Moate do just enough to edge out Caulry

Moate All Whites 1-7 Caulry 0-9

By Eamon A. Donoghue

Moate All Whites did just enough to grab the points against neighbours Caulry in this ACFL Division 1 opening round clash at Mount Temple last Sunday morning.

In a slow burning contest of two halves, both teams slowly blew off the winter cobwebs, both scoring just once when facing into the wind. In what was a low scoring game, Moate did just about enough with a late free from Tobby Conteh proving the winning score.

Both teams seemed to treat the brisk breeze with more influence than was necessary. The wind was a factor but it didn’t fully explain how both teams only scored just 0-1 when playing against it. The two sides seemed more intent on using up time in possession against the wind than attempting to create scoring opportunities.

Managed again this year by the former Galway and Carmelite College player Val Daly, Moate were quicker to blow off the cobwebs and they started the brighter team. They were the more aggressive side also and, with the elements at their backs, they flew into the ascendancy and were leading 1-6 to 0-1 at half-time.

Both teams were missing their county players, both senior and U20. They both struggled with the early morning start (10.30am) and their first competitive game of the year but they both grew into the action and produced a reasonably entertaining game and the outcome was in doubt right down to the final whistle.

Tobby Conteh opened the scoring in the third minute for Moate, with several players involved in a long build up to Conteh’s score. Billy Berry added another point in the fifth minute after a needless turnover by Caulry. The impressive Eoin Bracken then kicked a brace of scores, one a two-pointer, to push out their lead further.

Moate were dominant and Cathal O’Brien kicked a score that was just inside the arc.

Then Eoin Bracken took on his opponent, before blasting the ball off his weaker left foot from a tight angle near the end line past Liam Malynn in the Caulry goal.

Caulry’s only response was a Seán Murphy score in the 20th minute. It was all Moate in the first and second quarters and although Caulry did have plenty of possession, they over-elaborated and were far too conservatively in possession and didn’t create near enough scoring opportunities.

The second half was a complete turnaround, Caulry who are managed this year by former Roscommon player and U21 manager Nigel Dineen, grasped the initiative from the start and cut into the Moate’s lead.

Sean Murphy showed the way from midfield and the introduction of Stephen Connolly was crucial in the Mount Temple/Baylin team’s comeback.

Oisin Shortall got the scoring up and running in the second half, the former Marist College player kicking just the home team's second score of the game in the 40th minute. Once they found the scoring groove though, they popped over scores, wind assisted and they had the scoreboard cut to 1-6 to 0-7 by the 54th minute.

Sean Murphy kicked a brace of points and substitute Connolly bisected the posts from outside the arc for a two-pointer in the 52nd minute. They looked like the likely winners in the fourth quarter.

Caulry equalised the scoring when keeper Malynn kicked a two-pointer from a free and the sides all square 1-6 to 0-9 and the clock going red.

The hosts did have a number of possessions in the Moate defence but they failed to find the finish to give them the win against the odds. Instead, it was Moate that responded and that man again, Conteh, who had kicked the opening score, also supplied the last score of the game to give his team two points on the league table.

Both teams will improve with more games but both could struggle in the competition without their county players.

Player of the match: Eoin Bracken (Moate All Whites). Bracken’s scores turned out to be key to his side’s victory. His goal was the score that gave his side the platform for the win. Paul O’Gorman sprayed passes about for his team. Sean Murphy was best for Caulry.

Talking point: It appeared that this game, like other club fixtures on Sunday, was arranged for the earlier time of 10.30am because Westmeath's league game against Fermanagh was listed for 1pm in order to allow supporters to take in both the club fixture and the inter-county game if they wished. As it turned out, however, the Westmeath game was played at 2pm and it seemed an unnecessarily early start for the club players.

Scorers - Moate: E Bracken 1-3 (1tp); T Conteh 0-3 (2f); B Berry 0-1. Caulry: S Murphy and L Malynn (1tpf, 1f) 0-each; S Connolly 0-2 (tp); O Shortall 0-1.

Moate All Whites - Peter McDonald, James O’Brien, Luke Whitney, Andrew Gorman, Tom Gorman, James Bracken, David Mullins, Cathal O’Brien, Eoghan Curran, Conor Bracken, Paul Gorman, Eoin Bracken, Billy Berry, Tobby Conteh, Ronan Murray. Subs used: Tadhg Heavin, Conor Sheridan.

Caulry - Liam Malynn, Olan Healy, Tom Cloonan, Glenn Carolan, Kevin Maguire, Eoghan Grennan, Rory Hatton, Sean Murphy, Shane Lawless, Fionn O’Donovan, Harry Stuart Trainor, Oisin Shortall, Aaron Murphy, Luke Buckley, Tiarnán O’Donovan. Subs used: David Gaynor, Dean Martin, Alan Malynn and Stephen Connolly.

Referee - Niall Ward (Garrycastle).