Gaeil Colmcille made the trip South down the M3 to Sean Eiffe Park to face Ratoath in Division 2B of the A League hoping to make amend for their opening round defeat to Ballinlough.
Kells won the toss and decided to play against the wind in the first half and within two minutes of the throw in Ratoath used the conditions in their favour and pointed the opening score of the match. Gary McGovern responded with a free in the 5th minute from 35 yards out in front of the posts.
Ratoath struck the next two scores in a row and it could have been worse for the Gaeils only for Goalkeeper Barry Smith getting down low to his right and saving what was a certain goal. McGovern added another free on the 12th minute mark and kept Kells in touching distance against the gale wind.
Twenty minutes on the watch and Kells struck for the opening goal of the game, great work by the Gaeils forwards, overturned the Ratoath defence and a squared ball was met by the onrushing Cormac Ferguson to palm into the net to see Gaeil Colmcille lead by two points.
The visitors failed to add to that lead and it was Ratoath who finished the half the stronger and three points in a row left them 0-06 to 1-02 ahead at half time and again Kells were lucky not to concede a goal when Sean King cleared off the line.
Play our Masters Challenge at www.golfpredictions.ie
Gaeil Colmcille held off some early pressure with the Rotoath men racking up some early wides and capitalised on those misses with Andrew Butler pointing from 25 yards to draw the teams level with 36 minutes played. Ratoath once again retained the lead with a point from play but substitute Fionn Ferguson, who replaced the aforementioned Butler was on hand to pull on a loose ball from a Harry Flanagan shot to rattle the net and give Kells the lead midway through the second half.
Ferguson followed that goal with a free soon after to move his tally of his last three games with Gaeil Colmcille to 1-14. That point pushed Kells three clear and Ratoath resorted for goal attempts. Credit to the Gaeils backs and goalkeeper they some how managed to keep out the Ratoath attack with Smith pulling off another top class save, King clearing from the line once more and Daniel Farrelly deflecting one to safety.
Two points in a row for Ratoath left just a single point between the teams and in the 61st minute the hard working Ryan Farnham was on hand to fire over the insurance score and get Gaeil Colmcille off the mark at the second time of asking.
Gaeil Colmcille: Barry Smith, Kilian Kelly, Conor Arkins, Sean King, Cormac Ferguson (1-00), Daniel Farrelly, Rian Early, Oisin O’Reilly, Evan Sheridan, Liam Barry, Gary McGovern (0-02), Conal Gormley, Andrew Butler (0-01), Ryan Farnham (0-01), Stephen Reddy.
Subs: Mark Gormley for Arkins, Fionn Ferguson (1-01) for Butler, Harry Flanagan for Reddy.
