Minor Football Summer League Division B Semi-Final
Seneschalstown 2-08 Summerhill 5-12
Having overcome the challenge of Summerhill in Round 1 of the Summer League Seneschalstown found their South Meath opponents too strong when they renewed acquaintances in the Final on Tuesday evening in Páirc Tailteann. From the outset Summerhill looked the stronger side and indeed they dominated the proceedings throughout as Seneschalstown failed to get going in the first half and while they did well for much of the second they fell away again in the last ten minutes.
Minor Football Summer League Division B Semi-Final
Seneschalstown 2-08 Summerhill 5-12
Having overcome the challenge of Summerhill in Round 1 of the Summer League Seneschalstown found their South Meath opponents too strong when they renewed acquaintances in the Final on Tuesday evening in Páirc Tailteann. From the outset Summerhill looked the stronger side and indeed they dominated the proceedings throughout as Seneschalstown failed to get going in the first half and while they did well for much of the second they fell away again in the last ten minutes.
Prior to the throw in there was an impeccably served minutes silence in memory of the late Paschal Sheridan from Hayestown who had passed away earlier in the day while the Seneschalstown players wore black armbands in his memory. Paschal was a staunch supporter of the club and indeed his niece Orla is currently the Senior Ladies captain in the club.
When the game got going it was Summerhill who took charge as they refused to allow Seneschalstown get the ball past midfield. This left the side in yellow living off scrap while the favourites created scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity. Their first score arrived when the ball clipped the crossbar before going over and by the tenth minute they had extended the advantage to three. Just after Summerhill’s third point Ruairí McDonagh in the Seneschalstown goal pulled off a fine stop as he clawed a dipping shot out from under the angle of post and crossbar.
Seneschalstown were struggling to create anything of note and from one of their first shooting opportunities Eoin Finnegan sent a long range effort against the bar and when it broke out the Summerhill defence were able to clear. At this stage the game was meandering along with little bite to it but within a minute of Finnegan hitting the woodwork Summerhill took a chunk out of his team’s hopes of winning when they netted their first goal of the game. Ruairí McDonagh was having a busy time of it between the uprights and on twenty minutes he was once more called into action when he made a fine stop with his feet.
Summerhill tagged on another point before with twenty four minutes on the clock Eoin Finnegan opened the Seneschalstown account when he pointed following brilliant work in defence from Colin Walsh before Adam Carey and Cathal Finnegan combined to place Eoin for the scoring opportunity. Summerhill replied with two more points before Eoin Finnegan closed the first half scoring when converting a free when Ryan O’Dowd was followed after good play from Walsh who was trying his upmost to turn the tide in his sides favour, Carey and Niall Hickey.
Within ninety seconds of the game resuming Ryan O’Dowd had hit Seneschalstown’s third point of the game when pointing a free as Seneschalstown looked to drag themselves into the match. Summerhill then clipped over a fine point before Alan Mulvany threw his side a potential lifeline when finding the back of the goal at the hospital end after he got on the end of a move involving Ryan O’Dowd, Brian Maguire and Niall Hickey. Ryan O’Dowd then tagged on a free to reduce the margin to five points.
Summerhill’s riposte to this scoring bust was most impressive as they rattled off five points in three minutes. Eoin Finnegan sought to quell that burst when he knocked over a free and from the resultant kick out his younger brother Cathal fielded the ball and after exchanging a one two with Eoin he saw his rasper of a goal effort parried over by the Summerhill goalie. Ryan O’Dowd then added another free which was immediately cancelled out by a Summerhill one. Adam Carey then linked up with Niall Hickey and the youngster now operating at midfield rattled the back of the ‘hill net.
However this was to be as good as it got for Seneschalstown as Summerhill went on to hit three goals in the time remaining with only a pointed Ryan O’Dowd free coming in return. Focus will now turn to the upcoming LMFM Minor Championships with Summerhill operating in Division 1 and Seneschalstown in Division 3 where they will be confident of doing well.
Seneschalstown: Ruairí McDonagh, Ruairí Keogh, Niall Hickey (1-00), Daire Finnegan, Conor Cantwell, Adam Carey, Colin Walsh, Daniel O’Reilly, Ryan O’Dowd (0-04, 0-03 Frees), Alan Mulvany (1-00), Eoin Finnegan (0-03, 0-02 Frees), Brian Maguire, Cathal Finnegan (0-01), Robert Wogan, Dylan Keating.
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Richard McKeown for R. Keogh, Daire Corcoran for A. Mulvany, David Gordon for C. Finnegan, Shane Mulvany for B. Maguire, Eoin O’Reilly for C. Cantwell, Sean Carey for R. Wogan, Mark Kennedy for E. Finnegan.
