ON THIS DAY… 30 years ago today, on April 8th 1994, our Senior Men played Walterstown in the opening round of the Meath Senior Football Championship in Stamullen. On the day, they ran out five point winners and set in motion a Championship campaign that would eventually lead to our second ever Keegan Cup. Read the match report from the Meath Chronicle below.
Seneschalstown 1-13 Walterstown 2-05
Seneschalstown put memories of a miserable championship campaign in 1993 firmly behind them when they defeated arch-rivals Walterstown in the SFC on Sunday evening.
The Yellow Furze side, bidding to win the Keegan Cup for the first time since 1972, hadn’t beaten the Blacks in the championship since 1986 and hadn’t won a game in the competition since cruising past Dunderry at the semi-final stage two seasons ago.
Despite early problems with frees and general inaccuracy, they always looked the more potent side and a splendid surge in the second quarter put them firmly on the road to victory.
Walterstown were a pale shadow of the side which showed so much promise last year and when Alan Browne retired injured (he carried the injury into the game) after just five minutes they had lost one of their prime motivators.
Seneschalstown edged ahead by 0-3 to 0-1 in the early stages, but centre-forward Ian Kearney revived Walterstown’s hopes with a goal after 19 minutes which had them ahead.
WARMING TO TASK
But with Graham Geraghty warming to the task at midfield and tormenting the losers with his dazzling runs, Seneschalstown gradually assumed control. Ray Butler and Kevin Macken kept things tight at the back and the inspiration of team trainer, Colm Coyle in the centre of the defence also helped to swing the game in the winners’ direction. Geraghty was at his brilliant best as they tore Walterstown to pieces and 1-5 in a highly productive spell left them clear by 1-8 to 1-1 at the interval. The goal came on thc stroke of half-time when a Mattie McCabe cross was fumbled by Walterstown goalkeeper David O’Callaghan and Geraghty was on hand to punch to the net. Stephen Dillon and Padraig Coyle stretched the advantage to nine points on the restart and there was clearly going to be no way back for the Blacks.
DID RALLY BRIEFLY
However, they did rally briefly with points from Michael Lanney (three) and Ciaran Reilly which left him behind by 1-5 to 1-10. Seneschalstownstopped the rot with points from a Finnegan free and Tony McDonnell, before Walterstown got back into the hunt again in the 50th minute when Lanney converted a penalty after Frank O’Sullivan was pushed.
But Finnegan, who was Seneschalstown’s leading scorer with 0-7 (three points from play) steadied the winners with the final score of the game from a free.
Walterstown’s Paul Browne was sent off four minutes from the end, having been booked minutes earlier, and a Seneschalstown official was at the wrong end of a punch as exchanges became heated on the sideline.
Seneschalstown – P. Darby; P. Finnegan, R. Butler, K. Macken; P. Donohue, C. Coyle, J. Farrell; G. Geraghty (1-1), D. Dillon; T. McDonnell (0-1), A. Finnegan (0-7), S. Dillon (0-1), M. McCabe, P. Coyle (0-2), D. Carter (0-1).
Walterstown – D. O’Callaghan; L. Davis, D. O’Mahony, N. Reynolds; P. Browne, J. McCarthy, D. Kennedy; K. Hartcn, J. Farrelly; P. Reynolds, I. Kearney (1-0), C. Reilly (0-2); F. O’Sullivan, A. Browne, M. Lanney (1-3). Sub – P. McCarthy for A. Browne.
Referee – Noel Martin (St. Mary’s).
