Mayo IFC: McHale inspires Moy Davitts to semi-final spot

A magnificent 14-point contribution from Cian McHale helped Moy Davitts secure their place in the Mayo GAA Egan Jewellers Intermediate Football Championship semi-final after they edged out Parke by 2-23 to 2-20, writes Eoin Horkan.

McHale got Moy Davitts off the mark with an early free, but Parke quickly settled into their stride and took control of the opening exchanges. Colm Lynch and Darragh Reilly both found the target before Evan Walsh added a valuable two-pointer as Parke built up an early cushion.

Walsh and Keaveney then added further scores to leave Moy Davitts with plenty of work to do as the opening quarter unfolded.

The home side eventually found their response, with Brian Haneghan raising a green flag to breathe new life into the contest. Moy Davitts added another score before the interval, leaving just a single point between the teams at the break.

Moy Davitts came out with renewed purpose after the restart and produced a superb spell of attacking football, registering seven unanswered points to turn the game on its head. Parke finally halted that run through scores from Walsh and Keaveney, but the momentum was now firmly with Moy Davitts and McHale was proving increasingly influential. The Moy Davitts forward continued to punish the Parke defence, finding his range from both frees and open play.

However, Parke refused to surrender their challenge. Reilly struck for a crucial goal before adding another point, bringing his side back to within the minimum and ensuring a nervy finale.

McHale remained composed under pressure and continued to convert his opportunities, but Moy Davitts still needed another decisive moment.

That arrived when Conor Reid found the net for a second Moy Davitts goal, giving the home side some much-needed breathing space.

Parke launched one final assault and Walsh kept their hopes alive with three late points. Moy Davitts were forced to defend desperately in the closing stages, with goalkeeper Chris McGlynn producing a vital save to preserve their advantage.

In the end, Moy Davitts held on for a hard-earned three-point victory and, with it, a place in the intermediate championship semi-final for the third consecutive year.

*See Tuesday's print edition of The Connaught Telegraph for a full report on the game