Seamus Connolly Catering Junior B Football Championship Group B Round 1
Seneschalstown 0-11 St. Vincent’s 1-05
Having reached the semi-final of last year’s championship before losing out narrowly to Moynalty, Seneschalstown laid down a marker in Slane today that they may take some stopping in this year’s championship when defeating St. Vincent’s by three points on Sunday in Slane.
Seamus Connolly Catering Junior B Football Championship Group B Round 1
Seneschalstown 0-11 St. Vincent’s 1-05
Having reached the semi-final of last year’s championship before losing out narrowly to Moynalty, Seneschalstown laid down a marker in Slane today that they may take some stopping in this year’s championship when defeating St. Vincent’s by three points on Sunday in Slane.
Fielding a side with a mixture of youth and experience it was the wily Shane Clarke who led the way up front when landing six points over the hour, four of which came from play as a somewhat wasteful Seneschalstown side missed nine scoring opportunities by the end of the first half.
In spite of registering the opening game of the score St. Vincent’s found themselves three points in arrears after twelve minutes after points from attacking trio Clarke, James Conlon and Adam Gleeson.
Conlon got the opening score for the Seneschalstown men when equalising after one minute when shooting over from the right hand side after being set up by the returning Stephen Finnegan. Shane Clarke then notched his first two points when landing efforts in the fifth and seventh minutes, the first of which came from a free after a foul on midfielder Tean Cummins.
He took his second when receiving the ball after a surging run from county minor panellist Adam Carey who had advanced from his right corner back berth. Gleeson then tagged on a fourth.
St. Vincent’s pulled a point back on thirteen minutes before Clarke stood up to take a free from the thirteen metre line out on the right hand sideline and launched it between the uprights after a foul on Gleeson when he appeared to be boxed in in the corner. Jonathan Gilsenan tapped over six minutes later when he received a beautifully placed pass from out on the left from Carey to leave four points between the sides.
The men from Ardcath then had a glorious opportunity to get themselves back on level terms when after getting their third point of the game, referee Donal Forde awarded them a penalty. Unfortunately for them, their left corner back drove the ball off the base of the left hand post and it bounced away to be cleared by the Seneschalstown defence.
Following this reprieve Clarke kicked his side into a four point lead on the stroke of half time when he finished off an excellent attacking move. This left the score reading Seneschalstown 0-07 St. Vincent’s 0-03 at the interval.
Having kicked the last score of the first period he then grabbed the first of the second when splitting the posts with a superb effort from out on the left. From his sides perspective this was as good as it got for the next twenty minutes as they failed to register a score for the next twenty minutes during which time St. Vincent’s equalised after scoring a goal and two points.
Stephen Finnegan settled the nerves that were starting to grow among the support on the sideline when pointing a free off the ground from the left of the posts after being fouled himself after fifty minutes and brought the scoring drought to a close.
Shortly afterwards the attention of referee Forde was brought to an something off the ball and midfielder Cummins as well as a St. Vincent’s player jointly received their marching orders much to the mystification of many of those present.
Instantly though Clarke kicked his sixth effort of the game before second half substitute Niall Groome put the seal on the victory when pointing after a long delivery into the square from a free by Finnegan was only partially cleared by the Vincent’s rear-guard.
Best for Seneschalstown on the day were centre back David Matthews who anchored the defence expertly, corner back Adam Carey and corner forward Shane Clarke.
Seneschalstown Scorers: Shane Clarke 0-06, Adam Gleeson, James Conlon, Jonathan Gilsenan, Niall Groome, Stephen Finnegan 0-01 each.
Seneschalstown: Wesley McDonagh, Adam Carey, John Smith, Sean McCabe, Mark Fox, David Matthews, Gerard McKendry, Kevin Casey, Tean Cummins, Neil Darby, Stephen Finnegan, Adam Gleeson, Shane Clarke, Jonathan Gilsenan, James Conlon.
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Peter Waters for N. Darby, N. Groome for P. Waters (inj), Aidan Finnegan for K. Casey, Eamon Sheridan for J. Gilsenan.
