Cortown was the venue for the Minor Division One Shield Semi-Final between Gaeil Colmcille and St. Patricks, Stamullen with both sides looking to continue their season and reach a final where Navan O’Mahony’s awaits the winner.
Andrew Butler, operating in the Gaeil Colmcille Full-Forward line got the opening two scores of the game inside the first six minutes of the game to give the Kells men the perfect start. All the Gaeils work was undone in the ninth minute when a free kick from St. Pat’s fell short and the Pat’s forward was quickest to react to fire to the back of the net. The goal was followed up by a point from a free to give the East Meath side a two point lead.
Kells reduced the gap to the minimum just before the water break when midfielder Ajay Tormey pointed despite the best efforts of the Pat’s defender trying to block him down. Tormey added a second point in the 17th minute, this time cutting inside and pointing off his left foot to draw the teams level. With 22 minutes played Gaeil Colmcille restored their two point lead, Oisin O’Reilly was putting serious pressure on the Pat’s kickouts and had a hand in the next two scores for Kells as Andrew Butler grabbed his third point of the game after Finn Tegetmeier hit a brilliant point 25 yards out from goal.
Both sides shared the last two scores of the half with the hard working wing-forward John Gormley ensured Gaeil Colmcille took a two point lead to the break leading 0-07 to 1-02.
St. Patricks came out with a purpose early in the second half and found themselves level once more as they hit the first two scores inside five minutes. The bounce back ability of the Kells men was strong and Jack Hogg who was a thorn in the Pat’s defence got his hands on a cross field ball and put Gaeil Colmcille in the lead once again.
The score lifted the Gaeil Colmcille spirits and three more points in a row saw them take a four point lead into the second half water break. Butler’ accurately accounting for two of the points with Tormey adding a free to leave Kells 0-11 to 1-04 ahead.
St. Patricks appeared to benefit from the breaks and hit three points in a row from the restart to leave just a single point between the sides with less than ten minutes remaining. With the pressure mounting, Gaeil Colmcille were awarded a free kick when Butler was taken down 35 metres from goal, Butler dusted himself down and split the posts as Kells led by two. A two point lead became three when Tormey grabbed his fourth score of the game and with 54 minutes played Butler notched his seventh point of the night to see The Gaeils extend their lead to four points.
As the game ebbed and flowed St. Patricks went in search of a goal and a ball that dropped short in the square was cleanly caught by the Pat’s midfielder but his effort at goal was excellently blocked to keep the lead at four points. A free from St. Pat’s left just a goal between the sides. With the pressure mounting on the Kells goal the Gaeil Colmcille back stood firm and only allowed a single score from 45 yards out to ensure a two point win and a final date with Navan O’Mahony’s.
Gaeil Colmcille: Glen Gavagan, Michael O’Byrne, Kristapus Vitkausus, Bruno Griffin, Kilian Kelly, Finn Mullan, Rian Early, Ajay Tormey (0-04), Kevin Carpenter, Finn Tegetmeier (0-01), John Gormley (0-01), Oisin O’Reilly, Andrew Butler (0-07), Jack Hogg (0-01), Sean Thornton.
Subs: Andrew Gormley, Liam Barry, David Butler
Photo © Brian Mulligan
