Premier Championship Division 5
Seneschalstown 2-11 Rathkenny 2-08
Seneschalstown’s third team picked up a second consecutive win in Division 5 of the Premier Football Championship with a well-earned three point win over Rathkenny on a damp Sunday morning in Fr. Tully Park. Central to the victory for Seneschalstown were two goals, one in either half both coming from the boot of Shane Mulvany, as well as a couple of key saves from keeper Robert Ruddy.
It was Rathkenny who enjoyed the brighter opening and settled quickest with two points as Seneschalstown struggled to get out of their own half. It took ten minutes for the home side’s first score to arrive when Shane Mulvany pointed from 30 metres out. Rathkenny certainly enjoyed the better of the opening 20 minutes as the went into a three point lead, 0-04 to 0-01 by that stage. It could have been worse for Seneschalstown had it not been for a Robert Ruddy penalty save low to his left in that opening period. Mulvany got Seneschalstown’s second point from a tight angle after 21 minutes and from the resultant kickout, Seneschalstown hit the front for the first time.
Bryan Clarke intercepted the stray kickout and played a one-two with Darren Laird. Clarke was bearing down on goal and popped the ball to Shane Mulvany who placed the ball into the bottom left corner which edged Seneschalstown ahead for the first time.
The lead lasted all of two minutes as Rathkenny answered with a quickfire brace of points but Tom McDonnell ensured parity at the break for Seneschalstown when he fired over after linking well with Joe Norris. At half-time the scoreboard read 1-03 to 0-06.
Seneschalstown came out after half time and immediately started to take more control of the proceedings, Bryan Clarke kicking a fine point less than 60 seconds in. Ross Mullen kicked his first point of the day from a free in the 34th minute after Tom McDonnell was impeded. Rathkenny answered with a point of their own, but the Clarke and Mullen added another free apiece within a minute of each other after 43 minutes and Seneschalstown’s lead was four points, 1-08 to 0-07.
Rathkenny got in for a goal after 44 minutes reducing the gap to the minimum, but the answer from the home side was emphatic inside the next 90 seconds. Cormac Mullen punched a hole in the Rathkenny defence and he played in Shane Mulvany who finished to the net for his second goal of the game restoring the four point lead for Alan Geraghty’s men. Teean Cummins put his name on the scoresheet when he curled over a point from 30 metres out and substitute Tommy Walsh, who enjoyed a very positive 15 minute cameo, popped over another Seneschalstown point.
Bryan Clarke kicked Seneschalstown’s last score from a 45 in the 52nd minute and despite a late Rathkenny goal in injury time Seneschalstown held on for a three point win which leaves them just outside the top four in the table.
Seneschalstown: Robert Ruddy, Richie McKeown, Louie Healy, Oran Lawlor, Darren Laird, David Fox, Cormac Mullen, Teean Cummins (0-01), Tom McDonnell (0-01), Joe Norris, Bryan Clarke (0-04, 2fs), Cian Rooney, Ross Mullen (0-02, 2fs), Stephen Finnegan, Shane Mulvany (2-02).
Subs: Tommy Walsh, James Commons
