Seamus Connolly Catering Meath Junior B Football Championship Quarter Final

Seneschalstown 0-13 Slane 0-11

A very good few days for the club continued apace on Saturday evening in Skryne under lights when Seneschalstown's Junior B team booked their passage through to the Championship semi-final stage after securing a narrow two point victory over neighbours Slane.  A victory by a greater margin looked likely when the side led by six points with fifty one minutes on the clock but Slane mounted a late comeback which tested the Seneschalstown resolve severely but thanks to some very disciplined defending especially in the full back line they just about held on. 

Seneschalstown registered the opening score of the match in the third minute when James Conlon got onto a quickly taken free kick to point.  Slane though hit back and went one to the good when pointing from play in the fourth and ninth minutes.  Player/Manager David Hosie rolled back the years with a fine point after being picked out by Stephen Finnegan with a quick free kick. 

Tean Cummins then kicked a brilliant point from out on the right wing to push his team into the lead before Shane Clarke kicked his sides second score in less than a minute after getting on the end of a move involving Finnegan and Hosie to point with his trusty left boot.  Hosie then sought to grab a goal but his effort was well saved by the Slane goalkeeper.  After missing that goal opportunity Seneschalstown could have made up for it minutes later but when through on goal Jonathan Gilsenan opted for the safer option and blazed over the bar.  The attacking runs of Adam Carey have been a notable feature of the team's performances this year and Seneschalstown's next score was to arrive courtesy of another of his lung bursting efforts.  After running at the heart of the Slane defence he spotted Clarke peeling away from his marker.  He then delivered an accurate foot pass which Clarke was able to run onto without checking his stride and then point majestically from out on the left. 

Slane broke the Seneschalstown momentum when pointing from play after sixteen minutes but Adam Gleeson hit back when capitalising on a well-executed steal from Jonathan Gilsenan to restore his sides four point advantage.  The men from Slane though were keeping in touch and kicked a free to once more get the deficit back to three points when popping over a free.  Seneschalstown though were to have the final say of the half when Conlon put the ball between the uprights after Clarke had picked him out with a pass. 

With the scoreboard reading Seneschalstown 0-08 Slane 0-04 at the commencement of the second half the first couple of scores in the second period appeared as though they would be crucial in shaping the pattern of the half.   To that end Seneschalstown got off to a very promising start when Clarke tapped over a thirteen metre free and then pointed from play in the thirty-ninth minute.  Clarke's effort from play arriving after Conlon had fielded a poor Slane kickout and when he fed Finnegan the centre forward spotted Clarke coming on the loop to kick his side into a six point lead. 

Slane were not going away though and kept in touch with two points, one of which came from a free before Seneschalstown were denied a goal after Gilsenan had a close range effort deflected just over the bar.  A minute later Hosie kicked his second point of the game before Slane kicked a point when they should have really gotten a goal.  The Dunbia sponsored Seneschalstown team then scored what was their best point of the day.  Eamon Sheridan did excellently in defence to force a turnover and after gaining possession the ball was worked outfield to Finnegan who put a left footed pass onto Clarke's chest.  One of the most accurate forwards to have played for the club in recent times Clarke wasn't going to miss as he split the posts from thirty metres. 

From here to the finishing line though it was all Slane as Seneschalstown struggled to get the ball past halfway.  Two points in a minute saw their advantage reduced to four with five minutes of the regulation sixty remaining on the stopwatch but with Conor Cowley marshalling his full back line well and goalkeeper Wesley McDonagh fielding every ball that dropped into the square Slane were struggling to engineer a clear goal scoring opportunity even though they had a clear monopoly on possession. 

Slane were unable to pick off a score from the fifty fifth minute until they got back to three points behind when pointing from play in the sixty first minute.  Needing a goal to equalise and time running out on them they very nearly got the score they craved but just as it appeared likely the goal was coming McDonagh charged off his line to get a vital block to an effort and when the ball spilled loose a point was the best that could be mustered.  Seneschalstown's nerves were beginning to fray as they longed for the sound of the final whistle and the relief among those from Kentstown and Yellow Furze was palpable when shortly afterwards it did indeed arrive. 

Seneschalstown Scorers:  Shane Clarke 0-05 (0-01 Free), James Conlon 0-02, David Hosie 0-02 (0-01 Free), Jonathan Gilsenan 0-02, Tean Cummins 0-01, Adam Gleeson 0-01. 

Seneschalstown:  Wesley McDonagh, Mark Fox, Conor Cowley, Eamon Sheridan, Kevin Casey, David Matthews, Adam Carey, Tean Cummins, Jonathan Gilsenan, James Conlon, Stephen Finnegan, Adam Gleeson, Shane Clarke, David Hosie, Peter Waters. 

Seneschalstown Substitutions:  Robert Darby for P. Waters, John Smith for D. Matthews, N. Darby for D. Hosie.

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