U-17 Division 1 League Round 1
St. Colmcilles 3-12 Seneschalstown 6-06
At the end of a pulsating and thrilling game of football which showcased much of what is brilliant in juvenile football Seneschalstown just about held on to claim victory against St. Colmcilles by three points under the floodlights in Piltown on Friday night last.
U-17 Division 1 League Round 1
St. Colmcilles 3-12 Seneschalstown 6-06
At the end of a pulsating and thrilling game of football which showcased much of what is brilliant in juvenile football Seneschalstown just about held on to claim victory against St. Colmcilles by three points under the floodlights in Piltown on Friday night last.
Things looked ominous early on for Jonathan Keating’s charges as St. Colmcilles started in mightily impressive fashion as they hit fifth gear from the off and by the fifth minute had pushed into a four point lead thanks to grabbing an early goal and a point. Centre forward Sean Commons sought to settle the Seneschalstown youngsters when he fashioned a point after six minutes but the ‘Cilles hit back with two further points as they moved the ball excellently up front while making superb use of the newly introduced ‘mark’ around the middle of the field.
On any occasion Seneschalstown managed to get the ball into the attack they did look sharp and on twelve minutes they earned themselves a penalty after good play from Cillian Gormley, Dylan Keating, Fionn Hall and Jason Lyons which Keating clinically dispatched to the back of the net. This goal seemed to set the game alight and the action now went from end to end as the sides went at it hammer and tongs.
St. Colmcilles picked off their latest impressive point on thirteen minutes but Seneschalstown now sensed that goals were on the menu and they suddenly struck for two in the space of three minutes when first Alan Mulvany, sporting a bandage more commonly seen on a front row forward in rugby, goaled before Jason Lyons raised a green flag.
Obviously peeved by these concessions the home side upped their game immediately afterwards and reeled off four points in a row, a run only brought to an end by an astounding Tiernan Keogh point. The goal of the game then arrived when after a virtuoso run during which he beat a myriad of defenders, Dylan Keating struck for his second goal of the game. There was still time for one last score in the half and it came for St. Colmcilles when after a cleverly taken short forty-five they bisected the uprights once more to leave the half time score reading St. Colmcilles 1-09 Seneschalstown 4-02.
The half time interval saw Seneschalstown look to freshen up the team with the introduction of U-15 player Ben Coffey who was to go on to have a very impressive showing as he snuffed out any attack that went down his channel but just as they had done in the opening half it was St. Colmcilles who got the scoring underway for the second half when they reduced the margin between the sides to a solitary point as they raised their tenth white flag of the match.
That gap soon became four when Sean Commons made the most of good work from Padraig Finnegan and Alan Mulvany to bury a goal chance, his sides fifth major with just forty one minutes elapsed. Five soon became six when Dylan Keating rolled home his second penalty of the evening and he extended the Seneschalstown lead further when he landed a fine individual point.
The fighting spirit which their Intermediate side were to show in Croke Park a few days later was also to the fore in the ‘Cilles side here and they responded with two points before Alan Mulvany sent over a free following a tug on the jersey of his midfield partner Daire Finnegan. Two more frees from Keating and Mulvany looked to have sealed the victory as Seneschalstown held a nine point lead heading into stoppage time but the Laytown outfit never know when they are beaten and they left Seneschalstown hearts in their mouths with two goals but much to the relief of the hardy band of Seneschalstown followers in Piltown their young team just held out to claim the two points.
On an evening when the qualities of teamwork and hard graft shone through for the victors they had a few players who constantly put their heads above the parapet and shone. Fionn Hall got through a mountain of work throughout and put his body on the line on more than one occasion, Sean Commons led the line impressively on the forty, Dylan Keating proved hotter to handle than a Carolina Reaper pepper while Ben Coffey was superb following his introduction.
Seneschalstown: Brian Boyd, Padraig Finnegan, Jamie Kirwan, Ciaran Lynch, Ross Mullen, Joseph Moore, Tiernan Keogh (0-01), Daire Finnegan, Alan Mulvany (1-02, 0-02 Frees), Cillian Gormley, Sean Commons (1-01), Liam Maguire, Fionn Hall, Dylan Keating (3-02, 2-00 Penalties, 0-01 Free), Jason Lyons (1-00).
Seneschalstown Substitutions: Ben Coffey for C. Lynch, James Commons for T. Keogh.
