In what was effectively a dead rubber in Group C between Gaeil Colmcille and Ratoath, it was a case of bragging rights to see who would top the group with both sides guaranteed their spot in the Quarter-Final.
It was evident in the early stages that nothing was on the line with both teams struggling early on to penetrate each other’s defence and it wasn’t until the seventh minute when Ratoath scored the games opening point. One minute later and Ratoath doubled their tally taking a 0-02 to 0-00 lead.
By the 11th minute The Gaeils were level thanks to two pointed frees from the Kells talisman Brian “Beano” Hanlon. With both sides level the intensity of the game rose and it was Ratoath who took control in a ten minute spell struck for 1-02 with no reply, the goal coming in the 19th minute leaving Gaeil Colmcille’s Senior Debutant goalkeeper Chris Doyle no chance at keeping out the ferocious shot.
Another scoreless ten minutes came before Ratoath pulled six clear with point on 30 minutes and Gaeil Colmcille’s Full-Forward pointed with the last kick of the first half to leave Kells trailing 0-03 to 1-05 at half-time.
The second half started with more purpose than the first with four points scored inside the first six minutes with both sides accounting for two points each, Gaeil Colmcille relying on the frees of Hanlon who notched over Kells two points. Two more points in a row from Ratoath left Gaeil Colmcille an uphill battle trailing by seven points and 15 minutes remaining.
Credit must be giving to the Kells men whose never say die attitude was sparked to life when Full-Back Adam Donnelly found himself in an advanced position and pointed brilliantly in the 46th minute. Four minutes later and Gaeil Colmcille pulled the lead back to three points with an excellently taken goal after substitutes Danny Muldoon and Fionn Ferguson combined with the latter finding the back of the net.
Both sides shared the next two scores with the Gaeils score coming from Centre Back Jonny Quigley. Ratoath once again pulled four clear but once again Quigley found himself in an advances position to reduce the lead once more. As Gaeil Colmcille went in search of a goal, it was never to come and when Hanlon pointed from a 45, referee Derek Ryan blew up to give Ratoath the two point win.
Gaeil Colmcille: Chris Doyle, Paulie Tormay, Adam Donnelly (0-01), Liam Ferguson, Evan Sheridan, Jonny Quigley (0-02), James Reilly, Oisin Reilly, Aaron Browne, Adam Muldoon, Seanie Curran, Conal Courtney, Fionn Reilly, Martin Barrett (0-01), Brian Hanlon (0-05)
Subs: Jordan Muldoon for Tormay, Barry Tormay for Ferguson, Danny Muldoon for Adam Muldoon, Fionn Ferguson (1-00) for O Reilly, Ryan Farnham for Curran.
