Seneschalstown sparkle in Meath SFC final replay

November 05, 2007

Seneschalstown captain Cormac Quinn raises the Keegan Cup.
Seneschalstown showed that they didn't miss the boat in the drawn match with a confident display in disposing of Navan O'Mahonys in the Commons Hardware SFC final replay at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday to lift the Keegan Cup for the first time since 1994 and the third time in all. Seneschalstown ....... 0-15 Navan O'Mahonys ....... 0-9 Damien Sheridan's charge were deserving winners and apart from a brief spell in the early stages looked the more likely to prevail and they collectively dismantled the hopes of their more fancied opponents. Brian Clarke took scoring honours with nine points (eight frees and a '45') to earn the Colum Cromwell Memorial Man of the Match award but there were a number of his team mates who were vying for the honour. Robert Ruddy was the most impressive of the midfielders on view and got great support from Damien Sheridan. The gamble of bringing Ciaran Macken back from Australia paid dividends and he put in an industrious hour at wing-forward and won a lot of breaking ball that he put to good use. Joe Sheridan easily won his duel with Kevin Reilly and added two points from play for good measure. The second, a brilliant effort from out on the right towards the town goal, made it 0-10 to 0-6 after 40 minutes and quelled a mini-revival by the Brews Hill side. By the end of the game he could be found deep in his own defence where he secured a couple of vital possessions as O'Mahonys went in search of goals. The defence was well-marshalled by team captain Cormac Quinn and worked cohesively as a unit to snuff out the threat posed by the highest scoring team in the competition. Goalkeeper David Lyons was having problems finding his midfielders with his restarts in the early stages but once that problem was sorted, the O'Mahonys threat was contained. O'Mahonys never led and were only on level terms once in the hour when Mark Ward cancelled out Brian Clarke's opening point from a free. Mick Downes' men had the better of the opening ten minutes but had nothing to show for it They went close to goaling twice in that time but Paddy Smyth's effort was cleared off the line by Quinn while Lyons scrambled David Bray's fisted effort away at the expense of a '45'. Seneschalstown's first point from play didn't come until the 20th minute with wing-back Mark Carey - who got the goal at the same end in the drawn game - registering. When Joe Sheridan scored his first point seconds later it was 0-6 to 0-2. Carey added a second point before the break and underdogs were five points clear before David Bray pulled one back - following good work by Ward and Cormac McGuinness - to leave O'Mahonys trailing by 0-4 to 0-8 at the interval. The town side who were forced to field without the injured Thomas Loughran but had restored team captain Niall McKeigue to the starting line-up for the first time in five outings but he didn't have the same impact as he did when introduced as a substitute in the drawn encounter. Brian Clarke got the first score of the second period after Joe Sheridan was fouled by Kevin Reilly. But two scores on the spin from Ward and David Bray - from a free from out on the right - left O'Mahonys trailing by three points, 0-6 to 0-9, after 39 minutes. O'Mahonys responded positively to Joe Sheridan's magnificent second point with scores from wing-back Paul Quinn and Stephen Bray. That left the town side trailing by just two points, 0-8 to 0-10, after 42 minutes but they were outscored by 0-5 to 0-1 thereafter by a Seneschalstown side that had the confidence to kick on for the finishing tape in the final quarter rather than withdraw into their shells. Clarke completed his tally with four pointed frees in that time with Damien Sheridan also registering. O'Mahonys only score in the latter stages came from Gary O'Brien, whose goal attempt was diverted over the bar by Lyons in the 56th minute to leave it 0-9 to 0-13. Seneschalstown - D. Lyons; S. Sheridan, A. Collins, C. Clarke; M. Carey (0-2), C. Quinn (C), C. Gleeson; R. Ruddy, D. Sheridan (0-1); C. Macken, A. McCann, J. Cowley; B. Clarke (0-9, 8 frees, 1 '45'), J. Sheridan (0-2), S. Clarke (0-1, free). Subs - D. Byrne for S. Clarke (49 mins), B. Sheridan for Cowley (56 mins), J. Byrne for C. Clarke (60 mins). Navan O'Mahonys - K. Lane; L. Russell, K. Reilly, I. Matthews; P. Quinn (0-1), R. Hogan, N. McKeigue; S. MacGabhann, M. Ward (0-2); G. O'Brien (0-1), P. Smyth (0-1), C. McGuinness; D. Bray (0-2, 1 free), B. Regan, S. Bray (0-2). Subs - N. Dunne for MacGabhann (43 mins), D. O'Toole for McGuinness (46 mins). Referee - D. Coldrick (Blackhall Gaels).

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