Moate come to life in last ten minutes

An often wasteful Moate All Whites bossed the final ten minutes of this south Westmeath derby at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar last Saturday evening, consigning Tang to their third straight defeat in this year’s SFC.

Val Daly’s charges kicked 12 wides over the hour and gave away a needless penalty, but with Dylan Nulty and Westmeath stars Robbie Forde and Harry Niall in form, they found the bit of power they needed late on to secure the points.

The men in white led by 0-11 to 0-6 following a first half that finished with a two-pointer from Niall, but they allowed Tang back into the game, with goalkeeper Peter McDonald gifting the Maroons a 35th-minute penalty.

Forde struck for a well-taken goal and while Tang led by a point with eight minutes to go, the All Whites kicked seven scores in a row to break their opponents’ resistance.

Tang looked in good shape early doors and led 0-5 to 0-2 after 11 minutes. Forde opening the scoring after a defence-splitting pass from Eoin Bracken, but Aidan Burke equalised with a fine point.

Moate edged ahead when Tobby Conteh kicked over from a difficult angle, but back came Tang with three scores from Shane Keenan, Adam Neary (a superb two-pointer from the terrace side) and Burke (a sweetly struck free).

Within two minutes though, Moate levelled after Paul Gorman pulled a two-pointer out of his locker and Forde added his second point. They were ahead at the quarter-hour stage when Tobby Conteh cut in from the right to curl over.

Some tremendous work from Dylan Nulty on the left flank led to Forde doubling that lead on 18 minutes, but it was end-to-end stuff and Tang nearly took the lead after a pot-shot from Shane Hanley was stopped on the line by Andrew Gorman.

To rub salt in Tang’s wounds following this missed chance, Conteh brilliantly converted a two-point free to extend Moate’s lead to four.

While Aidan Burke pulled one back with another free, the All Whites then produced their third two-pointer of the half – a lovely kick over the black spot from Harry Niall – and they led by five at the interval.

Tang, ringing the changes at half time by introducing Tommy Lennon and Jack Keenan, cut that lead to four after the restart thanks to a hoofed effort from John Rock.

Then, on 35 minutes, Moate handed their opponents a golden opportunity when goalkeeper Peter McDonald struck Keenan off the ball and conceded a penalty. Tang hotshot Adam Neary made no mistake with the resultant kick, and the lead was down to one.

Tang went on the back foot and invited Moate to attack but the All Whites racked up the wides before eventually taking the Maroons apart and nailing a crucial goal.

It came on 41 minutes, when wing backs Daragh Lowry and Dylan Nulty combined in a pacy move for the latter to pick out the inrushing Robbie Forde, who ghosted past Tang ‘keeper Owen Coughlan and finished low to the net.

Moate were expected to kick on from here but were profligate from distance and Paul Conway’s troops punished them accordingly. Adam Neary came into his own at this stage, kicking a brace of excellent two-pointers – the first of them a free – either side of Aidan Burke’s third point of the game.

With the clock running down, Moate will have been concerned. Their wide count was now in double figures while, on 50 minutes, Tobby Conteh fizzed a low shot wide when he probably should have fisted over.

However, with 52 minutes gone, it all started to come together for them and they posted seven consecutive points in a ten-minute purple patch. Sub Sam Fannin got the ball rolling with a well-taken equaliser, before Conteh converted a free and Robbie Forde lined up another sub, Darragh Delaney, to handpass over the bar.

On 55 minutes, Forde was the provider again, dispossessing Adam Neary in midfield and bursting down the field before shipping to Delaney, who divided the posts. Moate now led by three (1-15 to 1-12).

Harry Niall then played a key role in closing out the game, getting clean through the Tang defence and fisting over before conjuring a similar score moments later.

His brother Hagan made the scoresheet in stoppage time to extend Moate’s lead to six, and when Jack Keenan found the target with a late free for Tang, it was the Maroons’ first score in 17 minutes of play.

Moate came to life just at the right time and while their win was deserved, their wide count suggests that they will have to focus on their shooting if they are to make inroads at this grade over the coming weeks. For Tang, meanwhile, the spectre of relegation looms.

Scorers

Moate All Whites: R Forde 1-3, T Conteh 0-5 (1 2ptf, 1f), Harry Niall 0-4 (1 2pt), P Gorman (2pt) and D Delaney 0-2 each, S Fannin and Hagan Niall 0-1 each. Tang: A Neary 1-6 (2 2pt, 1 2ptf), A Burke 0-3 (2f), S Keenan, J Rock, S Hanley and J Keenan (free) 0-1 each.

Moate All Whites: Peter McDonald; Cian Whitney, Cathal O’Brien, Andrew Gorman; Daragh Lowry, James Bracken, Dean Corbally; Paul Gorman, Harry Niall; Eoin Bracken, Hagan Niall, Dylan Nulty; Tobby Conteh, Robbie Forde, Billy Berry. Subs used: Sam Fannin for Lowry (41), Darragh Delaney for E Bracken (47).

Tang: Owen Coughlan; Conall McKiernan, Kieran Duncan, Eoghan Bannon; Ronan Hanley, Robert English, Jason Coughlan; Ciaran Clear, Shane Keenan; John Rock, Shane Hanley, Martin Rock; Adam Neary, John Tumelty, Aidan Burke. Subs used: Jack Keenan for M Rock (h-t), Tommy Lennon for S Keenan (h-t), Niall Bannon for English (inj., 43), David Marlow for Duncan (58), Callum McGarry for Neary (60).

Referee: Barry Pierce (St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge).