Gaeil Colmcille welcomed Summerhill to Grangegodden knowing that nothing more than a win would be good enough to progress to the Semi-Final.
The home side got off to a lightning start and went 0-03 to no score up inside the opening 5 minutes thanks to a Brian Hanlon free and two Seamus Mattimoe points. Summerhill registered their opening score on 11 minutes but three minutes later Hanlon continued his rich vein of form and goaled on 14 minutes.
Two more Mattimoe points and a point from full forward Ryan Farnham extended Kells lead to 8 points, leading 1-06 to 0-02. Summerhill tagged on two points either side of an Evan Sheridan point and just before half time Hanlon struck for his second goal after good work from Conal Courtney in midfield, side-stepping his marker and playing the ball into Farnham who smartly laid off to Hanlon to see Kells ahead 2-07 to 0-04 at the break. The scoreline somewhat flattering the Gaeils as Summerhill, shooting into the breeze left a lot of scores behind them.
The hosts continued where they left off with Hanlon getting his second point of the match before Summerhill hit their purple patch of the game scoring 1-03 to no reply in a 9-minute blitz.
Kells now with their backs against the wall was crying out for a score and who else but Hanlon to calm the Gaeils heads when he pointed in the 43rd minute.
Summerhill matched that point but Kells pushed clear once more when Jonny Quigley, playing in midfield for today popped up inside the 14-yard line and finished to the net beyond the Summerhill keeper with 47 minutes on the clock.
In a tight closing quarter, Summerhill pressed for goals and Kells had to call on the excellence of goalkeeper Justin Carry-Lynch on three occasions to keep them ahead. Both sides traded points to close out the game and see Kells win by 6 points and leapfrog Summerhill in the table to second place.
The day wasn’t all bad for Summerhill with Wolfe Tones beating Simonstown means that Gaeil Colmcille and Summerhill will have to do it all over again in the League Semi-Final with Navan O’Mahonys awaiting the winners in the final.
Gaeil Colmcille: J Carry-Lynch, P Tormay, B Smith, J Muldoon, C Courtney, C Keegan, J Reilly, O Reilly, J Quigley (1-00), E Sheridan (0-01), S Curran, L Ferguson, S Mattimoe (0-04), R Farnham (0-01), B Hanlon (2-04).
Subs: C Doogan, A Muldoon, D Roche, S Reddy, D McGovern
Photo credit: Hoganstand
