Three games in 7 Days was beginning to take its toll on all teams within Meath and on Tuesday evening with was the battle of the Colmcille’s with The Gaeils welcoming the Saints to Grangegodden.
For the third game in a row the Kells men had a sluggish start, despite taking the lead with a Beano Hanlon free it was four unanswered points from the East Coast side that saw them lead 0-04 to 0-01 with just 6 minutes late. Hanlon doubled his and Gaeil Colmcille’s tally on 7 minutes and Ryan Farnham had a glorious chance to put Kells in front but his effort one on one with the keeper went wide of the upright.
St. Colmcille’s punished The Gaeils for that miss and went down the other end of the field and hit a goal and two points to no reply to lead 1-06 to 0-02 with 17 minutes played. A Barry Farrelly free stopped the rot but Colmcille’s replied straight away with another point to keep seven between the sides. Kells had a huge call for a penalty on 20 minutes when Rian Early was adjudged to have been pushed in the back inside the large rectangle but Referee Joseph Curran played on. Both sides exchanged scores with Jonny Quigley pointing for the home side to seem them trail at the half-time break 1-08 to 0-04
Seanie Curran was introduced as a second half substitute and immediately made an impact as he sound himself thirty metres from goal and excellently slotted over the bar. If that was the lifeline Kells needed to start the half, all energy was sucked out of the team when Colmcille’s got their second goal of the game thanks to a fisted effort from the Cille’s Full-Forward. A point followed that and left Gaeil Colmcille with a mountain to climb down by 10 points with St. Colmcille’s leading 2-09 to 0-05.
Gaeil Colmcille were given the chance to get back into the game when they were awarded a penalty in the 34th minute and Beano made no mistake to hit the back of the net. Fionn Ferguson followed that up with a lovely point off his left boot. St. Colmcille’s did point from an advanced mark in the 37th minute but two Farrelly frees in the 38th and 42nd minute to claw the lead back to 5 points. A Colmcille’s point was cancelled by an Evan Sheridan point and Rian Early struck for a point in the 49th minute. Kells had another shout for penalty claim when Curran was hauled down but the Referee deemed the challenge to happen outside the area and it was left with Hanlon to point over the resulting free.
As Kells got close Colmcille’s would add a score and a point in the 55th minutes was matched by another Farrelly free and The Cille’s put four between the sides in the 60th minute. Ajay Tormey pointed in the 62nd minute to leave a goal between the teams and as Kells pushed for a goal it was Tormey blocked effort at goal that signaled the full-time whistle and the win for Seasiders.
Gaeil Colmcille: Barry Farrelly (0-04), Fionn Smith, Adam Muldoon, Taidgh Dardis, Daniel Farrelly, Jonny Quigley (0-01), Barry Tormay, Evan Sheridan (0-01), Liam Ferguson, Rian Early (0-01), Brian Hanlon (1-03), Ajay Tormey (0-01), Ryan Farnham, Fionn Ferguson (0-01), Danny Muldoon.
Subs: Seanie Curran (0-01), Liam Barry, Cormac Ferguson.
