Meath Junior D Football Championship Quarter-Final
Seneschalstown 3-11 Wolfe Tones 2-05
Following a game which was tetchy to say the least at times Seneschalstown recovered from an early six point deficit to eventually emerge rather comfortable winners by nine points over Wolfe Tones.
Meath Junior D Football Championship Quarter-Final
Seneschalstown 3-11 Wolfe Tones 2-05
Following a game which was tetchy to say the least at times Seneschalstown recovered from an early six point deficit to eventually emerge rather comfortable winners by nine points over Wolfe Tones.
The Kilberry men got off to a fine start when pointing from play after two minutes before adding a free three minutes later after sloppy play coming out from the Seneschalstown rear-guard ended up with a free in being awarded. Their good beginning got even better when grabbing a rapid fire goal and point in the seventh minute to leave themselves six to the good.
Tommy Duggan, a livewire presence throughout in the ‘Furze attack, sought to reduce the deficit and found that fortune was on his side when a poorly connected shot for goal rebounded into his path and he was left with the simple task of tapping into an open net.
However, fortune tends to follow the brave and when the bustling Wolfe Tones full forward chanced his luck with a Seamus Darby style nudge in the back of the Seneschalstown full back he found luck on his side as play was allowed to continue and he fully capitalised by lashing the ball past the best efforts of Shane Corbally in goal.
From this point on Seneschalstown began to slowly settle to the tough task at hand and their chances were handed a timely fillip when their corner back received his marching orders following two challenges in a minute which resulted in yellow cards. Brendan Lynch, on free taking duties due to the absence of Aled Ingman, struck the resultant free over the bar to reduce the margin to five points.
Having netted his first earlier on Duggan was to pick up a second when following a desperate goalmouth scramble after a Colin Lynch free from the right had dropped short he managed to get a tow to the ball to divert it into the net. With this flash of his poacher’s instinct suddenly it was game on. Wolfe Tones added another point from a free before Ronan Conneely added his name to the scorers when pointing after good work from Brendan Lynch, James Gillic and Mark Gleeson helped engineer the opportunity.
Indiscipline continued to be a factor and Wolfe Tones saw another member of their full back line heading for the bench after a black card was brandished for hauling down a Seneschalstown forward. Shaun Doyle soon picked off a point of his own from a free after Brendan Lynch was fouled as he kicked the ball before Doyle turned provider when picking Duggan out after a trademark surge up the wing. Duggan went for goal but the goalkeeper managed to parry his effort over the bar for a point, a point which meant the sides were back level. Further evidence of the switch in momentum arrived when in stoppage time captain Louis McAuley finding himself in unfamiliar territory in the opposition defence split the posts to leave the team playing in Yellow one point in the ascendancy when the half time whistle was blown.
It took six minutes for the opening score of the second half to arrive and when it did it was a pointed free for the Kilberry men. Incredibly this score was to be their final one of the match. Colin Lynch put Seneschalstown back in front seven minutes later when pointing a free following a foul on Duggan. The aforementioned Duggan then completed his hat trick when rolling the ball into the bottom right corner of the net after selling the goalkeeper a beautiful dummy. Colin Lynch had played an integral role in the creation of the goal.
Brendan Lynch added another free to stretch the advantage when Colin Lynch drew the foul before second half substitutes Conor McCoy and Joey Macken announced their arrival to the fray when Macken pointed after good work from McCoy out the field. The hard working James Gillic stretched the lead when pointing from play before Brendan and Colin Lynch closed out the match when converting a free apiece as Seneschalstown withstood the effect of playing a large chunk of the second half when wing back Doyle picked up a second yellow card.
Having come through the group stages of the championship largely untested Seneschalstown will be delighted to have come through this tough test and will be confidently looking forward to their upcoming semi-final with the knowledge that when the chips are down they are well capable of battling to a positive result.
Seneschalstown Scorers: Thomas Duggan 3-01, Brendan Lynch 0-03 (0-03 Frees), Colin Lynch 0-02 (0-02 Frees), Ronan Conneely 0-01, Shaun Doyle 0-01, Louis McAuley 0-01, James Gillic 0-01, Joey Macken 0-01
Seneschalstown: Shane Corbally, Louis McAuley, Mark Keating, John Muldoon, Shaun Doyle, Steven Dillon, Shane Gargan, Robbie Waters, Ian Carroll, Brendan Lynch, James Gillic, Ronan Conneely, Colin Lynch, Mark Gleeson, Thomas Duggan.
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Joey Macken for M. Gleeson, Ian Carey for R. Conneely, Conor McCoy for I. Carroll, Cormac Mullen for C. Lynch, Hugh Maguire for Mark Keating.
