Seamus Connolly Catering Meath Junior B Football Championship Group C Round 2
Seneschalstown 5-18 St. Colmcilles 0-09
Seamus Connolly Catering Meath Junior B Football Championship Group C Round 2
Seneschalstown 5-18 St. Colmcilles 0-09
Stamullen was the venue on Sunday at lunchtime for the latest chapter in what seems like the annual meeting of Seneschalstown and St. Colmcilles in the group stages of the Seamus Connolly Catering Meath JBFC. On a lovely day for football conditions underfoot were perfect with only a cool breeze for the players to contend with. Following on from their impressive opening round victory over Navan O’Mahonys Seneschalstown were looking to kick on and despite having to make a number of alterations to their side they did just that with a comprehensive win and in the process welcomed back club legend Ciaran Macken and Colin Gleeson into the starting team.
Fresh from top scoring in Round 1 with 1-03 Brendan Lynch opened the scoring on Sunday when pointing with only twenty one second gone after Aled Ingman had won the ball from the throw in. Colin Gleeson didn’t take long to settle back into the art of winning dirty ball in defence and after five minutes he won a free after doing well to winn possession. From the free Jonathan Gilsenan got onto the ball before pointing in trademark fashion and then immediately picked off another one within seconds. St. Colmcilles were struggling to get going but could have had a goal two minutes later only for Shane Corbally to parry a shot out for a forty five.
They did manage to open their account two minutes later before Ciaran Macken opened his account when firing over a superb point. The Seneschalstown side then opened up a six point lead when after exchanging a one two with Macken, Ross Howard left the goalkeeper with no chance as he sent a powerful shot into the back of the net. Macken then added his second after selling his marker a dummy before punting over in response to the East Meath side’s second point. Gilsenan popped over his third point before a brace of St. Colmcilles frees and a fisted point kept them in the game. Shane Clarke had kicked a score of his own over the bar during this run when sending the ball over the black spot.
Upon the resumption after the halt time break Seneschalstown stretched their advantage to eight points when Howard netted his second goal of the game, this one a sublime individual effort before their lead soon became ten after points from Ingman and Macken. St. Colmcilles notched a point from play in the thirty eight minute before Gilsenan showed great strength to shrug off a challenge and fist over. There was little doubting the Seneschalstown superiority at this stage and their lead was extended further when after Howard’s goal attempt was saved after being set up by Macken he did well to recover possession and spot Brendan Lynch who sent his fisted effort inside the left hand post to nestle in the back of the net.
The double team of Shane Clarke and Macken which had proved so effective for the Senior side for many years was evident moments later when they linked up for Clarke to point before Gilsenan sent a sumptuous effort between the uprights off the outside of his right foot from a tight angle out to the right. The Piltown men did pick off another score after a Lynch point but the Seneschalstown response was most impressive as they rattled off two goals and four points.
Firstly Gilsenan became the beneficiary when after leaving his man for dead with a quick turn and blinding turn of pace Ronan Conneely laid the ball off to Howard who in turn off loaded to Gilsenan who palmed the ball past the goalie. Gilsenan then added a point which was followed by a Clarke free. Clarke’s free came about after Ross Howard was taken down by a hand trip from a St. Colmcilles defender. Aled Ingman added another point before Howard tapped over a free after a hand trip on Jonathan Gilsenan. Fourteen years ago in another code a similar hand tap from Peter Stringer on Englands Dan Luger earned the scrum half the acclaim of a nation but on this occasion it earned the St. Colmcilles player a black card. Gilsenan then added another goal as he continued to enjoy a very profitable afternoon.
St. Colmcilles did manage to claim two of the last three scores of the game when pointing two frees either side of a Howard one from play but in truth the match was long over before the final whistle was sounded.
Seneschalstown Scorers: Jonathan Gilsenan 2-06, Ross Howard 2-02 (0-01 Free), Brendan Lynch 1-02, Ciaran Macken 0-03, Shane Clarke 0-03 (0-01 Free), Aled Ingman 0-02.
Seneschalstown: Shane Corbally, Peter Tierney, John Smith, Ruairí Keogh, Colin Gleeson, Kevin Casey, John Muldoon, Aled Ingman, Darragh Keogh, Ross Howard, Shane Clarke, Brendan Lynch, Ciaran Macken, Jonathan Gilsenan, Ronan Conneely
