Moate CS show their intent by claiming league title

Only the players and management of the Moate CS and St Mary's schools know exactly what was said in their respective dressing rooms before last Thursday's North Leinster League final, but after a hotly contested and at times excessively physical battle in Hogan Park, it's safe to presume that "it's only the league" didn't get an airing. Perhaps there were some scores still to be settled after these two sides met in a Junior Championship final last March, a game the Moate won well after a close first half, or perhaps it was because both these sides are expected to be among the front runners for the Leinster colleges title this year and wanted to lay down a marker. Whatever the reason, both these teams started with the clear intention to assert themselves and within the first minute there were already several hard challenges that would have seen a different referee award frees and possibly some yellow cards. However the first big decision was an easy one for Patrick Neilis, a penalty after two minutes awarded against John Rock for pulling back Mark Nolan. The Edenderry wing-forward fielded a high ball into the penalty area from out on the right wing and had a clear goalscoring chance when he was dragged down. Daniel Grehan's penalty was well struck, low and to goalkeeper Joe Kinahan's left, giving the Ballycumber/Tubber custodian no chance. Moate had their chance to reply in kind some ten minutes later and their midfielder David McCormack showed similar poise and precision to dispatch a fine penalty past Cormac Hurley to level the game. This time it was a long ball from midfield that created the opportunity after Michael Kearney misjudged the flight of the ball and allowed Lorcan Dolan to field in behind him. Kearney had little choice but to try a rugby tackle on Dolan to prevent the goal, and again Neilis had the easiest of penalty decisions to make. Edenderry responded well to this goal and it was Ger Leech of Coralstown/Kinnegad who took the score after Philip Foy made the opportunity with a fantastic burst out of defence. The 2011 Offaly minor captain was a constant threat all day with his forays forward and he covered over half the pitch here before drawing the foul. That one point lead lasted up until the 25th minute, when they game finally started to open up a little bit. Cian Bradley struck a free to level after Martin Rock was fouled, before St Mary's wing-back Luke Flynn showed good presence of mind to punch the ball over the bar under pressure and restore his team's lead. However, two further Bradley frees before the break gave Moate the narrowest of leads going into half-time. What wind advantage there was in Hogan Park was with Moate as they played from the dressing room end down towards the road end in the second half, but they took some time to get off the mark in the second half and three early wides didn't help their case. They finally got a score from play in the fifth minute when Lorcan Dolan hit perhaps the best score of the day, a point on the turn from forty metres out. Another Leech free halved the deficit before Moate turned the game on it's head with the decisive score, their second goal, in the tenth minute of the half. Edenderry had been playing nominal full-forward Ryan Caffrey as a sweeper in front of the full-back line but he and corner-back Seán Moriarty got their wires crossed dealing with a diagonal ball into the right corner of the Moate attack and they allowed Lorcan Dolan to sneak in and slip both men with a swift turn. Dolan drove straight at the goal and once he drew full back Conor McNamee out to close him down, he just slipped the ball across to full-forward Niall O'Brien, who blasted the ball past Cormac Hurley from close range. With Edenderry struggling to get scores, Moate pushed their lead out to five points with ten minutes to go and were handed a further boost when St Mary's full back Conor McNamee received his second yellow card for a high tackle. Another score from Martin Rock and a fifty metre kick from David McCormack further enhanced the lead before Moate sat back a little too much and allowed Edenderry to apply pressure in the closing stages. Substitute Conor McNamee, Cian McMonagle and Daniel Grehan all got on the scoresheet, but three heroic blocks from John Rock and a stout defensive effort generally ensured that Moate held on to secure their first silverware of the season and consolidate their status as favourites to win the Leinster colleges title this year. Moate CS: Joe Kinahan; Jack O'Kelly Lynch, Lee Colgan, Robert Gorman; John Rock, James Ganley, Luke Kelly; David McCormack (1-1, 1-0pen), Eamonn McCabe; Ciarán Allen, Cian Bradley (0-3, 3f), Martin Rock (0-2); Lorcan Dolan (0-1), Niall O'Brien (1-1), Adam Scanlon. Subs: Jamie Madden for Ciarán Allen, Sam Moran for Eamonn McCabe. St Mary's, Edenderry: Cormac Hurley; Seán Moriarty, Conor McNamee, Michael Kearney; Luke Flynn (0-1), Philip Foy, Jason Dowdall; Daniel Flynn, Daniel Grehan (1-1, 1-0pen, 0-1f); Mark Nolan, Cian McMonagle (0-1f), Kelvin McNally; Seán Doyle, Ryan Caffrey, Ger Leech (0-3, frees). Subs: 28 Rory McNamee (0-1) for Kelvin McNally, 23 Aaron O'Connell for Ryan Caffrey, 20 Daniel Pyke for Mark Nolan.