Meath U-16 Division 1 Round 6
Seneschalstown 5-11 Ratoath 4-03
Meath U-16 Division 1 Round 6
Seneschalstown 5-11 Ratoath 4-03
Having started out in Division 1 of the U-16 League with three successive victories, Seneschalstown’s fortunes subsequently took a dip as they lost their next two matches and thus on Friday evening they took to the playing field in Fr. Tully Park looking to stop the rot and pick up something from their match against Ratoath. With Ratoath having won three of their four matches to date the visitors from the south of the county were sure to provide a stiff challenge and the task got even tougher before the throw in when star forward Adam O’Mara was ruled out through injury.
Conditions were perfect for the match and with a sizable crowd in attendance everything was set for an entertaining evening’s football. And true to form neither side disappointed as they served up a game that had everything, cracking goals, majestic points, tenacious tackling, three penalties, a black card and a few red ones thrown in for good measure. Nothing was easily won in this match.
In truth the margin of victory probably flatters Seneschalstown as their last three scores were all goals which came in the closing stages, two of which arrived in injury time as Ratoath began to flag as the task of finishing the match minus two players began to take its toll.
It was the visitors who got off to the brighter start when after a cagey opening to the game they burst into life when following a sweeping move up the left side of the field they scored a cracking goal. Early on in the move Joseph Moore had got his timing wrong in the tackle and to rub salt into the wounds of the goal he was shown a black card before play could resume. This might have shaken his team but they brought the tenacious Fionn Hall into the fray and the home side soon picked off their first point of the match when after good work from Jamie Kirwan, Alan Mulvany and Dylan Keating, centre forward Sean Commons pointed. Wing back Sean Carey then advanced upfield to score a sublime point from out on the sideline with the ball seemingly hanging in the air for an age before dropping over the blackspot. Midfielder Daire Finnegan was causing some issues for the Ratoath players with his strong running and when he was pulled back off the ball Sean Commons stepped up to point the resultant free.
Ratoath were looking dangerous when on the attack and on twenty minutes they scored a scintillating point from play, a score they quickly followed up with another white flag raised before on twenty-three minutes they were awarded a penalty which was expertly dispatched, giving Brian Boyd no chance of saving it. Now five points behind and having lost their previous two games Seneschalstown’s heads may have dropped but this side is made from stern stuff and they knuckled down to reduce the deficit to a solitary point by the interval.
When the pass outfield may have been the easier option Cillian Gormley took on the responsibility of attempting a point and with fortune favouring the brave he was duly rewarded with a point. Then, two minutes before the interval they got the fillip they needed when following the awarding of a penalty after Jamie Kirwan was fouled, Dylan Keating took on the responsibility and stroked his effort past the goalkeeper. This left the score reading Ratoath 2-02 Seneschalstown 1-04 at the interval.
Trailing by one point at the outset of the second half Seneschalstown looked to get off to a quick start and when Jason Lyons reacted quickest to a loose ball after Alan Mulvany forced a turnover as he forced the goalkeeper who had advanced off his line to spill possession as he hassled the net minder in the manner a narky dog might hassle a postman. This may have been close to the ideal start to the half for Seneschalstown but they were soon to suffer another blow when Ratoath hit them with a three pointer in the thirty third minute.
Sean Commons who was on free taking duties clipped over a brace of dead balls before Seneschalstown were boosted when corner forward Ross Mullen reacted quickest to a Jason Lyons shot which struck the crossbar to drill the rebound into the goal. Lyons initial effort coming when he got on the end of a move involving Daire Finnegan who made a super catch at midfield, Jamie Kirwan and Dylan Keating. Commons then added to his personal haul with another free as Seneschalstown, now with a numerical advantage, looked to press on. Cillian Gormley sent over his second point on forty-eight minutes to push Seneschalstown into a four-point lead, 2-09 to 3-02 but Ratoath managed to strike back immediately as they pilfered another goal to suddenly leave just the minimum between the sides once more.
Alan Mulvany, revelling in the open spaces now provided with three players having left the field after collecting red cards struck back with a well taken point before one of the best scores likely to be seen in any pitch in Meath this year was scored by Sean Commons. After Dylan Keating was fouled in the right corner Commons sauntered up from midfield to take on the responsibility of taking the free and while most would have played the percentage shot of looking to pick out a teammate or drop the ball in on the edge of the square and hope for the best he went for the most unlikely of scores and somehow off the outside of his right foot sliced the ball between the uprights.
Jamie Kirwan who was outstanding throughout then got forward to win his second penalty of the evening when after getting to the ball fractionally ahead of the Ratoath no.1 he was fouled by the net minder who was fully committed to trying to reach the ball first. Just as he had done in the first half Dylan Keating grabbed the ball and he drilled his shot past the ‘keeper to score. Ratoath replied with a pointed free when their effort grazed the crossbar on its way over.
Padraig Finnegan was now introduced to the fray with U-14 star Liam Maguire already brought on and Finnegan had an immediate impact as he linked up with Daire Finnegan to play the midfielder in on goal and Daire made no mistake as he raised Seneschalstown’s fourth green flag of the evening. With plenty of injury time to be played after a number of stoppages, including one when Jamie Kirwan was taken out and needed treatment, there was still time for Seneschalstown to add to their tally and add to it they did when Daire Finnegan picked up his second goal of the match in the sixty fifth minute.
On a night when Seneschalstown had superb performances all over the field they were particularly well served by Brian Boyd in goals whose kickouts were pinpoint, Simon Rooney and Fionn Hall who following his introduction worked his socks off. Next up for the Yellow Furze outfit is another home match in which they will face table toppers St Peter’s Dunboyne on Tuesday evening.
Seneschalstown: Brian Boyd, Cathal Hickey, Simon Rooney, Jamie Kirwan, Christian McAuley, Ciaran Mongey, Sean Carey (0-01), Daire Finnegan (2-00), Joseph Moore, Alan Mulvany (0-01), Sean Commons (0-06, 0-05 Frees), Cillian Gormley (0-02), Ross Mullen (1-00), Jason Lyons (0-01), Dylan Keating (2-00, 2-00 Penalties).
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Fionn Hall for J. Moore (bc), Liam Maguire for C. McAuley, Padraig Finnegan for D. Keating.
