For the fourth time this year, the Towns of Kells and Navan clashed on the football pitch with the North men coming out victorious in the previous three battles. Ballinlough was the venue of this rescheduled fixture, having been postponed due to the downpour last Saturday evening.
Just like the league final, O’Mahony’s started the strongest and took a 0-03 to 0-00 lead inside the opening three minutes. Kells opened their scoring when Martin Barrett popped up in front of the goals to drive over the bar. In the 9th minute midfielder, Fionn Reilly added a second point for Kells to leave one between the sides.
Both sides traded the next two scores with Seamus Mattimoe pointing a lovely free into a stiff breeze. Navan again drew two clear with a free of their own but two points from Brian Hanlon, one from a free saw the sides level in the 17th minute.
Again both sides traded scores with Mattimoe grabbing his second point of the game and in the 27th minute, Gaeil Colmcille took the lead for the first time when wing-back Conal Courtney struck over from distance.
O’Mahony’s did close out the half best and two unanswered scores saw them lead 0-08 to 0-07 at half-time.
Like O’Maohony’s in the first half, Gaeil Colmcille came out for the second half all guns blazing and hit three points in a row with Hanlon getting a further two points and Mattimoe getting his third of the day to see Kells lead by two points after 36 minutes.
O’Mahony’s closed the gap to one and in the 46th minute, the Navan men got the games only goal when a high ball into the full-forward line caused confusion and the forward shot low beyond Justin Carry-Lynch in the Gaeil’s goal.
The goal proved crucial as both sides hit one more score each leaving O’Mahony’s winners on the day and with the win see group A wide open with 4 teams on 4 points. Click here for the league table.
Gaeil Colmcille: J Carry-Lynch, P Tormay, B Smith, A Muldoon, C Courtney (0-01), J Quigley, J Reilly, F Reilly (0-01), O Reilly, E Sheridan, S Mattimoe (0-04), L Ferguson, M Barrett (0-01), R Farnham, B Hanlon (0-04)
Subs: F Ferguson for Farnham, C Keegan for L Ferguson.
