LMFM Minor Football Tournament Group B Round 3
Seneschalstown 2-05 Oldcastle 0-06
On Easter Monday morning, Seneschalstown entertained Oldcastle in the third round of the LMFM Minor Football Tournament in drab conditions with both sides looking to pick up their first win of 2024. For the third time in as many days, an unplayable pitch in Millbrook meant a Seneschalstown team were spared the away trip to play a game in the north west of the county and once again enjoyed home comforts.
Conditions were extremely difficult for the players with the rain persisting throughout and a swirling wind favouring neither team which lead to a lot of misplaced passes and handling errors.
It was Oldcastle who registered first with a pointed free in the third minute but Jamie Norris drew the sides level when he put over Seneschalstown’s first score after 6 minutes when his effort was helped over the bar by the Oldcastle keeper. Two further points in the 17th and 19th minutes had the visitors two in front by that stage, but Norris was proving to be a major thorn in Oldcastle’s side.
He accounted for Seneschalstown’s second point after 21 minutes when he worked a quick free with Jamie Barry, and the same player struck for the first goal of the game moments later when he collected a shot from Cian Hosie which had fallen short into the large square and drilled the ball into the bottom right corner of the net to put Seneschalstown two up. However Oldcastle would restore parity before the break with two further points as the sides were level at 1-02 to 0-05.
The difficult conditions never let up and scores were still at a premium after the break, so any early scores would prove crucial. Having had a couple early scoring chances go abegging, Seneschalstown were about to be handed a significant boost in the 37th minute. Seneschalstown managed to win an Oldcastle kickout and the ball was played into the path of Cian Hosie. Hosie was in on goal and he made no mistake, powerfully finishing beyond the goalkeeper and giving Seneschalstown what felt like a big lead in such a close game.
This gave Seneschalstown a spring in their step and they certainly kicked on as best they could. Charlie Finnegan added a free from 35 metres which Oldcastle replied to with a point of their own. Finnegan added another from play before the last score of the game arrived two minutes from time when Norris took on a shot from distance which carried in the wind and landed between the posts to wrap up a Seneschalstown victory by five points.
Seneschalstown have two further home games left in the competition against Trim and St. Peter’s, Dunboyne and will hope to build on this inaugural win.
Seneschalstown: Cathal Reilly, Tadhg Caffrey, Eoghan McGauran, Tom Concannon, James Sharkey, Matthew Cowley, Adam Clarke, Aran Carey, Charlie Finnegan (0-02, 1f), Cathal Clarke, Bradley Kirwan, Keith Finnegan, Cian Hosie (1-00), Jamie Norris (1-03), Jamie Barry.
Sub: Johnny Finnegan
