Craughwell 0-25

Moycullen 1-17

By DARREN KELLY AT KENNY PARK

THE one shoot-out for survival this weekend saw Craughwell deliver the match winning scores entering the final quarter to ensure they get a shot at All-Ireland champions St. Thomas’ in the preliminary quarter-finals.

Ian Daniels’ team found scores easier to come by during the final stages, but 14 first half wides is an area requiring attention. Their shooting probably cost them in Round 1 against Loughrea and had Moycullen not joined in with a poor return, their championship campaign could have suffered.

When pressed to push forward, Moycullen showed their credentials as they came from six behind to trail by just two. But the decision to play with a sweeper in the first half played into their opponents’ hands and they spent most of Saturday evening chasing this tie.

With two defeats each, no other contest mattered and this was as close to knockout action as seen anywhere last weekend. But it also highlighted the improvement needed by both teams. There were 42 shots at goal in the opening 30 minutes but only 19 converted.

Patrick Monaghan provided Dean Callanan for Craughwell’s first score inside 40 seconds but Moycullen’s equaliser by Cian Folan, directly from a Jack Molloy puck out, didn’t arrive until the eighth minute.

Already, Craughwell were guilty of five misses but their return improved when Patrick Monaghan was provider again, this time for Tom Monaghan to make it 0-2 to 0-1

Both Monaghan brothers worked hard around the middle with Tom setting up Stephen Hynes to split the posts from his own 65. And Jamie Ryan began a productive afternoon after he finished a move involving Ger O’Halloran and Oisin Quirke.

Folan and Fionn Mac Donnacha were constant threats for Moycullen. Diarmuid Davoren opened his account with a 13th minute free.

Pictured: Craughwell’s Jamie Ryan in possession against Daire Davoren of Moycullen during Saturday’s Senior A encounter at Kenny Park. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.