Gaeil Colmcille made the trip southbound on the M3 to face current Senior Champions in the opening round of the PR Coyne & Sons A League Division 1.
Manager Con Cleary gave two first time Division 1 starts for Shane Callaghan and Eoghan Flynn in what was a youthful Kells side. The County Champions showed why they’ve that title in and opening half where they simply couldn’t miss. The Black & Amber outscored The Gaeils 1-08 to no score in the opening 25 minutes of the game with the home side only accounting for one wide in that timeframe.
Kells couldn’t find their range and accounted 10 wides in the opening half and their only score came thanks to a fine effort from Oisin Walsh to account for two points. Dunshaughlin finished the half with two more points to lead 1-10 to 0-02 at the break.
The Gaeils regrouped and started the second half much better with Ajay Tormey pointing inside the opening 90 seconds. Kells got a lift a couple of minutes later and were awarded a penalty in which Goalkeeper Barry Farrelly stepped up and made no mistake firing to the top right of the Dunshaughlin net to cut the gap to seven points.
Both sides traded the next two points as Andrew Gormley converted for Kells, Gormley added a second point shortly after but as soon as Kells looked for momentum Dunshaughlin would find that bit extra and keep the gap at seven points. Tormey added his second point of the game and two points from frees by Farrelly left five between the sides but time ran out for the Kells men and they couldn’t close the gap any further as Dunshaughlin picked up the two points.
Gaeil Colmcille: Barry Farrelly (1-0-2), Fionn Smith, Paulie Tormay, Shane Callaghan, Jonny Quigley, Adam Muldoon, Ajay Tormey (0-0-2), Aaron Browne, Liam Ferguson, Jordan Muldoon, Evan Sheridan, Eoghan Flynn, Liam Barry, Oisin Walsh (0-1-0), Andrew Gormley (0-0-2).
Subs: Jack Hogg, Liam Devine, Sean Cleary, Cormac O’Reilly
