Paddy O’Brien Park was the venue under lights for the Division 7 Championship vs Navan O’Mahony’s with both sides looking for a win to help their cause of progression out of the group.
All the pre match talk was about who was going to fill the boots of the peerless Full-forward Gary Arkins who made the step up to the Second team on Friday evening along with Zak Griffin. Would it be Tormey, Murphy, Glynn, Ronan, King or Rooney but in the end it was a Tormay but not Alan who was shafted again but Barry who, was making his way back from injury and was looking for much needed game time. There was also room in the starting XV for Eanna Ryan, the decision proving that cronyism still exists in modern day football.
Tormay started brightly and within the first minute, won a free that Gary McGovern tapped over. McGovern added his and Gaeil Colmclle’s second score one minute later to double the lead early on. O’Mahony’s got the perfect response and a turnover in midfield was quickly transferred up the pitch and the O’Mahony’s forward squared to the onrushing player to tap into the back of the net.
Ryan O’Boyle levelled the scores up in the 18th minute, blasting over the bar. Kells once again took the lead when Tormay tore through the middle and his goal attempt went flying over the crossbar. Gaeil Colmcille doubled their lead when McGovern danced and shimmy’d his way through the O’Mahony’s defence and despite numerous chances to pass, McGovern produced a fine score from 40 yards out.
O’Mahony’s finished the half the stronger, in a 8 minute spell the Navan men scored 2-02 to no score, the warning signs came in the 20th minute when James Flanagan produced a fine save, while Max Finlay also clearing off the line. Gaeil Colmcille did get the final score of the half when Conor Murray made a great run out of the backs and he laid the ball off to Cian Donlon who scored from an acute angle to leave the Gaeils trailing by five points 0-06 to 3-02.
A McGovern free early in the second half reduced the gap to four points but O’Mahony’s hit back with an unanswered three points and a fourth goal to see the Navan side push 13 points clear going into the second half water break. The moment arrived for manager Justin Carry-Lynch to call on his secret weapon, Alan Tormey who came in for Donlon and instantly it was clear to see that O’Mahony’s were struggling with the forwards runs and movement and Tormey was directly involved in the next three scores for the Gaeils with McGovern pointing twice and Tormay pointing after another goal chance.
The Gaeils never laid down and McGovern got his seventh point and Tormay his third point of the game, but it wasn’t to be enough as O’Mahony’s continued their winning ways and stayed top of the Division with three games remaining.
Gaeil Colmcille: James Flanagan, Oran Carolan, Liam Byrne, Max Finlay, Robbie Fox, Niall Williams, Conor Murray, Ben Shine, Darragh Smyth, Ryan O’Boyle (0-01), Barry Tormay (0-03), Gary McGovern (0-07), Cian Donlon (0-01), Eanna Ryan, Joe Flanagan.
Subs: Sean King, Luke Ronan, Cian Murphy, Jack Glynn, Alan Tormey (0-03 assists), Stephen Mooney
