Meath Junior D Football Championship Group A Round 5
Seneschalstown 2-22 Ballinabrackey 2-03
Entering this Round 5 game both Seneschalstown and Ballinabrackey were undefeated with both sides on a maximum six points. Thanks to their vastly superior score difference a draw would have been enough for the side from the west of the county but on an evening when their greater discipline proved to be key it was Seneschalstown who emerged as comfortable victors to top the group.
Meath Junior D Football Championship Group A Round 5
Seneschalstown 2-22 Ballinabrackey 2-03
Entering this Round 5 game both Seneschalstown and Ballinabrackey were undefeated with both sides on a maximum six points. Thanks to their vastly superior score difference a draw would have been enough for the side from the west of the county but on an evening when their greater discipline proved to be key it was Seneschalstown who emerged as comfortable victors to top the group.
One of the more recent additions to the GAA rule book has been the introduction of a yellow card for any player not wearing a mouth guard and with the referee in this game implementing this to the letter of the law players on both sides saw yellow. Indeed this proved very costly for the Ballinabrackey centre back who got sent off in the twenty second minute upon the receipt of his second yellow card, the first of which was given for not having the gum shield in.
The game had barely started when Eoin Finnegan opened his account for the evening when doing well out on the right to gather a pass from David Hosie and in the process slip inside his marker. Finnegan then advanced towards the goal and calmly popped the ball over the crossbar. Ballinabrackey equalised soon after when registering a well taken score before Robert Mullen pointed to edge Seneschalstown back into the lead. Eoin Finnegan then clipped over two points in a matter of seconds when after he had first pointed a free he then caught the resultant kickout before sending the ball back over the goalkeepers head and over the bar. Eddie Meade was next to get in on the scoring act when he mopped up a stray pass before pointing.
Seneschalstown were playing very well at this point and centre back Steven Dillon was next to score when he sent over after fifteen minutes. Ballinabrackey hit back with their second point of the game but Eoin Finnegan soon replied with his fourth of the match to date. Midfielder David Fox soon sent a forty two metre free sailing between the posts before David Hosie added his name to the list of scorers when getting on the end of a Sean Doyle pass to point. Colin Walsh who had impressed when playing for the Minors on Friday evening was having another fine game and the next score was to come after another vital piece of defensive work from this very bright talent. Eventually after Walsh had swept up the ball in his backline David Hosie was presented with a free and he was to make no mistake from the dead ball.
Seneschalstown were yet to raise a green flag and when Dylan Doyle sought to remedy this he saw his goal effort well saved by the Ballinabrackey goalkeeper before the first half scoring was eventually brought to a close on the stroke of half time when after being set up by Eddie Meade, Hosie tagged on his sides eleventh point of the half to leave the score line at the interval reading Seneschalstown 0-11 Ballinabrackey 0-02.
The game was in danger of petering out if Ballinabrackey failed to get off to a bright start in the second period and with just four minutes on the clock they received a boon when following a foul by Conor Ruddy they were awarded a penalty. This was the chance they had been looking for and was one they didn’t pass up on when the ball was sent arrowing into the top right hand corner. The experienced Sean Doyle sought to get his side moving once more in response to the penalty setback and picked off his sides opening score of the half when splitting the posts after being set up by Eoin Finnegan. The side in blue then netted their first goal of the game when Eddie Meade, finding himself one on one with the goalkeeper rolled the ball pas the net minder at his near post.
To their credit Ballinabrackey did hit back with a goal and a point of their own but these scores were to be cancelled out when Meade rifled in his second goal in four minutes and then Dylan Doyle hit his opening score of the evening. With the game now entering its final quarter the game was effectively over but there was still time for some drama as a few players were banished from the field by the referee while the odd spectator got excited on an evening when there was little to get excited by.
On forty six minutes Eoin Finnegan added to his tally when pointing from play before Dylan Doyle hit two points in quick succession, the second of which arrived following good work from Colin Walsh. David Fox, who would be more used to operating in defence then chipped in with his second point of the evening before Finnegan added a free. Seneschalstown were cruising at this point and closed out the game with further points from wing back Cormac Mullen, David Fox who got two – one of which came after he was found with a pass by Shane Mulvany and substitute Tony McDonnell who rolled back the years when sending over from out the field.
On an evening when Seneschalstown put in an impressive performance they were particularly well served by Colin Walsh, Shane Gargan and Sean Doyle in defence, at midfield David Fox and up front by the hard working Daniel McLoughlin as well as the menacing full forward line of Eoin Finnegan, Eddie Meade and Dylan Doyle.
Seneschalstown: Ruairí McDonagh, Colin Walsh, Conor Ruddy, Shane Gargan, Cormac Mullen (0-01), Steven Dillon (0-01), Sean Doyle (0-01), David Fox (0-04, 0-01 Free), Francis Sheridan, Daniel McLoughlin, David Hosie (0-03, 0-01 Free), Robert Mullen (0-01), Eoin Finnegan (0-06, 0-03 Frees), Eddie Meade (2-01), Dylan Doyle (0-03).
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Thomas Duggan for D. Hosie, Shane Mulvany for D. McLoughlin, Darren Englishby for D. Doyle, Tony McDonnell (0-01) for R. Mullen, Robert Mullen for S. Doyle.
