Three second half goals helped propel Seneschalstown to their first win of the LMFM Minor Football League Division 2.
LMFM Minor Football League Division 2 Group B Round 2
Seneschalstown 4-11 Oldcastle 1-07
Seneschalstown atoned for last week’s defeat to Dunshaughlin to pick up their first victory in Group B of Division 2 in the LMFM Minor Football League against Oldcastle on a sunny Monday evening in Fr. Tully Park. Leading by three at the break thanks to Jamie Norris’ goal, Seneschalstown pushed on after the interval to run out 13 point winners.
The aforementioned Norris, who went on to have a productive evening opened the scoring inside a minute when he took a ball inside and popped over. Oldcastle, heavily influenced up front by Meath minor Pat Crawley, equalised in the fifth minute but Aran Carey restored Seneschalstown’s advantage when he burst through a number of challenges before clipping over a nice point. In the 13th minute, Bradley Kirwan took aim from long range and his shot never wavered from it’s target raising Seneschalstown’s third point of the hour.
Oldcastle pulled one back instantly but Jamie Barry got on the end of the a nice team move which moved swiftly up field in the 20th minute to counter that score from the visitors. In the 22nd minute, Seneschalstown were handed a massive boost.
Charles McCarthy sent a searching ball in towards the Oldcastle square which Jamie Norris plucked from the sky. He turned and headed for goal and sent a low drive to the net via the left hand post. Again, Oldcastle replied with a point but Norris was involved again moments later when he teed up Johnny Finnegan for his first point of the evening.
Seneschalstown’s lead was three points at the break, 1-05 to 0-05 as Oldcastle registered the final two points of the half.
Seneschalstown made a statement in the opening seven minutes of the second half, plundering two goals for themselves in a three minute spell. Firstly, Norris produced a carbon copy of the first half, claiming a high ball close to goal before producing a low finish to the Oldcastle net. Three minutes later, Mattie Cowley punished a poor pass in the Oldcastle defence by intercepting and punishing it devastatingly by rolling the ball to the net. Norris also added a free in this period and Seneschalstown lead by double digits.
Oldcastle raised a green flag of their own right on the three quarter mark but Seneschalstown continued their march towards victory with a dominant final quarter. Norris knocked over another free and a tidy score from play before Cathal Clarke came up with one of the scores of the night when he curled over a beauty from 35 metres out with his left foot.
Charles McCarthy conjured up goal number four for Seneschalstown with eight minutes left, he played a one-two with Johnny Finnegan before doing the rest himself. Finnegan continued his hard working evening when he won the ball under the scoreboard before making his way towards goal, moving adjacent to the endline and took the sensible option to punch over the bar.
The final score of the night came from substitute James Heery when he chipped the ball over the bar from close range. Seneschalstown will be delighted with this victory as it now leaves them on two points in the table heading into the final round of group matches. That game will be against neighbours Skryne on Monday 1st July after the break for the State Exams with the winner joining current table toppers Dunshaughlin in the last four.
Seneschalstown: Cathal Reilly, Colm McDonnell, Eoghan McGauran, Tom Concannon, Bradley Kirwan (0-01), Charles McCarthy (1-00), James Sharkey, Mattie Cowley (1-00), Aran Carey (0-01), Adam Clarke, Cathal Clarke (0-01), Johnny Finnegan (0-02), Cian Hosie, Jamie Norris 2-04, 0-02fs), Jamie Barry (0-01).
Subs Used: Tadhg Caffrey, Keith Finnegan, James Heery (0-01).
