Seamus Connolly Catering Meath Junior B Football Championship Final
Wolfe Tones 1-11 Seneschalstown 1-10
Seamus Connolly Catering Meath Junior B Football Championship Final
Wolfe Tones 1-11 Seneschalstown 1-10
The margins between victory and defeat can be very marginal and nowhere was this better illustrated than in Páirc Tailteann on Friday night. Leading by one point with fifty six minutes on the clock Seneschalstown fell victim to a goal of real class as Wolfe Tones wing back Connor Sheppard sent a peach of an effort into the top right hand corner. Seneschalstown managed to pull a point back as the clock ticked over the sixty minutes but when the opportunity came to equalise, Peter Waters, who had excelled all night, saw his effort agonisingly go just to the left of the upright and wide.
Beaten semi-finalists in last year’s competition Seneschalstown had been impressive on their march to the final but on a perfect night for football they just came up short by the smallest of margins. Having gotten off to a bright start their hopes were boosted shortly before half time when the ball rebounded into the Wolfe Tones net after a Waters effort had crashed off the crossbar. The Kilberry/Gibbstown outfit kicked the last three points of the half though to only be one behind at the interval. The match was still poised on a knife edge with only a few minutes remaining but when the goal arrived it was ultimately like a dagger through the Seneschalstown hearts.
In a team featuring a mixture of youth and experience David Matthews reverted to full back with Conor Cowley moving into the corner and young tyro Adam Carey being given the task of picking up Alan Fox on the forty. With little over a minute elapsed player/manager David Hosie opened the scoring for the evening when pointing a thirteen metre free following a foul on Waters. Wolfe Tones equalised soon after when Thomas O’Reilly kicked a forty metre free over the bar.
Waters, having been quiet in the semi-final, was eager to make his mark and had a key role to play in the making of the second. Gathering possession out in the left corner from a long Mark Fox delivery as Seneschalstown attacked the Navan O’Mahonys end of the ground he held onto the ball until spotting the supporting run of Shane Clarke. The captain went on a run in along the end line and when this was halted courtesy of a foul being committed Hosie tapped over the resultant free. Stephen Finnegan then added his name to the list of scorers when popping over a point after a high centre from Jonathan Gilsenan was broken back out into his path.
Wolfe Tones were awarded a golden opportunity to strike an early blow in the ninth minute when awarded a penalty but Wesley McDonagh did excellently to save Alan Fox’s shot before O’Reilly fired over when the ball had broken back out. As McDonagh prepared to take the kick out following O’Reilly’s point a bit of pushing and shoving occurred as the players made their way back into their positions but as it was all much ado about nothing referee Mooney saw fit to encourage play to resume.
Having made the bright start Seneschalstown were now struggling for scores and indeed went scoreless for a twelve minute period during which time they missed some scoreable opportunities. The impressive O’Reilly pointed another free before Adam Carey denied him a glorious opportunity for goal when getting back in time to execute a brilliant last gasp tackle. Boosted by this let off Hosie kicked another free following a foul on Clarke before his side got a massive boost in the twenty fifth minute.
Wing forward Adam Gleeson sent a long ball in over the top of the Tones defence for Waters to run onto. Upon gathering possession Waters had only one thing on his mind, goal. As he bore down on the goal he sent a rocket of a shot which seemed destined for the roof of the net but which came crashing back off the bar. Lady Luck was however shining down on him as the rebound off the bar hit off the knee of a Wolfe Tones wing back who was following the action in and the ball ended up nestling in the back of the net.
The response to this goal was impressive from the Gordon Ward managed team as O’Reilly swung over an excellent point from play. Mark Fox, who was having a brilliant first half managed to execute a turnover of possession on the Tones forty five and when the ball was worked out to James Conlon he showed a glimpse of his ability when sending the ball sailing between the uprights.
Chris Blaney pulled a point back for the Gibbstown/Kilberry outfit before wing forward Gary McFadden got into space to notch another before O’Reilly kicked the point of the game so far when after he appeared to have lost control when falling regathered possession before sending over a real beauty of a left footed point to leave the minimum between the sides at half time, Seneschalstown 1-05 Wolfe Tones 0-07.
Gleeson, having been relatively quiet in the opening half burst into the game out the outset of the second when pointing from out on the right following good work from Gilsenan. O’Reilly picked up where he had left off in the first half when pointing a free before Waters restored Seneschalstown’s two point advantage when capitalising on a strong run and assist from Gleeson.
By now Wolfe Tones had begun to freshen their pack and had introduced Charlie McGarry and Darren McGrath as they searched to put pressure on Seneschalstown. Gleeson though was growing into the game and he kicked another score after Waters had this time placed him for the opportunity. Midfielder Padraig Diamond, now operating on the edge of the square got his first point of the match when fisting over a Luke Sheridan forty five before the wily Alan Fox struck a point over from the left of the uprights.
The pressure on the Seneschalstown defence was by now being gradually cranked up by the opposing forwards but led by Carey and Fox they were holding their own. Foreshadowing what was to come late on Connor Sheppard got into an advanced position but as he went to pull the trigger young Fox got back to pressurise the kick and his effort went wide.
Waters was proving to be a willing runner for the out ball and he kicked a booming effort after ghosting past his man in the corner formerly known as the swimming pool corner. Diamond then picked off his second score of the match when flashing a shot over the bar but really it could’ve been a goal as it a glorious opportunity to go for the major. Seneschalstown were by now struggling to get the free flowing football going which had been a hallmark of their second half display in the semi-final and they sought to freshen up their options in the half forward line when introducing the pacey Neil Darby.
Wolfe Tones were by now beginning to threaten more and more but Carey kept putting in tackle after tackle and prevented another goal scoring opportunity when shepherding his man out over the end line. By now the tension in Páirc Tailteann was palpable and could be cut with a knife as Seneschalstown clung desperately on to their one point advantage while Wolfe Tones hunted for the required score(s) which would see then take the lead.
Then, with fifty five minutes on the clock, after ghosting forward Sheppard found himself in space in front of goals. Seizing the opportunity he sent an unstoppable shot past McDonagh and into the top right hand corner. Suddenly the hunted became the hunter as Seneschalstown strove to get themselves back into the match but with the clock against them.
Stephen Finnegan gave them a much needed boost when pointing in the opening seconds of stoppage time. Now with the deficit back to a solitary point possession became even more crucial. When Wolfe Tones carelessly kicked the ball away Seneschalstown sought to build from their half back line but there was to be no easy way forward. Blaney received a black card for a cynical pull down before the one last opportunity which they sought arrived. Following a crossfield Finnegan free kick the ball was worked across the goalmouth where Waters found himself with the opportunity to equalise. Unfortunately for him though his effort drifted agonisingly left of the posts and wide.
After a game which was gripping throughout and between two evenly balanced sides this was a heart-breaking way for the match to finish but Waters had played superbly throughout, leading the full forward line and always a willing runner. Had he pointed it would have been a fitting way for him to end the match but sport can be cruel at times and while lady luck had shone down on him in the first half with his goal effort she cruelly deserted him at the death.
While ultimately the Fr. Tully Cup will not be spending the winter in Kentstown and Yellow Furze there were positives to come from the game for the Dunbia sponsored outfit. In youngsters Carey and Fox they have two defenders of the highest calibre based on tonight’s evidence while further forward players like Teean Cummins, Gilsenan, Conlon and Gleeson possess plenty of potential to be senior stars for many years to come.
Seneschalstown Scorers: David Hosie 0-03 (0-03 Frees), Daniel O’Neill 1-00 (O.G.), Stephen Finnegan 0-02, Peter Waters 0-02, Adam Gleeson 0-02, James Conlon 0-01,
Seneschalstown: Wesley McDonagh, Mark Fox, Conor Cowley, Eamon Sheridan, Kevin Casey, David Matthews, Adam Carey, Teean Cummins, Jonathan Gilsenan, James Conlon, Stephen Finnegan, Adam Gleeson, Shane Clarke, David Hosie, Peter Waters.
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Damien McDonnell for E. Sheridan (inj. 44m), Neil Darby for J. Conlon (48m), Gerry McKendry for T. Cummins (53m), Robert Darby for D. Hosie (58m).
Wolfe Tones Scorers: T. O’Reilly 0-06 (0-03 Frees), Connor Sheppard 1-00, Padraig Diamond 0-02, Christopher Blaney 0-01, Garry McFadden 0-01, Alan Fox 0-01.
Wolfe Tones: Sean Óg Power, Alan McKeever, Darragh Browne, Sean Moriarty, Daniel O’Neill, Angus McLoughlin, Connor Sheppard, Padraig Diamond, Christopher Blaney, Garry McFadden, Alan Fox, Luke Sheridan, Thomas O’Reilly, David O’Neill, Patrick Caffrey.
Wolfe Tones Substitutions: Charlie McGarry for David O’Neill (35m), Darren McGrath for P. Caffrey (28m), Conall Shaw for Garry McFadden, Connor Fahy for P. Diamond
