80’s in Furze
When Wolfe Tones practically kicked Seneschalstown off the Pairc Tailteann turf in their second round Feis Cup clash, there were many under the opinion that the Beauparc men had a long and rocky road to travel before a return to their former glories was complete.
There was not even the slightest portion of evidence to suggest that Seneschalstown could trouble the holders, Navan O’Mahony’s in the opening round of the Championship. The previous Autumn, Summerhill had made the “Yellow Furze” crew appear like novices in their Keegan Cup semi-final confrontation. To add to Seneschalstown’s troubles, Tommy Finnegan, one of their better players, had been rendered unplayable after a nasty gun accident and Ollie Geraghty, so often the hero behind a Beauparc victory, was nearing the end of an illustrious career
So what happened? How did seemingly no hopers Seneschalstown shock mighty Navan O’Mahony’s?
But was it such a surprise? There can be no doubting that Seneschalstown possess one of the most talented squads in the county. The Collins, Cromwells, Seamus Byrne and Con Dunleavy have been reared on a glut of under-age medals where defeat was an alien word. Ger Geraghty and Paddy Carey are class players while teenagers Mattie McCabe and Colm Coyle had injected youthful enthusiasm into the squad.
Since their 1977 final defeat, following two games where they looked certain winners at times, Seneschalstown slumped into the football doldrums. That defeat inflicted mental scars that were hard to remove. Nor did the hammering by O’Mahony’s in the first game of the 1979 championship help things. The previous effort was not forthcoming. All the Yellow Furze men needed, was a little motivation and a lucky break or two. And they certainly got these breaks against the Blues and Whites.
The O’Mahony’s/Seneschalstown game itself, was typical of most Meath championship matches. The football might not have been that pretty, but both combinations gave total effort and as a result very little separated the sides throughout.
Before the match, people, and many of them from the Beauparc area, expressed doubts about the Seneschalstown outer line of defence. Coyle had the inexperience. Brendan Carey had played very few games at centre back for the senior team, while Eric Mongey is generally recognised as an attacker or a midfielder, rather than a left half back.
But it was on this unit that O’Mahony’s hopes perished. Each had a dream hour and with forty yards man Paddy Carey in immaculate shooting form, Seneschalstown slowly narrowed down the big lead of 6 points (0-10 to 0-4) established after the resumption.
A Carey penalty goal after Brendan Murray fouled Mattie McCabe, reduced the lead to a solitary point and although Christy Blake, with a green flag for the O’Mahony’s, restored his side’s advantage, the Yellow Furze were now running rampant. Four points flowed from the boot of Carey, (he scored a total of 1-9 in all) and with young McCabe adding a white flag for good measure, Seneschalstown pulled off a memorable victory.
PRESS BOX AT BEAUPARC.
Ground improvements are on the up and up in the County. Latest news is that Seneschalstown are to erect a Press Box at their ground. The box will be somewhat along the same lines as the press facilities in Kells. But a little bird tells me that Kilskyre or Kilberry could beat the Beauparc men to the draw.
SENESCHALSTOWN SINK CORTOWN.
Seneschalstown’s second string, put the club off to a good footing in 1980 when capturing the Winter League Division 3 title after overcoming a fancied Cortown combination in a low scoring, 1-4 to 1-2 decider.
As in the case of most clubs with 2 or more teams fielding in the various Leagues, the Beauparc side was a well balanced mixture of youth and experience.
While Cortown had a number of star performers in Declan Smyth, Tommy Caffrey, Frank Flanagan, Tommy Loughran and Frankie McFadden, they lacked the all round composure and class of their opposition. Not even the dismissal by referee Vincent Walsh, of substitute Colm Coyle, who was beginning to make his presence felt on the game, upset the Yellow Furze men. Players with senior know how as Eric Mongey, Raymond McGovern and Brendan Carey at the back, Dessie Sheeny and Jimmy Mullin around the middle of the field and Frank Sheridan, the Dillons and the promising Vincent Macken in attack, were that little bit better than anything the junior outfit could throw at them.
The introduction of Coyle and another teenager, Mattie McCabe, only helped to strengthen Seneschalstown’s cause. Their scorers were, V. Macken 1-0, M. Monaghan, J. Mullin, M. McCabe and M. Dillon, 0-1 apiece.
The Seneschalstown side was. J. Donnelly. P. Lynch. R. McGovern. M. Crowley. P. Mullen. B. Carey. E. Mongey. D.Sheehy. J.Mullin. M. Monaghan. F. Sheridan. B. Dillon. M. Dillon. V. Macken. S. Carolan. Subs: C. Coyle for B. Dillon. M. McCabe for Carolan. M. O’Connell for Sheridan.
