Senior Championship
Sat 19th September
Seneschalstown 2-15
Duleek/Bellewstown 0-13
Seneschalstown beat Duleek/Bellewstown by eight points at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday night to pip Simonstown for the third quarter-final spot on offer in Group A of the Commons Hardware SFC.
Damien Sheridan’s men flatlined the contest with a third quarter scoring blitz during which time they outscored their neighbours by 2-5 to 0-1 to lead by 15 points heading into the final quarter.
Senior Championship
Sat 19th September
Seneschalstown 2-15
Duleek/Bellewstown 0-13
Seneschalstown beat Duleek/Bellewstown by eight points at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday night to pip Simonstown for the third quarter-final spot on offer in Group A of the Commons Hardware SFC.
Damien Sheridan’s men flatlined the contest with a third quarter scoring blitz during which time they outscored their neighbours by 2-5 to 0-1 to lead by 15 points heading into the final quarter.
Joe Sheridan netted their opening goal from a penalty kick in the 35th minute following a foul on his younger brother Brian.
The second goal arrived within a minute with the younger Sheridan providing the assist for Brian Clarke to make it 2-12 to 0-5.
A trio of pointed Shane Clarke frees left it 2-15 to 0-6 heading into the last quarter, but Seneschalstown failed to register thereafter.
Duleek/Bellewstown came with a late burst that yielded seven unanswered points. Peter Curran chalked up six (five frees and one 45) while substitute Darren Mills got the other.
The 45 resulted from a timely intervention by Joe Sheridan to keep out Padraig Howard’s goal attempt in the 52nd minute with ‘keeper David Lyons stranded.
Donaghmore/Ashbourne’s six-point win over Simonstown meant Seneschalstown were through to the last eight, pipping the north Navan men by just two points on scoring difference as the sides had drawn in an earlier meeting.
That result at Skryne also lifted Donaghmore/Ashbourne off the foot of the table and consigns Duleek/Bellewstown to the relegation play-offs along with Walterstown and Rathkenny who finished bottom of Group B and C respectively.
Seneschalstown were quick out of the blocks with five points from play from as many different players in the opening ten minutes. Stephen Finnegan opened the scoring, Gary Conlon, Damien and Joe Sheridan also got off the mark as did Shane Clarke.
The most memorable of those scores was Damien Sheridan’s effort from about 50-metres that hopped over the bar at the town end. Nearly 13 minutes elapsed before wing-back Gordon Hynes opened the Duleek account.
When Kevin Smith placed Michael Dowling for Duleek/Bellewstown’s second score from play the margin was down to three points, 0-3 to 0-6, after 22 minutes.
Seneschalstown reasserted themselves in the run up to half-time with Conlon, Finnegan and Brian Clarke pointing from play and the Yellow Furze men led by 0-10 to 0-5 at half-time.
The 2007 champions then hit 2-4 in 11 second-half minutes to end this contest. They had to wait a bit longer for confimation that their win would be enough to prolong their interest in the competition.
Seneschalstown – D. Lyons; P. Carey, A. Collins, G. Sheridan; M. Carey, J. Cowley, S. Sheridan; J. Sheridan (1-1, 1-0 pen), D. Sheridan (0-1); G. Conlon (0-3), C. Macken, S. Finnegan (0-3); B. Clarke (1-1), B. Sheridan, S. Clarke (0-6, 4 fs). Subs – A. McCann for S. Clarke (51), D. Byrne for Macken, C. Duffy for Cowley (55), W. Smith for P. Carey (60).
Duleek/Bellewstown – R. Nolan; D. Moore, J. Martin, D. Crosby; G. Hynes (0-1), K. Smith, P. Martin; K. McDonnell, D. Gaffney; M. Collins (0-1), T. Cunningham, P. Curran (0-9, 7 frees, 1 45); C. Carney, M. Dowling (0-1), P. Howard. Subs – J. Devereux for Moore (ht), K. McCann for Hynes, D. Mills (0-1) for Dowling, D. Ferguson for Carney (all 37).
Referee – G. O’Brien (Wolfe Tones)
