Navan O'Mahonys opened the defence of their SFC title at Trim on Sunday when staving off a Moynalvey rally in this Group C clash.

O'Mahonys ........ 1-13
Moynalvey .......... 1-7

The champions laid the foundations for this success in the opening half when taking advantage of the conditions to lead by 12 points at the break.

Moynalvey took the game to O'Mahonys from the restart and halved the interval deficit by the 36th minute.

Shane Lenehan's flicked goal completed that sequence of scores and left the board reading 1-11 to 1-5. Sub James Weldon chipped in with two points in this phase following his introduction,.

Thereafter just four scores were registered, shared equally between the sides. O'Mahonys played the short game to good effect to secure the points.

Ruairi O Coileain posted O'Mahonys first score after the interval midway through the second-half to bring his tally to 1-3 from play.

Points from Weldon and David McLoughlin (free) completed a trio of scores for both and closed Moynalvey's account, by the 50th minute.

Just five points in it, but it was Cathal Smyth (free) who brought the scoring to a close in the 52nd minute.

Having opted to play with the forceful wind emanating from the town end, the champions set about taking advantage of the elements from the off.

Just over 30 seconds in David Bray opened the scoring. By the 13th minute O'Mahonys had registered seven points from as many different scorers.

That tally included points from defenders James Reilly and Gary O'Brien who were pushing forward to support the attack.

Cathal Smyth's point with assistance from the Bray brothers was another standout score.

The younger Bray left it 0-9 to 0-0 after 18 minutes. Moments later David McLoughlin got Moynalvey off the mark.

The margin might have been down to five in the 22nd minute but Darragh Maguire blocked O'Loughlin's goal attempt with Darragh Smyth keeping out the follow-up.

O'Mahonys' response was an O Coileain point which was followed by a brilliant 25th minute goal from the same player. The Bray brothers played key supporting roles for this score.

David Bray (free) left 12 points between the side before O'Loughlin's second score of the half left the board reading 1-11 to 0-2 at the break,

O'Mahonys - Marcas Brennan; Darragh Smyth, Niall McKeigue, Darragh Maguire; Brian Dillon, James Reilly (0-1), Gary O'Brien; Stephen Monaghan, Conor Finnegan; Ruairi O Coileain (1-3); Stephen Bray (0-2), Alan Forde (0-1); Shane Gillespie (0-1), David Bray (0-3, 1f), Cathal Smyth (0-2, 1f). Subs -  Conor Doyle for Dillon (43).

Moynalvey - Conor Egan; Robert Lawless, Cathal McCabe, Darren Brennan; Eamon Walsh, Stephen Donoghue, Fergal McCabe; Padraic Harnan, Donal Smith; Brian Harnan, Mark O'Sullivan, Shane Lenehan (1-0); David McLoughlin (0-3, 1f); Cillian O'Sullivan (0-1 f), James Kelly. Subs - James Weldon (0-3) for Kelly (ht), David Reilly for Lenehan (46), James O'Neill for Smith (52), Conor Harnan for McCabe (57).

Referee - Colm McManus (Gaeil Colmcille)

Moynalvey Report

Moynalvey went down to the 2015 SFC Champions Navan O'Mahony's by six points on a score line of 1-13 to 1-7 in this 2016 Hoganstand.com SFC Group C opening round played at Trim on Sunday afternoon April 10th. 

Navan O'Mahony's 1-13 Moynalvey 1-7

As the cliché goes, this game was literally "a game of two halves", with a strong wind deciding which team would dominate each half. The wind restricted both sides to just two points when playing against it, Moynalvey in the opening period and O'Mahony's in the second.

By the time David McLoughlin opened Moynalvey's account in the 20th minute the Keegan Cup holders had nine points scored. Five minutes later O'Mahony's scorer in chief Ruari O'Coileain finished brilliantly to the back of Moynalvey 'keeper Conor Egan's net, which was quickly followed by a David Bray free, leaving the score board bleakly reading 1-11 to 0-1 after 27 minutes. A superb second from McLoughlin curled in from the left wing with the aid of the wind in the second minute of added time meant Moynalvey trailed the champions by twelve points at the break, 1-11 to 0-2.

The half time introduction of substitute James Weldon paid immediate dividends as he pointed within 15 seconds of the restart. The Moynalvey revival was well and truly on when a Mark O'Sullivan free along with a second Weldon point was followed by a Shane Lenehan goal, with Cillian O'Sullivan providing the assist for Lenehan to palm the ball into Marcas Brennan's net seven minutes after the restart.

Just as O'Mahony's had dominated the 1st period, it was Moynalvey who took control of the second. A third point from substitute James Weldon and a McLoughlin free in the 47th & 50th minutes respectively cut the deficit to five points, 1-12 to 1-7. Another O'Mahony's point in the 52nd minute put six between the sides again. Despite dominating possession throughout the second half, a series of second half wides from the men in maroon and white meant six points would remain between the sides at the final whistle.

Best for Moynalvey were Eamonn Walsh, Stephen Donoghue, Cillian O'Sullivan & James Weldon.

Moynalvey: Conor Egan, Robert Lawless, Cathal McCabe, Darren Brennan, Eamonn Walsh, Stephen Donoghue, Fearghal McCabe, Padraic Harnan, Donal Smith, Brian Harnan, Mark O'Sullivan (0-1f), Shane Lenehan (1-0), David MCloughlin (0-3, 1f), Cillian O'Sullivan, James Kelly. Subs: James Weldon (0-3) for Kelly, David Reilly for Lenehan, James O'Neill for Smith, Conor Harnan for F. McCabe.

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