran plenty of food for thought.
Cian McHale registered the first point from a free but Parke were 0-4 to 0-1 ahead by the seventh minute as points by Colm Lynch and Darragh Reilly, a free, were buttressed by Evan Walsh’s score from outside the arc, coming after Moy Davitts had failed to push out when McGlynn saved from Jack McLoughlin.
Points by McHale and Brian Heneghan, two, levelled matters but Parke were quick to restore their three points lead thanks to white and orange flagged scores by Colm Lynch and Cathal Keaveney respectively, either side of McGlynn this time thwarting Cian Donohoe with a very strong hand.
Three points from the boot of Cian McHale and one by his brother Colm popped the home side’s nose in front for the first time, however, McLoughlin equalised when sending another goal chance whistling over the Moy Davitts crossbar, before Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin eventually netted the major they had been threatening.
A pacey attack down the right wing ended with the ball being squared to the back post where Lynch was on hand to palm home.
But Parke went from leading 1-8 to 0-8 to trailing by two points in the space of two minutes, as Cian McHale lofted over a two-point free after which the kickout was sent straight into his arms, allowing him to drive at the defence and offload to Brian Heneghan who palmed into the net.
Heneghan was a handful for the visiting defence from first minute until last, and was the linkman in another goal chance minutes later, but Parke ‘keeper Conor McDonnell atoned for that wayward kickout before, flinging himself to his right to brilliantly save Oisin McHugh’s low drive.
Parke’s reward was that an Evan Walsh point was supplemented by a 30th minute two-pointer from Darragh Reilly, giving them a 1-11 to 1-10 half-time lead. And it got even better for Tom Walsh’s side when Cathal Keaveney drove over another score from outside the arc only 24 seconds into the new half. It was the third time that Parke had held a three points lead over their hosts.
The response of Moy Davitts, now aided by the slightest of breezes in otherwise ideal conditions, was emphatic, as a point by Stephen Clarke preceded back-to-back two-point scores by Cian McHale, one from a free. McHale then also rewarded wing-back Conor Ryder’s assist with a fine single that moved the East Mayo outfit into a 1-16 to 1-13 lead.
Ronan Clarke, tightly marked by Parke captain Aaron McHale, struck a point from his first real sniff all game, thus cancelling out a smart point by Evan Walsh at the other end, but back-to-back points from frees by Walsh and Reilly reduced Parke’s arrears to the minimum, with 15 minutes left to play.
The end-to-end nature of the contest never abated; an Anthony Jordan point for the locals elicited a second goal by Parke, buried by Reilly after he was located behind the cover, but their one point lead was short-lived as Cian McHale increased his tally to fourteen points after 50 minutes, with his fifth and final two-point conversion. And better was to follow for Moy Davitts when the increasingly influential Padraig Ruane supplied Conor Reid who fired beyond the reach of McDonnell for a goal that left the Moysiders 2-20 to 2-16 ahead.
The four point gap was maintained by Ronan Clarke who twice traded points with Walsh and Reilly, but in between came a wonderful chance for Parke to draw level only for Darragh Neary to fire his goal attempt too close to McGlynn.
A third Clarke point in succession, these all coming from frees, left five between the sides in stoppage time and while Evan Walsh curled over an exquisite two-point score, there was no time for the Black and Amber to manufacture the chance of an equalising goal.
Scorers – Moy Davitts: Cian McHale 0-5-4 (3tpf, 2f), Brian Heneghan 1-0-2, Ronan Clarke 0-0-4 (3f), Conor Reid 1-0-0, Colm McHale, Stephen Clarke and Anthony Jordan 0-0-1 each.
Parke-KC: Darragh Reilly 1-1-3 (0-3f), Evan Walsh 0-2-4 (0-1f), Colm Lynch 1-0-2, Cathal Keaveney 0-2-0, Jack McLoughlin 0-0-1.
Moy Davitts: Chris McGlynn; Ajay McGrath, Fionán Cruise, Cathal Clarke; Jamie Clarke, Colm McHale, Conor Ryder; Conor Reid, Oisin McHugh; Stephen Clarke, Cian McHale, Padraig Ruane; Brian Heneghan, Anthony Jordan, Ronan Clarke. Subs: Ryan Kenny (for S Clarke 43), Liam Byrne (for Jordan 49), Sean Reid (for Ryder 51), Neil Murphy (for J Clarke 60+1).
Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin: Conor McDonnell; Matthew Kelly, Cian Lynch, Cian McHale; Conor Sweeney, Cathal Keaveney, Aaron McHale; Cian Donohoe, Jack McLoughlin; Ronan Reilly, Evan Walsh, Simon Cloherty; Darragh Neary, Colm Lynch, Darragh Reilly. Subs: Ray Neary (for Sweeney 51), Aaron Hurst (for Kelly 54), Sean Corcoran (for Cloherty 56).
REF: Colm Reilly (Crossmolina) A minute’s silence was immaculately observed beforehand in memory of stalwart member of Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin GAA, James Kelly, whose death occurred earlier in the week following a tragic accident. May he rest in peace.
