Jason Philips rescues Moorefield, on the double

Joe Mallon Motors Group D

Moorefield 1-8

Kilcock 1-6

We had to wait until the 55 before this SFC, Moorefield v Kilcock game sprang into life.

Leading by two Moorefield were somewhat living on the edge when a ball in from Eoin McArdle was gathered by Findlay Nairn, who held his nerve to place into the corner of the net and level the game at 1-5 to 0-8, with 55 minutes on the clock.
Some minutes later and a free, wide on the left into the town goal, close to the sideline was brilliantly converted by Shane Farrell to give Kilcock the lead for the first time in the 62 minute and a real shock was on the cards.

However Moorefield went on the attack, probably looking for an equalising point. A free awarded in midfield was rightly brought forward by the referee, up stepped Mark Murray and while his effort was going left of the post, it was fetched by Mark Dempsey who punched it across where a diving Jason Philips punched to the net putting The Moores into a two point lead.
And the drama did not end there, back came Kilcock and when Kevin Diffley gained possession he turned and shot only for that man, Jason Philips to be on hand to make an instinctive block; and when the long whistle arrived, The Moores gaining the vital victory — 1-8 to 1-6.
Incredible ending to what had, overall, been a disappointing game.

The opening half was certainly a very poor affair and while The Moores had by far the most of the possession, six wides in that half certainly did little for their cause. However they did open the scoring with a point from Ryan Moore; Kilcock replied with a converted free from Shane Farrell after five minutes.
Aaron Masterson hit the point of the half on eight followed by a Mark Murray free, after James Murray was fouled.

Evan O'Brien increased the lead with a fine point after 20 minutes but little did we know that would be the final score of the half. Having said that both had opportunities to increase their scores but three wides from the boys from north of the county were surpassed with four from the boys from the top of the town in Newbridge. In fairness to both sets of players the wind was making scoring very difficult with the usual swirling breeze making life difficult for the shooters.
The half-time score saw Moorefield lead by 0-4 to 0-1.

The Moores brought in three experienced players at half time in Adam Tyrrell, Jason Philips and Ryan Houlihan and it was Tyrrell who opened the second half with a converted free, followed by a fine punched point from Aaron Masterson to make it 0-6 to 0-1 on 37 minutes.

Eoin McArdle got his side's opening point, their first play but Mark Murray canceled that out with a converted free to restore the five point lead after 41.

David Duke and Kevin Diffley reduced the lead to three and when Duke added another the lead was back to two.
Jason Philips left three in it again before that Findlay Nairn goal; the Shane Farrell brilliant free and the rest as they say is history.
Great ending in a game that never really came to life until the dramatic ending.

Scorers: Moorefield, Jason Philips 1-1, Aaron Masterson 0-2, Mark Murray 0-2 (2 frees), Ryan Moore 0-1, Evan O'Moore 0-1, Adam Tyrrell 0-1 (free).

Kilcock, Findlay Nairn 1-0, David Duke 0-2, Shane Farrell 0-2 (2 frees), Kevin Diffley 0-1, Eoin McArdle 0-1.

MOOREFIELD: Tom Kinsella; Liam Callaghan, Mark Dempsey, Liam Healy; Kevin Murnaghan, James Murray, Anthony Durney; Ryan Moore, Aaron Masterson; Luke Sweeney; Mark Murray, Padraig Cribbin; Ian Meehan, Ciaran Kelly, Evan O'Brien. Subs: Ryan Houlihan for Anthony Durney (half-time); Adam Tyrrell for Ciaran Kelly (half-time); Jason Philips for Ian Meehan (half-time); Danny Hanniffy for Luke Sweeney (48 minutes); Tommy McGrath for Evan O'Brien (53 minutes)

KILCOCK: Stephen Cussen; Luke Sheridan, Mark Durkan, Rory O'Brien; Niall McKenna, Cian O'Sullivan, Daniel Johnny O'Sullivan; Kevin Diffley, Brendan Gibbons; Cameron Nairn, David Duke, Mark Gibbons; Findlay Nairn, Shane Farrell, Keith Farrell. Subs: Eoin McArdle for Keith Farrell (15 minutes); Danny Byrne for Niall McKenna (54 minutes).

REFEREE: Colm Kearney.