Cappataggle retain Galway SHC status with convincing win over Moycullen
Cappataggle retained their senior status for 2027 with a comfortable 4-23 to 0-17 win over Moycullen on Saturday afternoon. Liam Collins was top scorer for the winners with 1-9, while Michael Garvey chipped in with 2-2.
Cappataggle held a seven point advantage after an entertaining opening half. Jarlath Mannion was causing plenty of problems for the Moycullen defence with his movement and helped himself to three points in the first half, the pick of these being a score from out on the sideline in the 24th minute. Ronan Garvey won a sixth minute penalty which Daniel Nevin dispatched. Nevin then hit a point from play after James Bradley had replied for Moycullen.
Donnacha Campbell fired over a long range point in the 13th minute to make it 1-7 to 0-5. Bradley’s free taking was Moycullen’s main source of scores throughout the day and he would finish with eight points to his name. Éanna Noone, Eamon Enright, Niall Mannion and Mark Gillespie also hit scores for Maigh Cuilinn in the opening period.
Dual star Fionn McDonagh also impressed in the opening 30 with four assists. However, the Moycullen defence struggled against a potent Cappataggle forward line with Mannion, Nevin, Collins and Garvey all getting on the scoresheet. A good run from Jarlath Mannion found Oran Finn in the 25th minute who laid off to Garvey to blast to the net. This put Cappataggle 2-10 to 0-9 in front. Garvey and Nevin would hit further points for them before the half’s end with Bradley responding with a brace of frees for Moycullen.
Collins and Bradley swapped points after the interval but Cappataggle were well on top at this stage with Oisín Finn impressing around the middle. Collins got their third green flag in the 39th minute when tapped into an empty net after being set up by Mannion. Collins and Oran Finn added further points before Collins combined with Garvey who got his second goal of the game. This made it 4-18 to 0-14 with 43 minutes gone. Collins and Moycullen’s Diarmuid Davoren traded placed balls over the next 10 minutes. Nevin got Cappataggle’s first score from play in over 15 minutes with a point in minute 59 to leave 4-22 to 0-16 approaching the closing stages. Cian Bowles and Matt Donohue exchanged points before Niall McKeon sounded the full time whistle.
It was a tough end to Moycullen’s season, who will look back on their second round game as as a turning point in their season, when they were a square ball call away from knocking reigning champions Loughrea out.
Cappataggle will be relieved to have ended the season with their senior status in tact and the 2024 runners up will look to make more of an impact in championship 2027.
Cappataggle: M. Egan; D. Cronin, J. Garvey, D. Dolan, D. Treacy, D. Malone, D. Campbell (0-1), J. Smyth, Oisín Finn, D. Nevin (1-3, 1-0 pen), M. Garvey (2-2), J. Mannion (0-5), O. Finn (0-2), R. Garvey, L. Collins (1-9, 0-7 frees, 0-1 65). Subs: D. Mannion for D. Treacy, 42 mins; C. Bowes (0-1) for O. Finn, 53 mins; J. Egan for M. Garvey, 56 mins; R. Clancy for J. Mannion, 58 mins; J. Dolan for D. Dolan, 60 mins.
Moycullen: J. Molloy; E. Enright (0-2), M. Donohue (0-1), D. Davoren, M. Kearns, É. Davoren, É. Noone (0-1), Diarmuid Davoren (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 65), M. Bradley, N. Mannion (0-2), J. Bradley (0-8, 0-7 frees), C. Cunningham, M. Gillespie (0-1), C. Folan, F. McDonagh. Subs: M. M Walsh for C. Folan, 35 mins; O. O’Donnell for M. Kearns, 40 mins; P. Kearns for C. Cunningham, 42 mins; G. Bohan for F. McDonagh, 54 mins.
Referee: Niall McKeon