For the second time in a fortnight, Gaeil Colmcille and Wolfe Tones met in Páirc Tailteann after the Kells side lifted the 2020 Feis Cup. This time round it was the turn of the Fairyhouse Steel Meath Senior Football Championship First Round. Unlike the Feis Cup, the sides couldn’t be separated this time round with both sides sharing the two points on offer.
Gaeil Colmcille got the opening score of the game in the second minute when Brian Hanlon pointed over from a free kick. Martin Barrett followed with a fisted point in the third minute and it was the perfect start for Kells when Barrett palmed the ball into the net after a bursting run from Seamus Mattimoe, bet the Tones defence and laid the ball off to Barrett to see them take a 1-02 to 0-00 lead with seven minutes played.
Wolfe Tones kept themselves in the game from placed balls and hit three in a row in the 9th, 13th and 20th minute to leave just two points between the sides. Gaeil Colmcille restored their three point lead in the 25th when Hanlon called an advanced mark and struck over the Town end goals. The turning point of the half came in the 30th minute when Wolfe Tones were awarded a free kick, due to dissent the free was brought forward to the 14 yard line and Cian Ward’s quick thinking smashed the ball to the back of the net to level the game up.
A fisted Seamus Mattimoe point on the stroke of half-time restored the Gaeils lead as the Kells side took the narrowest of leads into half-time 1-04 to 1-03.
Both sides traded early scores in the half with a Mattimoe free for Kells keeping them in the lead. Scores were hard got and when the Tones levelled things up in the 34th minute, there would only be two more scores in the next twenty minutes, both for Gaeil Colmcille, the first from a Hanlon free and the second from Fionn Reilly to see Kells take a two point lead with 54 minutes played.
Wolfe Tones finished the game the strongest and hit two points in the 58th and 63rd minute to leave the game all square and one point each in Group C ahead of the second round fixtures where Gaeil Colmcille will face Moynalvey and Wolfe Tones takes on Simonstown.
Gaeil Colmcille: Justin Carry-Lynch, Jonny Quigley, PAulie Tormay, James Reilly, Conal Courtney, Jordan Muldoon, Seanie Curran, Phil Ward, Liam Ferguson, Evan Sheridan, Martin Barrett (1-01), Fionn Reilly (0-01), Seamus Mattimoe (0-02), Ryan Farnham, Brian Hanlon (0-03).
Subs: Adam Muldoon for Barrett, Adam Donnelly for Farnham, Ahmed Lawal for Adam Muldoon
