Meath U-16 Division 1 League Round 4
Seneschalstown 2-09 Dunshaughlin 4-08
The last remaining 100% record in Division 1 of the U-16 League came a cropper on Tuesday evening when Seneschalstown lost out to Dunshaughlin by five points in Fr. Tully Park. Over the hour there can be little doubt that the side in black and amber were full value for their victory as they played some excellent football and indeed could have been out of sight by half time had they made better use of their chances.
Meath U-16 Division 1 League Round 4
Seneschalstown 2-09 Dunshaughlin 4-08
The last remaining 100% record in Division 1 of the U-16 League came a cropper on Tuesday evening when Seneschalstown lost out to Dunshaughlin by five points in Fr. Tully Park. Over the hour there can be little doubt that the side in black and amber were full value for their victory as they played some excellent football and indeed could have been out of sight by half time had they made better use of their chances.
In the end Seneschalstown could potentially have snatched a draw as they hit the crossbar and saw the Dunshaughlin goalkeeper pull off a fantastic double save from point blank range near the death. However, this would have been totally against the run of play with Dunshaughlin fully deserving of their victory.
The visitors got off to the brighter start with a point after a minute and immediately could have had a goal only for Brian Boyd to make a smart stop at his near post. On ten minutes they popped over their second point, at which stage Seneschalstown were still searching for their opening point, having seen a couple of attacks come to nothing.
Eventually, on twelve minutes, Dylan Keating got Seneschalstown off the mark when he squeezed his shot between the uprights from out on the right after good play from Sean Carey, Adam O’Mara, Alan Mulvany and Daire Finnegan. Dunshaughlin replied with their third point before the opening quarter was brought to a close with a Sean Commons free after he was himself fouled.
Scores were very scarce to come by in the second quarter with just three got in total but Dunshaughlin managed to get the most vital one when goaling. They could indeed have notched a few more but saw a couple of attempts flash narrowly wide. Stoppage time did see Seneschalstown pick off their third point of the game when after Joseph Moore had his run forward halted, Sean Commons tagged on the resultant free. This left the half time score reading Seneschalstown 0-03 Dunshaughlin 1-04 and the boys in blue with some work to do in the second half.
That second half had barely begun when their workload became even greater as Dunshaughlin increased their lead to seven points with a well taken goal. Joseph Moore began the work of cancelling out this score five minutes later when he pointed after good link up play with Alan Mulvany before a few minutes later he was unlucky to see a goal effort fly over after clipping the crossbar at the end of a great move involving Jamie Kirwan, Mulvany and Cillian Gormley.
Hopes of a comeback soon took a hammer blow when on thirty-nine minutes Dunshaughlin grabbed their third goal of the match when after their initial effort came back off the crossbar they made no mistake with the second chance, now putting eight points between the teams. Sean Commons brought the deficit back to seven before, following a pacey run from Cillian Gormley, the no. 10 played in Ross Mullen who when one on one with the ‘keeper made no mistake when he clinically dispatched his shot to the back of the net.
Dunshaughlin hit back immediately with a point but this was cancelled out by Alan Mulvany who got on the end of a sweeping length of the field move which was started by the reliable full back Simon Rooney and continued by Sean Carey and Daire Finnegan. From the kickout Sean Commons rose highest to pull the ball from the darkening sky before placing Ross Mullen who curled his point attempt inside the left upright. In response Dunshaughlin picked off a fiftieth minute point before Dylan Keating notched his second of the match.
With the game now entering the last ten minutes Dunshaughlin made their last drive for the chequered flag as in the space of three minutes they struck for a goal and two points, the goal coming from a penalty which squeezed in despite the valiant efforts at saving it from Brian Boyd in the Seneschalstown goal.
It was clear now that Seneschalstown would need goals to salvage something from the match and they almost grabbed one when denied by a brilliant double save from point blank range by the visiting goalkeeper. They did manage one in the final minute of the regulation hour when Joseph Moore blasted to the net after Daire Finnegan tapped an Alan Mulvany forty-five down into his paws.
Next up for Seneschalstown is a difficult assignment away to Na Fianna in Enfield next Tuesday when they will look to bounce back to winning ways. Best for them on Tuesday were Cathal Hickey, Simon Rooney, Jamie Kirwan and Sean Commons.
Seneschalstown: Brian Boyd, Cathal Hickey, Simon Rooney, Jamie Kirwan, Christian McAuley, Ciaran Mongey, Sean Carey, Joseph Moore (1-02), Adam O’Mara, Cillian Gormley, Alan Mulvany (0-01), Sean Commons (0-03, 0-03 Frees), Ross Mullen (1-01), Daire Finnegan, Dylan Keating (0-02).
Seneschalstown Substitution: Fionn Hall for C. Gormley.
