An Mhaigh Tir na nÓg G.A.C. Notes (week comm 16/04/07) A.C.L. Division 1B Senior An Mhaigh 0-11 Tri Leac 2-7 Moy's first senior home league game of the season ended in disappointment as the Tir na nOgs, minus the services of injured county pair Sean Cavanagh and Ryan Mellon, lost by two points to Trillick on Sunday afternoon past. Two second half goals from the visitors proved crucial in an otherwise hard fought and closely contested affair played in splendid conditions at Pairc Thir na nOg. This turned out to be a very frustrating fixture for Moy who were in control for much of the first half but only led by two points (0-5 to 0-3) at the break, having played with wind advantage. Nine wides during that period would prove costly for the home side as Trillick came out for the second half with all guns blazing. The difference was that Trillick made the most of their chances. Within fifteen seconds of the restart, they had the ball in the Moy net and had a terrific third quarter in which they went on to score another goal and two points. Despite some strong defending from Thomas McNicholl and a couple of well taken scores by Karol McQuade and Mark Currie, the Moy men found themselves trailing by six points entering the final quarter. Tyrone duo Colm Cavanagh and Philip Jordan were among those who tried hard to inspire a Moy comeback in the closing stages. The deficit was reduced to just two points in injury-time and, with Moy mounting attack after attack, there were opportunities to at least draw level. However, a determined Trillick defence held out and they went away with a valuable 2-7 to 0-11 win. Team & Scorers: Barry Gribbin; Gary Jordan, Francie McQuade (capt), Mark Donnelly; Ryan O'Neill, Tommy McNicholl, Mark Currie (0-2); Philip Jordan (0-2) and Niall Conlon; Colm Jordan, Karol McQuade (0-2, 2 frees), Kris Kavanagh (0-1); Anthony Rafferty, Colm Cavanagh (0-4, 3 frees), Padraig Laverty. Sub used: Martin Conroy (31 mins). League Record: Played 2, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 1, Points 2. A.C.L. Division 1B Reserve An Mhaigh 2-3 Tri Leac 2-14 It was a disappointing day all round for Moy footballers last Sunday as our reserve team fell to its second consecutive league defeat. Just like in the senior match, Trillick came from behind to oust the home side with a superb second half showing. The curtain-raiser at Pairc Thir na nOg was a tale of two halves. The Sky Blues played with the aid of a stiff breeze for the first thirty minutes and led 2-3 to 0-3 at half-time, thanks in no small measure to goals from the Conroy brothers and a 13th minute penalty save from Adrian Jordan. Moy, though, would rue kicking nine wides to Trillick's one in that first half as it was the visitors who took full control on the restart. In an amazing turnaround, Moy were held scoreless after the break while the opposition scored at will. Trillick kicked 2-11 without reply in the second half to record a comprehensive 2-14 to 2-3 victory, and Moy's misery was made complete by the fact that Brendan O'Neill struck the woodwork twice during that period. His penalty kick in the 44th minute rebounded off the post while a free-kick attempt near the end came back off the crossbar. Moy's Man of the Match was wing back Benny Martin. Team & Scorers: Adrian Jordan; Colm Quinn, Niall Kelly (capt), Dirar Jomar; Benny Martin, Martin Kernan, Thomas Conlon; John Harvey and James Devlin (0-1); Ciaran Campbell, Ciaran Conroy (1-0), Martin Conroy (1-0); Matt Murren, Brendan O'Neill (0-2, 2 frees), Stephen Hetherington. Subs used: Conall Laverty (half-time), James Kavanagh (39 mins) and Talal Jomar (45 mins). League Record: Played 2, Won 0, Drawn 0, Lost 2, Points 0. Under 18 League An Mhaigh v Cill Dreasa An understrength Moy minor team were overpowered by league leaders Kildress, last week (Wednesday 11th April). The boys in blue were always going to be up against it in this Grade Three fixture, played in glorious conditions at Pairc Thir na nOg, and the absence of a few key attackers did not help the side's cause. The opening thirty minutes provided some entertaining fare with Moy staying in contention with the help of a superbly struck '45' by Talal Jomar in the opening minute, a fine save by Tony O'Neill shortly afterwards, good defending by Stephen Beaddie and James Kavanagh, and two terrific goals midway through the half from full forward Art Kelly. Half-Time Score: Moy 2-1 Kildress 2-6. Keen to impress in their first home game of the season, the Moy lads fought valiantly throughout but their challenge faded in the second half as a much bigger and more slicker Kildress outfit began to dominate. Moy found it difficult to contain the opposition who were rampant after the break. The homesters lost heavily in the end but, with a number of new faces on show, they will have learned a lot from this match and will get better as the season progresses. Moy's Player of the Match was James Kavanagh. Team & Scorers: Tony O'Neill; Stephen Beaddie, Jim Kelly, Anthony McGuckin, James Kavanagh, Mark Gribbin; Conor Tennyson and Adam Currie; Ryan Mallon, Talal Jomar (0-2, 1 '45', 1 free), Paddy Fox, Mark McCann (0-1, 1 free), Art Kelly (2-0). Subs used: Matthew Dynes (19 mins), Nathan Brady (47 mins), Shane McKeown (47 mins), Adrian O'Neill (47 mins), Tiernan Donohue (47 mins). Under 14 League Moy Under 14 team bounced back from a recent heavy defeat at Killeeshil to secure two vital league points at home to Derrytresk on Tuesday night past. The action was fast and furious at Pairc Thir na nOg as both teams entertained the sizeable crowd with some terrific passages of football. On another fine summer's evening, the Moy boys displayed a high level of skill to lead 2-2 to 0-2 at half-time. Sean Cartmill and Raymond Kelly's side dominated in defence and attacked with real purpose to put themselves on course for a third league win. Although Derrytresk caused a few scares in a fascinating second half, it was Moy who held out for a fully deserved 3-4 to 2-3 victory. Team: Liam Kelly; Joe Daly, Jack McDonald, Michael Cartmill, Daniel Beaddie, Daryl Mills; Enda Kelly and Jack Kelly; Declan Conroy, Niall McConville, Chris O'Neill, Jack Donaghy, Mark McConville. Subs used: Joe McMahon and Tiarnan O'Hanlon. Other subs: James Cavanagh, Gerard Quinn, John Millar. League record: Played 6, Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 3, Points 6. Adult & Youth Team News Moy seniors and reserves will be travelling north this Sunday (22nd April) to take on Clann na nGael away in round three of the Tyrone All-County League. Throw-in times for the Division 1B double-header are 2.15pm (reserve) and 3.45pm (senior). Moy minors will play Brocagh at home in round four of the Under 18 league next Wednesday evening (25th April) at 7.15pm. Moy Under 16s, who have been training indoors over the past number of weeks, will hold their first session at Pairc Thir na nOg this Thursday evening (19th April) at 6.00pm. Training for all Moy Under 6, Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12 players now take places at Pairc Thir na nOg every Saturday. Wedding Bells Heartiest congratulations to Moy senior team manager Damian Lavery on his recent marriage to Tanya McNulty. Dee, as he is better known to friends and club members, has been an extremely dedicated Moy Gael for many years while his newly wed wife has also given great support to the senior team in recent times. We wish both Damian and Tanya every happiness for the future. In The Money The winners of the An Mhaigh Tir na nOg G.A.C. 200 Ticket Draw, which took place last Sunday night, were: 1st Prize (£500) - Martin McQuade; 2nd Prize (£200) - John Harvey; 3rd Prize (£50) - Lauren Campbell. Thanks to everyone who bought and sold tickets for this fundraising draw. Gaeltacht Scholarships A fund has been allocated by the club in relation to Gaeltacht Scholarships. The scholarship is open to students of all years at Secondary education level. In order to be considered, applicants must meet two key requirements. They must: (1) be members or the children of adult members within An Mhaigh Tir na-nÓg G.A.C as required under the club's Constitution; and (2) request the scholarship in writing and demonstrate knowledge of Gaeilge. All applications and/or correspondence should be sent to An Runai Mhaire Ni Dhalaigh before the deadline of 30th April 2007. Ladies Notes Senior Challenge Match Last Thursday evening saw Moy senior ladies play their second challenge match of the season against Armagh opposition. Ballyhegan were the visitors to Pairc Thir na nOg and, in glorious conditions, this friendly fixture turned out to be a very worthwhile outing for both sets of players. Moy's superior strength in depth was evident on the night and the Tir na nOgs recorded another impressive victory. The two teams agreed to play three periods of twenty minutes, with Moy using the extra period to introduce a lot of the younger members of the squad to senior football. All 26 players on the Moy panel last week got their chance to impress, and the management expressed satisfaction afterwards with everyone's performance. The homesters played some excellent football and displayed a lot of commitment on the night to defeat their Armagh opponents. Our club referee Simon Brady took charge of his first senior ladies match and both sides were in agreement afterwards that he officiated in a very fair and sporting manner. Meanwhile, best wishes are extended to the Ballyhegan player who picked up a nasty hand injury while going for a ball in the second period. We wish her a speedy recovery. Team: Eimear McKearney; Cathy O'Neill, Colleen McCance, Michelle Gribbin; Jenna Hagan, Patricia Conroy, Colette Jordan; Sarah Rafferty and Rionach Laverty (capt); Susan McCann, Nina Murphy, Claire Ogle; Ashlene McCann, Sinead McNicholl, Mairead Mitchell. Subs (all used): Michelle Molloy, Leanne Daly, Ciarrai Cunniffe, Michelle Clancy, Kerry Conroy, Niamh Gillen, Shaheen Brady, Alice Murphy, Ellie McCance, Sinead Conroy and Shauna Mallon. Under 18 Championship Moy Under 18 ladies travelled to Coalisland last Saturday evening to take on the home side in the quarter-finals of the championship. Despite a brave effort from the Moy girls, it was an exceptionally strong Coalisland team which dominated for most of the match and emerged victorious. Moy's defence held out well in the early stages and there were some fine individual performances, but the pressure from Coalisland really took its toll midway through the first half. The championship favourites built up a big lead by the interval and, although they did not get it all their own way in the second half, still progressed to the semi-finals with a comfortable winning margin. To their credit, the Moy cailini battled right to the end and were rewarded for their fighting spirit with a well taken goal from substitute Michelle Molloy late in the match. Every Moy player tried her best against formidable opposition but it was not to be. Niamh Gillen's forced withdrawal at half-time was also a major blow for the Tir na nOgs, who must now turn their attentions to the league and will be hoping to win their remaining matches in Grade Four. Team: Shauna Mallon; Joanne Daly, Leanne Daly; Lucy McMahon, Michelle Hagan, Kerry Conroy; Michelle Clancy and Niamh Gillen; Shaheen Brady, Sinead Conroy, Alice Murphy; Ellie McCance, Catherine Daly. Subs (all used): Michelle Molloy, Roisin Hamill and Ciarrai Cunniffe. Under 14 League Moy Under 14 girls played host to a free-scoring and very skilful Drumragh side in the league on Monday evening past. Both teams gave an exhibition of good open football but it was Drumragh's ability to convert possession into scores which saw them come away with a comfortable victory. Moy were under a lot of pressure throughout but defended with great determination and produced some promising passages of football. Nina Murphy and Jenna Hagan's girls had very little luck on the night but will no doubt bounce back from this defeat. Their league record now reads: Played 3, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 2. Team: Catherine Duffy; Ellen Mackle, Bronagh McConville, Aoife Hamill, Caoimhe Lynch, Sara Loughran; Laura Kelly and Eimear Swail; Roisin Quinn, Shannon Kelly, Eimear McCormack, Grace McCormack, Sophie Lavery. Subs used: Aine Swail, Ellen Donohue, Alice Catterson, Grace Mallon. Other Subs: Kathryn Farmer, Aoibheann Swail, Shannon Nugent, Hannah Coyne and Jill Sheridan. ********* Colin Mackle (P.R.O.) Tweet

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