Storm Kathleen was not going to get in the way of Gaeil Colmcille’s trip to Baconstown to face Na Fianna in the PR Coyne A League Division 1 despite the treacherous conditions all morning and afternoon.
Who plays with the wind in the first half and what is a sizeable lead enough to secure a win was the questions poised to both teams and it was the visitors Kells who would have the advantages of the elements in the first half. The Gaeils assuming that the wind alone would kick the points for you soon figured that accuracy would be an obvious help along the way and it wouldn’t be until the fourth minute when Brian Hanlon picked up from where he left off on Sunday morning as he registered the first score of the game.
Like buses, a second point soon followed and this time Oisin Walsh composed himself and sent over a lovely point. The hosts knew that scores would be hard to come by but were given a massive boost in the 8th minute when a great team move ended in Dan Queeney burying to the back of the net for the perfect response to Gaeil Colmcille’s start.
Kells didn’t let the goal affect them and kept ticking away at the scoreboard and points from Gormley twins John and Andrew a couple minutes apart saw The Gaeils regain the lead. Na Fianna’s lack of discipline meant frees from Hanlon (2) and Barry Farrelly drew Gaeil Colmcille four clear. Both sides registered points before the break with Farrelly adding a monster free to see Kells lead 0-09 to 1-01 at the half-time break.
Kells couldn’t have asked for a better start to the second half when Andrew Gormley got his second point of the game one minute in followed by a free from Hanlon two minutes later to stretch the Gaeils lead to seven points. Two frees from Na Fianna in quick succession had the game back to five points with five minutes played in the half. Farrelly and Hanlon saw frees sail over to put Gaeil Colmcille seven clear once again with a quarter of the game to play.
Kells would need every bit of that seven-point lead as the game went on as the Enfield/Baconstown outfit started to reel off scores and points in the 46th, 51st, 55th, 56th, 57th and 59th minute left just one between the teams as the clock headed into the red.
Gaeil Colmcille did weather the storm (I’m sorry) and a brilliant break out of defence finished in a 21-yard free that Farrelly struck over a leave two between the teams with time almost up. Na Fianna did go in search for a match winning goal and went very close to getting it but for the effort to blaze wide much to the relief of the travelling support as Referee David Coldrick blew for full-time from the next kickout. The win sees Kells on five points in third place after three games while Na Fianna sits in 8th with 2 points.
Gaeil Colmcille: Barry Farrelly (0-05), Fionn Smith, Rian Early, Barry Tormay, Adam Muldoon, Adam Donnelly, Jonny Quigley, Ajay Tormey, Ryan Farnham, Liam Barry, Brian Hanlon (0-05), John Gormley (0-01), Oisin Walsh (0-01), Andrew Gormley (0-02), James Reilly
