Gaeil Colmcille and Wolfe Tones met in Group D of the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship in a repeat of the 2022 Quarter-Final in which the Tones won by two points.
Playing with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half, Wolfe Tones kicked the first score of the game albeit taking 10 minutes of the game after wides from both teams. Two more points in a row followed by the twelfth minute and it could have been worse for Kells only for Referee David Coldrick to rule out a goal to a square ball.
Tones added a fourth point before Kells finally got off the mark in the 17th minute thanks to a Barry Farrelly free. Wolfe Tones continued to control the game and hit the next four points until Seamus Mattimoe got The Gaels second point in the 27th minute. Both sides traded the final two scores of the half as Brian Hanlon pointed from a free to see the Kilberry/Gibbstown outfit lead 0-09 to 0-03 at the break.
Wolfe Tones picked up where they left off in the first half and were handed a perfect Opportunity to add to their tally with a free in front of the posts. Caolán Ward duly obliged and the lead was out to 7 points. Farrelly added another point but moments later Dan O’Neill found himself in acres of space in front of the Kells goal, O’Neill side stepped Farrelly and struck into an empty net.
Tones added a further two points and when Cian Ward tucked away a penalty to the top corner the game was all but over as a contest. Evan Sheridan punched over a point for Kells in the 54th minute and Hanlon added two more points late on. But there was no clawing back The Tones lead. Next up for Gaeil Colmcille will be a must win game against Ballinabrackey if they have any hope of reaching the knockout stages.
On a positive note for Gaeil Colmcille Rian Early and Liam Barry both made their Senior debuts for the club.
Gaeil Colmcille: Barry Farrelly (0-02), Adam Muldoon, Paul Tormay, Adam Donnelly, James Reilly, Jonny Quigley, Barry Tormay, Phil Ward, Evan Sheridan (0-01), Liam Ferguson, Brian Hanlon (0-02), Ajay Tormey, Seamus Mattimoe (0-02), Ryan Farnham, Rian Early.
Sub: Liam Barry for Early.
