Gaeil Colmcille met Simonstown in the Final round of the group stage in the Fairyhouse Steel Meath Senior Football Championship in Páirc Tailteann. With Simonstown’s faith already sealed, Gaeil Colmcille were looking for a win to ensure their passage to the Quarter-Final.
Despite the opening point of the game going to Simonstown, six points in a row from Gaeil Colmcille inside the opening 13 minutes saw them take a firm hold of the game from an early stage with points coming from Brian Hanlon (2), Martin Barrett, Ryan Farnham, Phil Ward and a Seamus Mattimoe free.
A second point for the Navan side saw them reduce the gap to four points but a wonderful mark from Barrett left five between the sides as Referee Keith Sherrin called a halt to the half for se water intake. Whatever was in the water worked as Gaeil Colmcille gambled on a loose ball from the opposition kickout and quick interlink play saw Mattimoe one on one and he fired to the roof of the net for the opening goal of the game.
Both sides traded points with Mattimoe scoring a free from an acute angle. Simonstown were handed a lifeline on 22 minutes when Paulie Tormay was adjudged to have fouled the Simonstown full-forward and with a penalty awarded, Ben Hoey sent Justin Carry-Lynch the wrong way to reduce the gap to five points.
Kells response was immense and two quickfire points from Evan Sheridan and Fionn Reilly were soon followed by 45 from Hanlon. The score of the half was to come from Simonstown Shane O’Rourke who gathered the ball on the Gaeil Colmcille 21 yard line and as he lined up to shoot, Jack Bryant style he dummy hopped the ball leaving defender Jonny Quigley on the surface, that was followed by another dummy, this time with the foot and this time it was James Reilly who fell victim and to finish off the move O’Rourke slotted over the bar as Simonstown trailed by 6 points at Half-time 1-11 to 1-05.
A Brian Hanlon free was an ideal start to the half for Kells but four points in a row from Simonstown saw just a goal between the sides with 44 minutes played. That goal looked certain when the Simonstown broke into space, but his low shot was excellently kept out by Carry-Lynch in the goal.
Two points from Mattimoe once again saw Kells push clear, but Simonstown never laid down and a point was followed up by a goal from wing back Niall Kane to leave just two points between the sides. As they did for the first goal, Kells responded with two points from Ward and Mattimoe after hard work from substitutes Oisin Reilly and Adam Donnelly.
A 56th minute point from Simonstown was cancelled out by Sheridan’s second point and when Mattimoe fisted over his seventh point on the final whistle, it guaranteed Gaeil Colmcille top spot and a Quarter-Final tie with Donaghmore/Ashbourne.
Gaeil Colmcille: Justin Carry-Lynch, Jonny Quigley, Paulie Tormay, James Reilly, Conal Courtney, Jordy Muldoon, Seanie Curran, Liam Ferguson, Phil Ward (0-02), Evan Sheridan (0-02), Martin Barrett (0-02), Fionn Reilly (0-01), Seamus Mattimoe (1-07), Ryan Farnham (0-01), Brian Hanlon (0-04).
Subs: Adam Donnelly for Muldoon, Oisin Reilly for Barrett, Aaron Browne for Courtney, Danny McGovern for Farnham.
Simonstown – Robert Burlingham, Aaron Chincilla, Stephen Moran, Mark Gardiner, Rory O’Connor, Rory Connor (0-01), Niall Kane (1-02), Sean Conlon, Brian Conlon, Shane O’Rourke (0-01), Conor Sheridan (0-01), Josh Carolan (0-04), Brian McGrath (0-01), Padraig McKeever (0-01), Ben Hoey (1-00).
Subs: Sean Tobin for O’Connor, Shane Barry for O’Rourke, Mark McCabe for Connor,
