A young Moone Celtic started well and had their opponents pinned back in their own half for much of the first half hour and they took a deserved lead after 18 minutes when a ball was played into the box by John Lazenby and headed down into the path o
f Mick Wall by Vinnie Dowling. Wall finished superbly to the top left corner of Alan Gormley's net.
Galhoy had their first real chance two minutes later when Darren Conway went on a run up the right, skipped past two tackles and shot low from a narrow angle but his effort went across the goal and inches wide of the left post.
Celtic came close to doubling their advantage after 25 minutes with a volley from Mick Wall following an Emmet Daly cross but Gormley did well to get a hand to the ball and push it away to safety. Galhoy's leveller came after 29 minutes. Once again the superb Conway waltzed through the Moone defence and crossed into the box where Dave O'Connell rose highest to head past Celtic keeper Ken Darcy.
Another right wing raid by Conway culminated with his low angled shot from the right again going just the wrong side of the upright in the 41st minute. One minute later at the other end Moone's Vinny Dowling brought the best from Alan Gormley with a sweetly struck volley from outside the box and in the last action of a hectic first half Moone's Emmet Daly broke through but keeper Gormley advanced well to save at his feet.
The second half was just two minutes old when Galhoy's Mick Wall was dispossessed by Darren Conway, who attempted to lob the keeper but Darcy somehow got a hand to the ball and flicked it over for a corner. One minute later the action switched to the other end when, following a great break up the left by Eamon Daly, James Roche saved a certain score for Moone's Anthony Hogarty with a superb tackle.
Galhoy then got the upper hand and Moone keeper Darcy saved well from Eamon Corry at the expense of a corner, which was headed just wide by Mark McMahon.
As the game entered the last fifteen minutes a Dave O'Connell corner for Galhoy was headed just over by Darren Conway and a few minutes later Galhoy's Jim Mahoney found himself in the clear with only the keeper to beat but his control let him down and Ken Darcy advanced well to claim the ball. In the final action of the 90 minutes Galhoy's Mahoney had a great chance to clinch the game for his side after good work by Eamon Corry but his well struck effort was just wide.
Moone faced two periods of extra time with 10 men after their captain Emmet Daly was dismissed in the final minute of normal time. However, both sides played cautiously with no real chances at either end and as referee Eddie Sullivan sounded the end of the action the sides faced the dreaded penalty shootout to decide the destination of the Shield. The sides were still deadlocked after eight penalties with John Lazenby, Tom Hickey, Mick Cloury and Vinning Dowling had netted for Celtic and Owen O'Mahoney, Eamon Corry, Shane Dempsey and McDonald had put away their efforts for Galhoy. Alan Gormley then saved Moone's fifth spot kick leaving Darren Conway to clinch the tie for Galhoy when he beat Ken Darcy with the final penalty.
Galhoy captain Alan Doran, on lifting the trophy, complimented a young Moone side for a marvellous game and thanked his side for the work put in during the season he concluded by saying "our target is now to win their three remaining league games against Carbury, twice and Kilcullen to complete a good season for the club"
Galhoy: Alan Gormley, Steve Dempsey, Owen O'Mahoney, James Roache, Alan Doran, Mark McMahon Darren Conway, Dave O'Connell, Jim Mahoney, Eamon Corry, Justin Moran. Subs: Steve McDonald, Jamie Brooks, Shane Dempsey, Carl Rigney.
Moone Celtic: Ken Darcy, John Hegarty, Tom Hickey, Kevin Anthony, MJ Kane, Anthony Hogarty, John Lazenby, Vinnie Dowling, Mick Cloury, Mick Wall, Emmet Daly. Subs: Paul Dowling, E Kane, John Whelan, Barry Anderson.
Referee: Eddie Sullivan
