All County Football A League Division 1 Round 12
Na Fianna 0-14 Seneschalstown 1-11
The long journey over to Enfield at lunchtime on Sunday for the penultimate league game of the 2014 season saw Seneschalstown emerge with a share of the spoils after a keenly contested match played in excellent conditions. Na Fianna got off to the better start in both halves but the visitors were not prepared to lie down and thus the sparse crowd was treated to a fine game of football.
All County Football A League Division 1 Round 12
Na Fianna 0-14 Seneschalstown 1-11
The long journey over to Enfield at lunchtime on Sunday for the penultimate league game of the 2014 season saw Seneschalstown emerge with a share of the spoils after a keenly contested match played in excellent conditions. Na Fianna got off to the better start in both halves but the visitors were not prepared to lie down and thus the sparse crowd was treated to a fine game of football.
Just as they had done in their previous match against Dunshaughlin Seneschalstown conceded first, this time after a long free kick was knocked back out from the end line before being fired over the bar. Na Fianna followed this score up when their full forward kicked another point to leave them two to the good after three minutes.
The free taking of Bryan Clarke was a key feature of Seneschalstown’s championship successes in 2007 and 2009 and once more this summer he has been firing them over from all angles and he opened the Seneschalstown account from way out on the right after the material on Ross Howard’s jersey was tested. Former county player Jamie Queeney had an excellent match in the middle of the field with his driving runs causing the Seneschalstown defence problems and he promptly restored his sides two point lead when converting a forty five after Robert Ruddy had got back to block a shot at goal behind.
Clarke then kicked his second, this one coming from a narrow angle to the right of the posts from play before Joe Sheridan found himself with half a yard of space and kicked the equaliser. Sheridan capitalising on an excellent pass from his brother Damien after the ball had been won by the excellent Sean McCabe in his defence before being transferred to the experienced midfielder via David Matthews.
Na Fianna hit back with two points from play in a row to restore their two point advantage before wing back Gary Conlon surged forward to curl an effort over the bar after linking up with Seneschalstown’s two wing forwards, Ross Howard and James Conlon. Clarke then had a rasping effort for goal brilliantly saved by the home outfit’s goalkeeper before he converted the resulting forty five. He then extended his tally for the half to four when pointing a free after drawing the foul himself before Na Fianna brought the sides level once more with another point from play to leave the sides all square at half time on 0-06 apiece.
Whatever words of wisdom were dispensed to the home side at half time certainly seemed to do the trick as they burst from the traps at the outset of the second half to reel off four points from play before the thirty fourth minute had elapsed.
Seneschalstown managed to stem their flow of scores when Robert Ruddy rose highest in the middle of the field to claim possession before finding Brian Sheridan who had moved to the centre of the field in a switch with Damien. Brian decided to try his luck from distance and split the posts with a magnificent effort. From the kick out he then turned provider as having gathered the ball he found Joe with an accurate pass before the full forward was fouled, leaving Clarke with the simple task of kicking the free from in front of the posts.
Na Fianna got their advantage back to three when again pointing from play before James Conlon reacting quickest to a blocked Damien Sheridan kick latched onto the ball and kicked it between the posts. The exchanging of scores continued apace with another point for the home side, who displayed their long range point taking abilities throughout, before Jonathan Gilsenan, only on the field a couple of minutes, reduced the deficit to two points after Bryan Clarke hand passed the ball back out to him to shoot over.
Clarke then went from provider to scorer when scooping the ball to the back of the net to move Seneschalstown a point ahead after fifty one minutes. Joe Sheridan, having moved out the field in an effort to have a greater influence on proceedings, gained possession and embarking on a solo run carried the ball through the heart of the Na Fianna rear-guard. Exchanging a quick one two with Eamon Sheridan he then managed to get the ball across to Clarke who got his hands to the ball to divert it into the net from the tightest of angles.
The home side though levelled matters up again five minutes later when kicking another point from play and set up a grandstand finish as both sides could sense victory could be theirs. The strength of Sheridan in the Seneschalstown forward line saw him round his marker once more with a minute of the hour remaining on the clock and when he has hauled to the ground up stepped Clarke to edge his side one ahead.
However a one point advantage in this match was never likely to be enough and sure enough Na Fianna managed to find the score which levelled things up once more when Daniel Queeney converted a free in stoppage time. There was still a minute remaining on the clock at this point and with both sides striving to find a winner Seneschalstown soon found themselves on the attack but as the sixty second minute elapsed the referee sounded the full time whistle to leave both sides with a share of the spoils.
Seneschalstown will be content with the point and satisfied that they kept the free count down in their defence with only one Na Fianna score coming directly from a free and will be looking for more of the same next Sunday when they welcome Skryne to Fr. Tully Park for the last league game of 2014.
Seneschalstown Scorers: Bryan Clarke 1-06 (0-02 ‘45’s, 0-03 Frees), Gary Conlon 0-01, Joe Sheridan 0-01, Brian Sheridan 0-01, James Conlon 0-01, Jonathan Gilsenan 0-01
Seneschalstown: David Lyons, Sean McCabe, David Matthews, Niall Groome, Kevin Casey, Paul Carey, Gary Conlon, Robert Ruddy, Damien Sheridan, Ross Howard, Brian Sheridan, James Conlon, James Meade, Joe Sheridan, Bryan Clarke.
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Eamon Sheridan for R. Howard, Jonathan Gilsenan for J. Conlon, Mark Fox for G. Conlon.
