In the battle of the Cille’s it was the men from North Meath that came out the right side if this tight affair in the opening round fixture of this years Fairyhouse Steel Meath Senior Football Championship played in Drumconrath.
It was the seasider’s St.Colmcille’s who looked the more fired up for the game and registered the opening score of the match in the first minute. Brian Hanlon settled Gaeil Colmcille into the game and leveled the game up two minutes later.
St. Colmcille’s looked like scoring on every attack and by the ninth minute they lead by 0-04 to 0-02. Gaeil Colmcille did manage to get back on level terms with points either side of the water break thanks to Danny McGovern and Keith Reilly. Just as Kells thought they were getting back into the game St. Colmcille’s would pull away from the Gaeils and by the 29th minute they lead by four points.
McGovern got his second point, while Hanlon got his third of the game to close the gap to 0-06 to 0-08 in favour of St. Colmcille’s at Half-Time.
St. Colmcille’s started the second half as strong as the first and stretched their lead to three points but three points in five minutes from Kells forwards Martin Barrett, Hanlon and Seamus Mattimoe drew Kells level once more with 37 minutes on the watch. Gaeil Colmcille then took the lead for the first time when Barrett collected a ball just outside the 21 yard line and turned and popped over the bar.
The Gaeils pressed the kickout and it paid off as Conal Courtney got on the end of a good move to see Kells move two clear. Both sides shared the next four scores with Evan Sheridan and Mattimoe hitting monster scores for the Kells men to stay two ahead.
With 42 minutes on the clock and Kells leading by two points it was the men from East Meath who found the back of the net first, good work from St. Colmcille’s full forward James Conlon who got in behind the Kells backs and a soccer style “sweaty” he squared to an unmarked forward to tap into the back of the net.
Kells never panicked and hit the next two scores before the water break with Barrett and a Hanlon free left the Gaeils 0-15 to 1-11 up with 15 minutes to go. The first score after the water break and it was the perfect one from Kells, after pouncing on a misplaced free, Mattimoe found himself with ball in hand and he fired to an empty net to pull four clear.
Gaeil Colmcille, now with the momentum hit the next two scores with Mattimoe finding his range and a Fionn Reilly point pushed Kells six clear with three minutes of normal time remaining. As St. Colmcille’s pushed for a goal late on to try earn something from the game, just a single point was got and it was Gaeil Colmcille who ran out five point winners as referee Liam O’Brien blew for full-time.
Gaeil Colmcille: Justin Carry-Lynch, Jordan Muldoon, Paulie Tormay, James Reilly, Conal Courtney (0-01), Seanie Curran, Fionn Reilly (0-01), Oisin Reilly, Phil Ward, Evan Sheridan (0-01), Keith Reilly (0-01), Seamus Mattimoe (1-03), Martin Barrett (0-03), Danny McGovern (0-02), Brian Hanlon (0-05)
Subs: Jonny Quigley for McGovern, Cian Doogan for Ward, Liam Ferguson for K Reilly, Ryan Farnham for Barrett, Adam Muldoon for Sheridan
Photo © Declan Lynch
