With lads being picked up all over the county, from Navan, from Ashbourne, from Westfield, Gaeil Colmcille got the bare 15 and made the trip to Ardcath on a beautiful summers evening for the B league division 5 clash with St. Vincent’s.
The home side made a good start and were unlucky not to register the opening score of the match but for heroic defending from Kells Darts League champion Darren “The Dazzler” McConnell.
The evergreen Gary Arkins got the first point of the match to set Kells on their way when his trademark drop of the shoulder made him space to shoot over. Kells goaled on 10 minutes when Mark “no breaking ball here today” Fox caught a kick out from James Flanagan, he launched the ball into the square and when the ball ricocheted to Joe Flanagan he made no mistake to fire into the back of the net.
After that, the half turned into the Arkins show, lucky for Kells that Arkins had the shooting boots after leaving them behind for the last few games.
Three points in a row from Arkins opened a gap and when he gambled on a loose ball in the square he finished well from an acute angle to the back of the net. Kells Dart Shield winner Ben “Nib” Farrelly was causing havoc at wing forward but got a hit to the bullseye and had to recieve treatment for a head injury.
St. Vincent’s looked for long balls into corner forward Tommy Field, but lucky enough for Kells, Fireman Barry Balfe had the ladder with him to cut out the high balls and keep Field at bay. The Vincent’s did get a late flurry of points late on in the half to close the gap to five points, Kells leading 2-04 to 0-05.
Gaeil Colmcille got the first score of the second half when Gary McGovern found himself out helping in the midfield, played the ball to Arkins who popped it over. Gaeil Colmcille backs were getting on top with full back and centre backs Liam Byrne and Sean King were mopping up all that came their way. This allowed wing backs Jordy Muldoon and Stephen Rooney to press forward and cause trouble.
Muldoon went on a dazzling run and played the ball to Alan Tormey in corner, and with the cries of “don’t do it” from manager’s Justin Carry-Lynch and Timmy Reddy, Tormey hit an overhead kick pass back to Muldoon who laid the ball off to Arkins who popped it over for another score.
The bouncer in the middle of the field Shane “Sorry not tonight bud’ Bennett gathered possession from the resulting kick out and out of the corner of his eye saw the white boots of Stephen Quigley who, dummied it around no one and slotted it over the bar.
The Vincent’s did push hard for goals near the end but nothing was getting past veteran goalkeeper Flanagan. There was still time for more Arkins points and another point from Flanagan to ensure the Gaeils win and see them up to second in the league table.
Team
Gaeil Colmcille: J Flanagan, D McConnell, L Byrne, B Balfe, J Muldoon, S King, S Rooney, S Bennett, M Fox, J Flanagan (1-02), G Arkins (1-09), B Farrelly, A Tormey, G McGovern, S Quigley (0-01).
Photo credit: Hoganstand
