Meath LGFA Kepak Senior Championship Group 2 Round 2
Seneschalstown 1-17 Oldcastle 3-08
Seneschalstown produced their second Houdini act of this year’s Kepak Senior Championship when stunning Oldcastle with another late comeback to book their place in the last four on Saturday evening. Trailing for the vast majority of the hour having conceded three goals in the opening six minutes, Seneschalstown gradually chipped away at the home sides lead and timed their run to perfection to claim victory.
Any momentum garnered from the win over Navan O’Mahony’s appeared to have to subsided with the early Oldcastle goal spurt, although it was Sorcha Gough who opened the scoring inside the first minute. Oldcastle went straight up the other end and struck for their first goal followed by a point in the second minute. A second point for Gough followed after picking an excellent line off Stacey Grimes which settled Seneschalstown once again, and was this was added to when Róisín Commons fired over from close range after being set up by Gough.
The same two players were heavily involved along with Seánaidh Hickey to place Gough for her third point to level the game at 1-01 to 0-04 after five minutes. However, by the end of the sixth minute Seneschalstown were six points in arrears having conceded two gaols in consecutive attacks and it looked like Seneschalstown had a mountain to climb at the foot of Loughcrew.
In typical fashion, Seneschalstown began to claw their way back into the game. Tara Traynor did well to keep a ball alive close to the end line and make space for herself to point. Stacey Grimes tapped over a close range free after Kellie Stafford’s surge into the Oldcastle defence was brought to a half on the 13 metre line, but the scores would dry up for Seneschalstown for about 15 minutes. Crucially though, Oldcastle could only muster a solitary point for themselves in this period.
Grimes ended this barren spell with a pointed free, this time after Róisín Commons was fouled. Gough was causing endless problems for the home defence and she knocked over her fourth of the game which was supplemented by Kellie Stafford, hero of the hour against O’Mahony’s, after being set up by Grimes. The final point of the half went to Oldcastle which left a goal between the sides at the break, 3-03 to 0-09.
Oldcastle stretched their lead to four upon the restart, but Róisín Commons who was also enjoying a fruitful game and opened Seneschalstown’s scoring for the second 30 minutes. Commons swapped points with Oldcastle again as the 40th minute ticked by and even as the game entered the last 10 minutes of normal time Seneschalstown were still three behind.
After another Oldcastle score, a Stacey Grimes free left three points in it with seven minutes of normal time left and when she hoisted over an effort from play two minutes later there was less than a goal in it. Oldcastle cancelled that score with one of their own but Amy Gilsenan got in behind the home rear-guard to pop over a point from centre half back as the game entered the last minute of normal time.
Seneschalstown kept the onslaught towards the Oldcastle goal going and when the forwards intercepted a stray kickout, the ball was eventually worked to Grimes to kick a point off her left foot leaving the bare minimum between the teams.
Seneschalstown searched desperately for an equaliser and when they were awarded just inside the 45 on the stand side, Grimes and Caragh Monaghan linked up which set the former off along the endline. She spotted Anna Wogan across the square unmarked and when the corner forward got the ball she made no mistake with her finish, the ball ending up in the corner of the net and now Seneschalstown lead by two in the 63rd minute.
Oldcastle were now the ones left chasing the game and did pull a point back immediately but Seneschalstown were in no mood to let up, Tiana Kyle getting on the end of a move to clip over a tidy score the whole way from a Louise Coyle kickout which included Leah Ryan and Róisín Commons. Any chance of a late Oldcastle revival was put to bed when Grimes kicked a 30 metre free to sew up another impressive two points for David Hosie’s charges which leaves them top of the group with one round to go, where they cannot be caught. That final round match takes place against Donaghmore/Ashbourne in Ashbourne in two weeks’ time where the girls will be looking to maintain their 100% record.
Seneschalstown: Louise Coyle, Tiana Kyle (0-01), Natasha Mullen, Leanne Clarke, Leah Ryan, Amy Gilsenan (0-01), Caragh Monaghan, Seánaidh Hickey, Kiah Geraghty, Kellie Stafford (0-01), Sorcha Gough (0-04), Tara Traynor (0-01), Stacey Grimes (0-06, 4fs), Róisín Commons (0-03), Anna Wogan (1-00).
