A late Eoin Finnegan free put Seneschalstown ahead for the final time in the 56th minute, which was enough to win out in Duleek on Thursday evening.
JM Food Services Football League Division 2 Round 8
Seneschalstown 0-13 Duleek/Bellewstown 0-12
Seneschalstown returned to the top of the JM Food Services Football League Division 2 table with an extremely hard earned win over Duleek/Bellewstown in Tony Callaghan Park on Thursday evening. Trailing by two points going into the last ten minutes, Seneschalstown finished strongly kicking the final three points of the game, through Alan Mulvany (2) and the eventual winner from an Eoin Finnegan free four minutes from the end of normal time.
It was a topsy-turvy game where the lead changed hands on numerous occasions and it was the Duleek/Bellewstown men who opened the scoring two minutes in. Seneschalstown’s first score arrived almost immediately afterwards when Joey Moore punched a hole in the Duleek defence for Dylan Keating to score off his trusty left boot. Seneschalstown took the lead for the first time when Cathal Finnegan drilled over a free from just inside the 45 but the visitors were dealt a huge blow moments later when Finnegan was forced off with an injury.
The home side equalised once again in the eight minute and took the lead in the 11th minute when referee Patrick Coyle spotted a foul from the Seneschalstown full-back line with ball still well out the field. Coyle was certainly eagle eyed as he spotted a similar occurrence up the other end of the pitch in 13th minute when Eoin Finnegan was tugged back. The number 13 dusted himself down and duly tapped over the resultant free-kick. Duleek once again retook the lead but Dylan Keating cancelled it out with one of the scores of the night.
He superbly caught James Meade’s kickout that he had no right to win, played a one-two with Joey Moore and Keating kicked a superb point on a loop around the defensive cover. Keating was centrally involved again in Seneschalstown’s fifth point, this time he was the recipient of a high challenge which Alan Mulvany punished from range from the dead ball.
In the 20th minute, Seneschalstown moved two in front when Eoin Finnegan kicked his second free after the ball was moved forward 13 metres when a Duleek player made his feelings known to the referee for giving the original foul. The home side though would enjoy a strong seven minute spell in the run up the interval when they put together a mini purple patch kicking four points in a row to move from two down to two in front, helped in no small part from Seneschalstown indiscipline at the back. Seneschalstown halved the deficit by the break when Robbie Finnegan popped the ball off to Alan Mulvany who spun onto his left foot and kick his first of the evening from play. At the end of a very competitive first half, it was 0-08 to 0-07 in the home side’s favour.
That one point deficit from a Seneschalstown point of view grew to two straight after the resumption when Duleek kicked their ninth point of the game. However, Seneschalstown would respond strongly.
Dylan Keating picked up the break off the long Meade kickout, and he played the ball to the onrushing Alan Mulvany who did the rest, clipping over from 25 metres. Three minutes later, Keating found himself in oceans of room heading for the Duleek goal before he was halted illegally on the 20 metre line. Mulvany picked up the ball and knocked over the close range free and it was level again. Indeed, Mulvany put Seneschalstown ahead in the 37th minute when Robbie Finnegan and James Conlon combined out the field for the corner forward to clip over off his left foot again.
Duleek/Bellewstown, who more than contributed to an excellent game of football kicked three on the bounce between the 40th and 48th minutes and were two to the good once more. With all the momentum now with the home side, Mulvany was on target again from play for Seneschalstown to pull them right back into contention.
A minute later and parity was restored, once again Keating was fouled and Mulvany’s low free had enough juice in it to land over the bar. At the other end, Seneschalstown were blessed moments later to be still on level terms when a Duleek player side stepped keeper Meade and his shot seemed destined for the roof of the net only for Cormac Carolan to appear out of nowhere to deflect the ball out for a 45’, much to the relief of everyone in blue on the pitch and on the sideline.
With four minutes of normal time remaining, Seneschalstown were advancing into Duleek territory and Robbie Finnegan, who was enjoying an industrious outing in midfield was fouled 35 metres from goal. Out came Eoin Finnegan to kick the free from right of centre and he made no mistake to put the Yellow Furze men ahead.
In the minutes remaining, Seneschalstown held firm at the back and didn’t allow their hosts get off any shots from open play. They did have one long range free which dropped short and was cleared before the final whistle went as Seneschalstown pressed for another score.
It’s a big win for Stephen Kernan’s men who had to call on a number of players who played the full 60 minutes for the second team on Tuesday and had to do likewise again tonight as Seneschalstown were down bodies between holidays, injuries and the Leaving Cert. It also halts the blip of two defeats on the bounce and sees them jump above Curraha in the League table on the head to head rule on a night where results elsewhere went against the form book. Seneschalstown return to home comforts on Saturday week when they entertain the now 4th placed St. Michael’s.
Seneschalstown: James Meade, Neil Darby, Simon Rooney, Cormac Carolan, Ronan Conneely, Liam Dillon, Mark Fox, Danny Waters, Robbie Finnegan, Ross Howard, Joey Moore, Dylan Keating (0-02), Eoin Finnegan (0-03, 3fs), Cathal Finnegan (0-01, 1f), Alan Mulvany (0-07, 3fs).
Subs Used: James Conlon, Brian Maguire
