LMFM Minor Football Championship Division 1 Semi-Final
Seneschalstown 0-13 St. Colmcille’s 2-11
Seneschalstown exited the LMFM Minor Football Championship with defeat to St. Colmcille’s in Dunganny on Monday night. Despite finishing with 13 scores each it was two goals, one each side of the break that were the difference for the Cilles and dashed the Yellow Furze youngsters hoped of a shot at redemption of claiming Delaney Cup honours, having fallen to Donaghmore/Ashbourne in last year’s decider.
Playing with the wind towards the clubhouse in the opening period, it took St. Colmcille’s less than two minutes to open the scoring with a point. Seneschalstown replied immediately when Colm McDonnell, wearing the number two jersey but lining out in the full-forward line, claimed a superb mark and scored from Charles McCarthy’s diagonal ball into the centre.
However, despite having plenty of possession in the opening quarter Seneschalstown couldn’t capitalise and the eventual winners went 0-04 to 0-01 up by the fifteenth minute. Seneschalstown though, produced a brilliant five minute burst to pull themselves level.
Firstly Cian Hosie took his man on along the thirteen metre line and clipped over off his right boot. Two minutes later, he curled over a free when he was fouled having worked a move with Cian Commons. When Hosie was fouled again this time in the middle of the D’, Commons was afforded a simple opportunity when the referee brought the ball forward for dissent.
Unfortunately Seneschalstown could not build on this as St. Colmcille’s went back in front by one again, which Tadhg Lenehan cancelled out moments later. In the 25th minute, it looked like the coastal side struck a major blow when netting, but the referee disallowed it for a square ball. This reprieve barely lasted 30 seconds as Seneschalstown coughed up possession in their own half and were punished to maximum effect when the St. Colmcille’s wing back cut through the middle to find the net and bring his tally for the half to 1-02. This left the score at 1-05 to 0-05 at half-time.
Hoping for a quick start to the new half backed by the elements, it couldn’t have been worse for Seneschalstown when they conceded a goal immediately from the throw-in, along a point to boot.
Facing a deficit of seven points now, Seneschalstown tried to work their way back into the game and began when Cian Commons landed a long range free. The Cilles hit back, but Commons was target again when he won a high ball in the full-forward line and blasted over while under pressure.
Seneschalstown brought the lead down to five when registering two points on the trot. Firstly Cian Hosie picked up the pieces to knock over a point after Commons smacked the upright and with eleven minutes to go a high ball in from Arab Carey, coupled with the presence of Bradley Kirwan in the Cilles square caused confusion and the ball bounced over the bar.
St. Colmcille’s broke this momentum with eight minutes to go with another white flag, but there looked to a hint of a comeback as the clock ticked towards injury time when Commons hit three in a row. The first two were frees, the third was score of the night when he received the ball inside his own 45 and eat up the ground in front of him before curling the ball between the sticks leaving just a goal in it with two minutes of normal time remaining.
However, Seneschalstown could not get any closer with a goal chance not forthcoming, and both sides traded points late on with Commons getting Seneschalstown’s final effort of the hour from a free.
It wasn’t to be for Seneschalstown who never gave up during the hour and now many of these players will now go on to play with our adult teams with distinction. On the night, St. Colmcille’s were never headed and on the balance of play deserved the victory.
Seneschalstown: Jamie Norris, Eoghan McGauran, Seán Reilly, Jack McDonnell, Tadhg Lenehan (0-01), Liam Dillon, Bradley Kirwan, Aran Carey (0-01), Cian Commons (0-07, 5fs), Phillip Smyth, Jamie Barry, Mattie Cowley, Cian Hosie (0-03, 1f) Colm McDonnell (0-01), Charles McCarthy.
Subs: James Sharkey, Charlie Finnegan
