U-17 League Division 4 Round 1
Seneschalstown 5-11 North Meath Gaels 2-08
Seneschalstown got their U-17 League campaign underway on Friday evening in Drumconrath with a comfortable twelve point victory over their amalgamated opposition. Shorn of five members of the side which claimed U-16 honours last summer the team had an unfamiliar look to it but they do say that one man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity and each player on display against the North Meath outfit contributed to the victory.
U-17 League Division 4 Round 1
Seneschalstown 5-11 North Meath Gaels 2-08
Seneschalstown got their U-17 League campaign underway on Friday evening in Drumconrath with a comfortable twelve point victory over their amalgamated opposition. Shorn of five members of the side which claimed U-16 honours last summer the team had an unfamiliar look to it but they do say that one man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity and each player on display against the North Meath outfit contributed to the victory.
The match got off to a blistering start with both sides gaoling inside the first three minutes. Firstly Niall Hickey found the back of the net after concluding a move started off by David Fox. Fox intercepted a stray pass deep in his own half before the ball was quickly worked up field where Hickey goaled after his initial effort and Robbie Wogan’s follow effort were blocked down. This quick start was counteracted immediately when straight from the kick out the amalgamation netted after a goalmouth scramble. Within a few minutes they had another glorious opportunity to find the back of the net when being awarded a penalty but the effort was driven over the bar.
Seneschalstown responded to this reprieve when going on a sudden scoring spree when recording three goals and two points in the space of four minutes. Firstly Eoin Finnegan equalised with a left footed effort after Robbie Littler had started the move off in his half back line. Littler found Brian Maguire who turned on the afterburners before locating Finnegan in space to point. Robbie Wogan then added his name to the list of scorers when after some impressive tackling from the forwards in blue led to a turnover and he struck his side’s second goal after Brian Maguire’s initial effort was kept out. Maguire then managed to grab his goal when flicking the ball past the outstretched hand of the Gaels goalkeeper. The scoring burst continued with a Wogan point before Adam Carey burst through the heart of the opposition defence before unleashing a rocket of a shot to the top right hand corner after Fox had leapt highest in the centre of the field to win a kick out before finding Carey with a hand pass.
The home outfit managed to stem the tide when pointing twice in two minutes just after the twenty minute mark and indeed could count themselves very unlucky not to have grabbed a goal when Niall Hickey somehow managed to block a goal bound effort on the line.
From there until the interval though it was all one way traffic as Seneschalstown extended their lead by three points. On twenty five minutes Shane Mulvany became the sixth player from his team to score when latching onto a ball which had broken out to him before pointing over his left shoulder. Carey then knocked over a point before Wogan brought the first half scoring to a close when converting a free.
North Meath Gaels needed a quick start to the second half if they were to hold out much hope of overturning the eleven point half time differential and their cause was certainly boosted when they recorded the first three points of the second period, two of which were scored from play.
But Seneschalstown were in no mood to have their lead reined in and responded in style when rattling off a goal and four points on the trot. Wogan showed off his ability when embarking on a thirty metre solo run before firing the ball over the bar before knocking over a free after Maguire was unceremoniously shoved in the back. Quick thinking and direct football can be a fantastic combination and their next score was a perfect illustration of this.
Ruairí McDonagh took a short kick out to Fox who lofted a long ball out to Adam Carey. Carey took off like a hare before laying the ball off to Eoin Finnegan who sold his marker a dummy before arrowing a shot over the bar. Robert Wogan then had a point effort which came back off the upright into the grateful arms of Maguire to roll the ball into the back of the net before Wogan brought the scoring burst to a close with another point.
The tide was stemmed when the Gaels kicked their first point in eleven minutes but Wogan then kicked a marvellous score from out on the right when pointing after receiving the ball from Hickey. The diminutive Cathal Finnegan then added his name to the scorers before the home side struck with a late goal and a point to reduce the deficit to twelve.
Seneschalstown will be happy to claim the two points on offer but will be very aware that much improvement is necessary if they are to have hopes of winning the league.
Seneschalstown Scorers: Robert Wogan 1-06 (0-02 Frees), Brian Maguire 2-00, Adam Carey 1-01, Niall Hickey 1-00, Eoin Finnegan 0-02, Shane Mulvany 0-01, Cathal Finnegan 0-01
Seneschalstown: Ruairí McDonagh, Ruairí Keogh, Louis Healy, Robbie Littler, David Fox, Richie McKeown, Adam Carey, Niall Hickey, Brian Maguire, Eoin Finnegan, Shane Mulvany, Mark Kennedy, Robbie Wogan.
Seneschalstown Substitutes: Jason Kearney, Cathal Finnegan.
