Feis Cup Group A Round 1
Seneschalstown 2-09 Gaeil Colmcille 2-10
In a Friday night thriller under the lights of Fr. Tully Park, Seneschalstown and Gaeil Colmcille got their respective 2023 seasons underway in the first round of the Feis Cup. Over the course of the 60 minutes, the game ebbed and flowed with the lead changing hands on numerous occasions before the Kells men plundered a late goal for themselves to take the spoils by the narrowest of margins when David Gough blew his full-time whistle.
Feis Cup Group A Round 1
Seneschalstown 2-09 Gaeil Colmcille 2-10
In a Friday night thriller under the lights of Fr. Tully Park, Seneschalstown and Gaeil Colmcille got their respective 2023 seasons underway in the first round of the Feis Cup. Over the course of the 60 minutes, the game ebbed and flowed with the lead changing hands on numerous occasions before the Kells men plundered a late goal for themselves to take the spoils by the narrowest of margins when David Gough blew his full-time whistle.
Despite the absence of two or three regulars from last year, an influx of minor players and some other returnees to the squad meant Ciaran Marks had a considerably stronger hand to pick from compared to this time 12 months ago. Two of the 2022 Minor crop, namely Séimí Byrne and Robbie Finnegan were handed their adult debuts from the start and both can be extremely happy with their night’s work. Another debutant, Danny Waters made his adult bow from the bench in the second half.
Playing away from the clubhouse end of the pitch in the first half, Seneschalstown started quite well with Cathal Finnegan opening the scoring from distance inside 90 seconds. The second followed almost immediately when he was fouled to the right of goal and he slotted the free over the bar. The visitor started to warm to the task at hand, and Brian Hanlon got them on the scoreboard with a free four minutes in. Hanlon got two bites of the cherry at the free, the second attempt a tap over after David Gough deemed a Seneschalstown defender to be too close in proximity to Hanlon when his initial attempt tailed wide. He pulled the sides level with another free in the eight minute and for the first time after 12 minutes Gaeil Colmcille went ahead.
By the quarter hour mark, Seneschalstown had restored their advantage and were about to enjoy their most fruitful spell of the hour. After a goalmouth scramble forced by a turnover from Alan Mulvany and Robbie Finnegan, Podge Finegan’s goal bound shot hit a Kells defender. As the ball headed away from goal, Cathal Finnegan showed brilliant instinct to turn and scoop the ball off the ground and just clear of the crossbar for a point. The same player added another score from a mark from 30 metres as the hosts put the foot on the accelerator.
Moments later from a David Gordon kickout, Seneschalstown moved the ball through the hands of Conor McDonnell, Brian Maguire, Cathal Finnegan and Robbie Finnegan, the latter squeezed in along the end line before spotting Donie Commons across the square who had the simple task of palming to the net. The resultant kickout was also intercepted by Robbie Finnegan, and in the blink of an eye spotted the Kells goalkeeper still well off his line. Finnegan’s attempted lob was unlucky to bounce on the astroturf in the small square and hop over the bar, rather than into the net. Not willing to be caught out again, the Gaeils went long with their next kickout with the break picked up by Séimí Byrne who linked with Alan Mulvany. Mulvany went on a run by a couple of Kells defenders before curling over the bar from a good distance out, and Seneschalstown lead by six points with 18 minutes gone. A Hanlon free was the only Kells response which came in the 26th minute. Cathal Finnegan rounded off the half’s scoring with another point from play after a move involving John Smith, Cillian Lawlor and Alan Mulvany. As the short whistle went, Seneschalstown held the advantage, 1-07 to 0-04.
Just as Seneschalstown a dominant spell before the break, Gaeil Colmcille were about to take over for the first 15 minutes of the second half. On top of this they managed to deal with a black card and keep Seneschalstown scoreless, an unanswered 1-06 moved them ahead by 1-09 to 1-07. The goal came from a Hanlon penalty while he also kicked a number of crucial dead balls. Seneschalstown struggled to break out of their own halfduring this period so they looked to their bench and made a number of changes.
One of those substitutes was about to make an almost immediate impact. After another high press on a Kells kickout, Donie Commons turned the ball over inside the ‘D’. He linked up with Cathal Finnegan to send Ross Howard bearing down on goal. Howard could have taken the opportunity himself but he unselfishly laid the ball on a plate for substitute to Dylan Keating to punch into the net, very much like the first half goal the hosts scored and Seneschalstown were back in front. Hanlon tied the game up straight afterwards with a free before Seneschalstown made what liked like a push for the winning post with a couple of points inside 90n seconds of each other. The first was a beautiful effort from Cathal Finnegan from out the right, before he did well to break a high ball to himself and blazing over when half a goal chance was maybe on. Two in front, it looked Seneschalstown were set for victory but there was one final sting in the Kells tail. A sweeping upfield move left Seneschalstown short on numbers at the back, and a fine finish into the top left corner swung the pendulum, and ultimately sent the spoils the way of the town side. Seneschalstown tried to muster up a final opportunity for an equaliser but it was not forthcoming before David Gough blew for full-time.
While disappointing to lose, there was plenty to take from the game from a Seneschalstown point of view. Ciaran Marks can be happy with the way the new lads on the panel made an impact and also how his team responded to the second half burst from the visitors. Anyone in attendance was treated to a wonderful game of football and both teams will be happy enough with the way 2023 has began for them.
Seneschalstown: David Gordon, Conor McDonnell, Brian Maguire, Cillian Lawlor, Rob Wogan, Niall McCabe, Séimí Byrne, John Smith, Donie Commons (1-00), Ross Howard, Podge Finnegan, Alan Mulvany (0-01), Neill Darby, Cathal Finnegan (0-07, 2fs, 1m), Robbie Finnegan (0-01).
Subs Used: Dylan Keating (1-00), Danny Waters, Ronan Conneely, Ryan Finnegan, Cormac Carolan, Johnny Gilsenan.
